While working mums are no big deal in modern times, some women may still choose to put their careers on hold while raising kids.
Case in point: Hong Kong actress Tavia Yeung, who went on a hiatus in 2018 in preparation for pregnancy.
Appearing on the latest episode of talk show Hear U Out with Quan Yi Fong, her husband Him Law gushed about her career and how Tavia had made it as a top actress despite there being "many excellent actors in those days".
She is the only TVB actress to have won all four individual awards at the TVB Anniversary Awards — Most Improved Female artiste, Best Supporting Actress, My Favourite Female Character and Best Actress.
But what Him, 39, admired even more about Tavia, 44, was her being able to take time off to look after their kids — Hera, 3, and one-year-old Eden.
"She had better prospects in mainland China back then (when she went on a hiatus)," Him said. "She could have earned a lot more money, but she chose marriage and children."
He espoused a Cantonese saying that meant: "Don't forsake a wife who has endured hardships for you."
Him also said that people have asked why Tavia hasn't been acting, but he tells them that she's "very selective" now.
"It'll take a really good script to motivate her to leave her children behind and appear in [a show]," he said.
He added: "She wants to [act]. She's actually reviewing scripts. The kids have to be looked after, but she's waiting to come across a script that impresses her to the point where she'll tell me to look after the kids so she can go take part in it."
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Him and Tavia began dating back in 2011 while filming medical drama The Hippocratic Crush (2012). They got married in 2016.
Since she went on hiatus, Tavia did make a return to acting for the drama Modern Dynasty (2022) which was filmed between 2020 and 2021. Acting alongside Him, the couple left their daughter Hera with older family members at that time.
"And we did consider things from the child's point of view," Him said. "She was less than a year old then, she doesn't have much recollection of that time."
Nowadays, he thinks he'd have to take Hera to the set with him — and Tavia recently did just that to surprise Him.
While Him filmed for Modern Dynasty Part 2: War of Others in Malaysia back in August, Tavia came down from Hong Kong with the kids in tow.
In the since-deleted Instagram post, two cakes can be seen on the table for the couple, who were both born in that month.
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drimac@asiaone.com
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