Though there’s no business like show business, that famous claim doesn’t inhibit a number of stars from plunging into the world of commerce.
Suzhou-born Hong Kong actress Carina Lau is the most recent celebrity to hit the headlines, promoting a product she herself is closely responsible for.
Tony Leung’s 49-year-old wife found time, naturally, from her tight schedule to attend a press conference for a series of watch not only as an endorser but as the brand’s creative director.
Lau is currently filming Andrew Lau’s action comedy, “From Vegas to Macau III,” together with Andy Lau and Chow Yun-fat. She will also be seen opposite Hu Jun and Cecilia Han in Wen Deguang and Hu Minggang’s historical movie, “Cairo Declaration,” showing in September.
Channel News Asia reported that the multi-awarded star participated in Vinexpo, the international wine and spirits exhibition held in Bordeaux, France, in June to introduce her wines and champagnes under her company, Carina International E-commerce Ltd.
The report likewise said that Lau owns 17 nightclubs.
Another huge name in the entertainment world, Jackie Chan invested on something he has grown to be familiar with for decades: a movie theater.
Chan opened the 3,500-seat Jackie Chan-Yaolai International Cinema in Feb. 2010 in Beijing. Covering 15,000 square meters, it has 17 screening rooms.
A veteran actor, Chan can also be deemed a seasoned businessman.
Taipei Times reported back in 2005 that Chan’s growing chain of enterprises ranged from “clothing to cookies.” His business empire included restaurants, gyms and, perhaps the sweetest of them all, chocolates.
The 2015 Forbes China Celebrity List placed the 61-year-old actor at number four with a net worth of 96 million yuan.
The Hong Kong martial arts superstar, nonetheless, knows how to give back to society. He put up the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation in 1988 and has been UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador since 2004.
In a June 2011 online post on Forbes, the article attributed to him was entitled, “Jackie Chan: Philanthropy's Hardest Working Man.”
After appearing in several TV commercials endorsing an array of products from gadgets to cosmetics, Elva Hsiao decided to promote something she could really claim as her own.
The 36-year-old Taiwanese Mandopop singer launched in 2014 the retail merchandising company, Carry Me.
The “Shut Up and Kiss Me” singer’s own fashion line sells almost everything that many women would likely fill their closets with: clothes, bags, shoes and accessories.
Other celebrities opted to be shareholders.
Fan Bingbing (Talent International Film Co. Ltd.), Steven Chow (Bingo Group Holdings Ltd.), Nicholas Tse (See Corporation Ltd.) and Zhao Wei (Alibaba Pictures Group) all invested millions of money in the company of their choice, according to China Daily.
So, when some of the people’s favorite celebrities are not busy studying scripts or attending pictorials or promoting a film, they might be reviewing the current balance sheet provided by their accountants.
Business as usual.