Fennie Yuen Kit-ying was a major actress in the late 1980s and early 90s, starting off in teen fare like the Happy Ghost film series – she starred in three instalments between 1985 and 1990 – then changing tack with a career-making dramatic role in Ringo Lam Ling-tung’s School on Fire (1988).

She then cemented her fame as the memorable Blue Phoenix in Tsui Hark’s first two Swordsman films, released in 1990 and 1992, before moving mainly into television.

Here, we discuss Yuen’s primary roles with film historian Frank Djeng, who interviewed the actress numerous times to accompany the Shout! Factory Blu-ray releases of her major films.

Yuen had a different image from the other female stars of the era. What was her appeal?

Yes, she was different. She represented the rebellious side of Hong Kong teenagers, but she was not so rebellious that she would be taken for a “bad girl” or a triad girl.

Sara Lee Lai-yui’s character in School on Fire is very rebellious indeed and looks like she could do something evil. But even though Yuen’s character has a feisty attitude, you can see that deep down inside, she is still a good girl who wouldn’t do anything awful.

She is actually a good student in her films, and she gets good grades, even though she is a rebel. Teenage girls at that time identified with her.