Big names but no big egos: The 10 nicest celebrities according to a former Hong Kong air stewardess

These celebrities are big names but their egos are anything but, according to a former air stewardess known as Ah Sa.

She used to work with Cathay Pacific — Hong Kong's main airline — which means she and her colleagues had plenty of run-ins with regional celebrities in the course of their work.

Now a YouTube livestreamer, Ah Sa recently dished out a name list of the 10 nicest and most well-received celebrities according to cabin crew in a four-hour long livestream on Oct 24.

10. Faye Wong

Faye's unique voice made her a Mandopop superstar, but beyond her seemingly cold exterior lies a rather child-like personality, revealed Ah Sa.

According to her fellow air stewardesses, Faye was once spotted squatting by the luggage belt, smoking while waiting for her suitcases — an image that Ah Sa described as quirky and cute.

And despite her stern appearance, the 51-year-old always obliged to photo requests by flight attendants.

9. Jacky Cheung

Once on a long flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles, Jacky's assistant approached the flight attendants in the galley to inform them that he was feeling rather lethargic and would not be accepting any photo nor signature requests.

Serendipitously, the same cabin crew served him on the flight home, during which he felt much better and was open to meeting the crew.

"He's very gentle and very quiet," Ah Sa gushed.

8. Angelica Lee

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The Malaysian-born actress is rarely seen without a book on long-haul flights, which Ah Sa stressed is not for show.

But what really stood out for a colleague, though, was an incident on a particular flight where Angelica was with the daughter of her then-boyfriend-now-husband. Angelica was observed taking great care of the young girl.

7. Carina Lau and Tony Leung

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While she didn't have the opportunity to personally serve Tony, Ah Sa's colleague had her own interesting story to share.

After she introduced herself as a Malaysian, Tony immediately talked up a storm.

"When I was skiing in Japan, most people couldn't recognise me with my goggles and skiing gear on! Feels great!" he allegedly said excitedly. He continued talking eagerly and looked so engrossed that the other flight attendants didn't dare approach him in case they disturbed him.

Ah Sa also said she spotted Carina once, who kept a low profile and was extremely polite and humble.

6. Eason Chan

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According to Ah Sa, the singer is one of the most well-received and welcomed passenger by many cabin crew members, and not just because he's extremely polite.

Earlier this year, Eason was spotted sleeping throughout his long-haul flight from Paris to Hong Kong, waking up only just prior to descent. While disembarking, many flight attendants approached him with photo requests, to which he easily obliged.

It was only afterwards when the crew were reviewing the photos that they realised he looked exhausted, despite the smile on his face.

5. Chow Yun Fat

Most people would be irritated waiting for the last passenger to board. Superstar Chow Yun Fat knew that, because he apologised to every crew member, one by one, when he was delayed on a flight. Turns out he was swarmed by a group of fans who all wanted his signature.

4. Richie Jen

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It's a short flight between Taiwan and Hong Kong, but it was more than enough to leave a lasting impression on Ah Sa.

Though Richie was seated in first class, away from his wife and child who were in business class, he went to find them during the flight to help take care of the kid.

Before descension, he went over again to help his wife pack their bags and clean up their seats so they could disembark with ease later.

3. Maggie Cheung

Even during her heyday, Maggie was known to be down-to-earth and extremely humble.

She once boarded a flight from Paris to Hong Kong with her then-boyfriend but gave up her seat in first class — which Ah Sa described as very, very expensive — just to sit with him in economy.

2. Shu Qi

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Before she became one of the top Taiwanese celebrities, Shu Qi wanted to be a flight attendant. Which could be why she's one of the most sincere and empathetic celebrities Ah Sa's friends have served.

"I understand your work is tough, too, not everyone can do it," she once told an air stewardess according to Ah Sa.

1. Louis Koo

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It's no surprise that Louis Koo takes the number one spot in this list, even though Ah Sa didn't say much about the actor beyond his devilishly good looks and amiable personality. 

Perhaps not much needs to be said, considering how he's made headlines multiple times for his philanthropic accomplishments.

There's also that one time he was lauded for being frugal when he slurped on cup noodles in economy class while on his way to a job in China.

rainercheung@asiaone.com