Born in Hong Kong in 1971 to a mother who as a beauty queen won the cityโs 1962 Miss Exhibition Pageant, actor Julian Cheung Chi-lam once said he was a โpretty rough guy from an ordinary familyโ.
His extended family has no shortage of entertainers, though โ his maternal uncle, Charlie Cho Cha-lee, is an actor known for his soft porn film roles, while his cousin Anna Ueyama was an actress before she switched to working in insurance.
Cheungโs parents separated when he was a child and, when he was 16, he and his father moved to Sydney, Australia. In 1990, Cheung was introduced to a talent manager through Ueyama while he was visiting Hong Kong during a summer holiday.
In November 1991 Cheung debuted as a singer, releasing Modern Love Story โ his first duet album โ with actress and singer Maple Hui Chau-yi. His first solo album, Make Me Happy, came out in October 1992.