“Come Home Love” Star Sophie Yip is a Kingston Graduate

Twenty-seven-year-old actress Sophie Yip (葉蒨文), best known for her role “Candy” in long-running sitcom Come Home Love: Lo and Behold <愛‧回家之開心速遞>, graduated with a degree in fashion design, but chose to pursue her dream as an actress as she “could not stand a regular nine-to-five day job.”

Accidentally Got Cast in “Come Home Love: Lo and Behold”

An alumnus of the prestigious Sacred Heart Canossian College in Hong Kong as well as England’s Kingston University, where singer Eason Chan (陳奕迅) also graduated from, Sophie took part in 2016’s Miss Hong Kong pageant despite revealing that striking poses and taking photos was not her cup of tea, as she decided she wanted to enter the industry early on and hone her craft. “I really love acting, but had also once thought being an actor was a dream. However a regular nine-to-five office job was really intolerable for me, so I decided to take part in Miss Hong Kong to fulfill my dream,” which led to Sophie going for acting classes and officially signing on to TVB as an actress.

As Sophie did not have any prior acting experience, she would visit Andrea So (蘇韻姿) on set after her actor’s training class to observe how the cast and crew got their work done, even taking notes in a notebook. “Once the director spotted me unintentionally, and since they happened to be looking for a classmate of Xiong Xinru (Andrea’s character), he gave me a chance to try out the role,” Now in her third year of starring in the well-received sitcom, her character Candy has since transformed from a minor role in the drama to a well-rounded character who was involved in the main plot.

Family’s stance: From Opposition to Support

Sophie  described herself as someone who was clear about what she wanted since young, perhaps because she grew up among elder siblings who were almost 20 years her senior. Returning from her fashion design studies in London, Sophie’s family thought that she was just having fun in the pageant, but her genuine joy after becoming an actress led them to support her new career.

Thankful to have been favored by circumstances as she entered the station at a time when there were many opportunities, Sophie’s ongoing performances in minor roles, has assured her of a steady income, though not luxurious lifestyle.

Actors Deserve More Respect

Although she had a slow start to her career, the optimistic Sophie does not mind slowly working her way up, saying, “I did not get a big role right from the beginning, so I wouldn’t be missing something I did not have…every actor has had it tough.”

However, the actress thinks that those in the profession should get more respect. “Why does society determine one’s value through career? Are we less worthy of respect because we are actors? Although we aren’t doctors, lawyers, accountants , one’s worth should not be based on our career, but on how much time and effort are spent on the job.” To Sophie, being an actor not only requires a great deal of effort, but also an understanding of philosophy and psychology in order to portray different personas well.

“Being an actress will get you used to observing the people and matters around you, and become more empathetic to others’ encounters. In the past I was more self-centered and had the occasional temper, but after entering the industry I became more empathetic, and learn to look at things from another perspective,” she shared.

Despite irregular work hours, Sophie is also an avid volunteer, involving herself in back-end operations and marketing efforts for Operation Smile, an organization which aids children with cleft lips.

Source: hket