Grace Chang

Grace Chang
葛蘭
Grace Chang at Lee's Studio
Born
張玉芳

(1933-06-13)13 June 1933: 123 
Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Died3 August 2026(2026-08-03) (aged 93)
Hong Kong
Other nameKo Lan
Occupations
  • Singer
  • actress
Spouse
Gao Fuquan
​
​
(m. 1961; died 2003)​
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese葛蘭
Simplified Chinese葛兰
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinGě Lán

Grace Chang (born Zhāng Yùfāng (simplified Chinese: 张玉芳; traditional Chinese: 張玉芳); 13 June 1933 – 3 August 2026), known in Chinese as Ko Lan (葛蘭), was a Hong Kong actress and singer. She was a popular idol in the 1950s, especially among students and the middle class.

Chang was a renowned Cathay Organization actress with many successes including It Blossoms Again; The Wild, Wild Rose; and Mambo Girl. Chang appeared in 33 films during her eleven-year acting career. Her last film appearance was in 1964, though she provided vocals for soundtracks.

Life and career

Chang was a Haining, Zhejiang native, who was born in Nanjing and grew up in Shanghai. In 1948 Chang moved to Hong Kong with her father. The great singer-actress Chow Hsuan was her idol.

Her stage name was Ko Lan (Gě Lán in Pinyin), an approximation of her English name Grace. She underwent vocal training in her childhood. Her acting career began with Taishan Pictures where she starred in her debut show Seven Sisters in 1952.

In 1961, Chang married Kao Fuchuan in London, England. Chang retired from acting in 1964.

A biography was written about her career, titled The Life of Grace Chang.

Chang died in Hong Kong on 3 August 2026 at the age of 93.

Filmography

References

  1. ↑ Felix L. Wu, ed. (1958). The Asia Who's Who. Pan-Asia Newspaper Alliance. CHANG Grace, 葛蘭: B. Nanking, China Jun 13, 1933.
  2. 1 2 Law Kar; Frank Bren; Sam Ho (2004). Hong Kong Cinema: A Cross-cultural View. Scarecrow Press. pp. 259–260. ISBN 978-0-8108-4986-0.
  3. ↑ "The Life of Grace Chang". Kindle.
  4. ↑ "傳奇影星葛蘭離世享年93歲　《星星月亮太陽》成經典" [Legendary film star Grace Chang passes away at the age of 93; Sun, Moon and Star became a classic]. Oriental Daily News (in Chinese). 3 August 2026. Archived from the original on 3 August 2026. Retrieved 3 August 2026.