Steven Ma

Steven Ma Chun-wai (born 26 October 1971) is a Hong Kong actor and singer. In 1993, Ma won a record deal after winning first place at an annual singing contest in Hong Kong, later releasing his debut album, Lucky for Meeting You (幸運就是遇到你), that December. Not long after his singing debut, Ma joined TVB and began filming television dramas, later achieving fame through his supporting role in 1995's legal drama File of Justice IV. Many of Ma's television works are critically acclaimed and are popular successes in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Southeast Asia, notably Healing Hands (1998), Return of the Cuckoo (2000), and Where the Legend Begins (2002). Ma currently holds the record for holding the most "Favourite Character" awards with a total of four recognitions. Ma's best known for his portrayals of historical characters in many period television dramas.

Ma was born in a family of "grassroots" background. He was raised in the Pak Tin Estate in Sham Shui Po and lived with his father, a bus driver, his mother, three older sisters, and one younger sister. He attended the Pak Tin Catholic Primary School and later the CMA Secondary School.

In 1993, Ma won first place at an annual singing contest in Hong Kong, also winning a record deal. He released his debut album, Lucky for Meet You (幸運就是遇到你), that December. To promote the album, his record label created the slogan "He's not Leon Lai, he's not Jacky Cheung" to describe Ma's singing talent, which caused their fans to criticise and badmouth Ma. However, when Ma's contract terminated, Warners did not want to renew their contract.

At around the same time, Ma signed a per series contract with TVB and portrayed minor roles in various television dramas. In 1994, Ma was cast as the supporting character Dr. Stephen Chan Cheuk-yiu in the fourth instalment of the popular legal drama File of Justice series. The drama was a popular success, and Ma gained his first footstep into TVB series. His portrayal of the intelligent Hong-hei Emperor in the 1998 remake of the popular wuxia novel The Duke of Mount Deer garnered even more interest from critics and producers alike, and Ma began earning leading roles.

In 1998, Ma filmed the ever popular TV series, "Healing Hands 1", but unlike his carefree and sunny disposition Dr. Joe character in the said series, from 1998 until his mother's death, Ma was actually deeply depressed over the rapidly declining health of his mother, a cancer patient of 22 years. His mother's death in July 1999 totally devastated him. For months he isolated himself in his bedroom to deal with the pain of losing his beloved mother. Ma eventually put aside his pain to get on with his life. In 2002 he set up a publishing company, and in the same year he published the first of his book series of: Steven Ma's True Tales of Society with "Why Suicide? (2002) followed up Steven Ma's Tales of Society: I Am the Patient's Family (2003).

Ma's portrayal of the historical figure Cho Chik in the drama Where the Legend Begins (2002) was both a popular and critical success. Following Where was the popular but critically mixed Perish in the Name of Love (2003), a 30-part television drama remake of the famous Cantonese opera Di Nü Hua. Gradually, Ma began filming more dramas with historical or period backgrounds, in which Ma subsequently became known for. Ma is also the first actor to win the My Favourite Male Character award at the 2006 TVB Anniversary Awards through his performance in the 2006 low-budget period drama Safe Guards (2006). Ma left TVB and joined Hutchison Telecom in January 2012, however he has continued to work with TVB independently, currently starring in their new series Storm in a Cocoon and filming a new show named Property Protector.

• 1993: Lucky for Meeting You (幸運就是遇到你)
• 1994: Heading Towards You Now (這刻向你衝)
• 1995: Deep Passion – New Songs + Special Selection (濃情—新曲+精選)
• 1996: I Was Also Drunk Before (我也曾醉過) – Mandarin Chinese record
• 1997: Honey (蜜糖)
• 1998: DAYNIGHT
• 1999: Lifestyle
• 2000: Lifestyle II
• 2001: Give Me 3'07" (給我3'07")
• 2001: My Most Missed – New Songs + Special Selection (我最關心—新歌+精選)
• 2002: Warner Best MV of 25 Years Karaoke VCD – Various Artist I (華納精采視聽25載卡拉OK VCD叱吒傳奇 – 叱吒群星I)
  • 05. "Long Nights, Many Dreams" (夜長夢多)
• 2002: Warner Best MV of 25 Years Karaoke VCD – Various Artist II (華納精采視聽25載卡拉OK VCD叱吒傳奇 – 叱吒群星II)
  • 11. "Don't Be Sad" (不再悲觀)
• 2002: Warner Best MV of 25 Years Karaoke VCD – Various Artist III (華納精采視聽25載卡拉OK VCD叱吒傳奇 – 叱吒群星III)
  • "Lucky for Meeting You" (幸運就是遇到你)
• 2002: Greatest Hits Steven – New Songs + Special Selection
• 2002: Don't Shut In & Self-Abuse (切勿自閉、糟蹋自己)
• 2003: New Princess Cheung-ping (新帝女花)
• 2003: My Theme Song (我的主題曲)
• 2006: EEG TVB Kids Song Selection (EEG TVB 兒歌大放送)
  • 11. "After School ICU" (After School ICU Theme)
• 2008: Love TV (Love TV 情歌精選)
  • 04. "Little Story" (A Journey Called Life Theme)
• 2009: Love TV 2 (Love TV 情歌精選 2)
  • 14. "How to Say Love" (Sweetness in the Salt Theme)

• September 2002: Steven Ma's Veritable Records of Society I: Why Commit Suicide? (馬浚偉社會實錄I-點解要自殺?)
• May 2003: Steven Ma's Veritable Records of Society II: I Am the Patient's Family (馬浚偉社會實錄II-我是病人家屬)
• May 2004: Steven ma's Veritable Records of Society III: To Good Direction, To Bad Direction (馬浚偉社會實錄III-向好走 向壞走)
• July 2003: The Women In Ma Jai's Eyes (馬仔眼中的女人)
• July 2008: Correct Designs (圖文並謬)
• July 2011: Steven Ma comfortable Eating Attitudes (馬浚偉自在飲食態度)