Veteran Hong Kong actress-singer Maria Cordero, who has no less than 50 movies and TV series under her belt, thinks little of material success.

What is your current state of mind?
Life is beautiful. I have six children and just (sic) had my eighth grandchild.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
A nurse. I am good at Chinese medicine and herbs. My youngest grandchild had high fever recently and I nursed him back to health.

What is your biggest achievement?
Having a warm family. I entered my second marriage seven and a half years ago. We are one big crazy family. Last year, my niece graduated and our whole family went to London to attend her convocation.

How do you spend your Sunday mornings?
Making breakfast.

What is your idea of hell?
When you have no family and friends, or when you have no love and forgiveness.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Bring on the chocolates!

How do you recharge?
Being with my husband alone for one day.

What’s playing in your Ipod/MP3/CD player?
I just had a concert recently, so I have been playing 30 of my own songs and memorizing the lyrics.

What are you reading?
My own cookbook. I’m also writing a cookbook for children.

What do you collect?
Woks, pots and frying pans. Anything for the kitchen.

Where would you like to live?
Wherever my family can be with me. Nowhere else is paradise.

Who inspires you?
My father. He taught me how to give to the world.

What personal trait do you appreciate the most in others?
Honesty, trust and love. You can feel it in a person’s handshake.

Do you have a cause or do you support one?
Protect children and old people. What we have today is what the older folks did for us. Kids need love and care so they can be better people.

Which living person do you admire most and would like to invite for dinner?
Veteran Hong Kong actress Siao Fong Fong. She acted her whole life, but works to protect children.

What about you that scares others?
My big eyes and voice. I look fierce to people who don’t know me.

If you had to play a character in a movie, which movie and which character?
Barbra Streisand’s role in Hello, Dolly!. I like to do musicals. Nobody gave me a chance to do musicals.

What did you believe at 18 that you wish you still believed now?
There is love in this world and there still is.

See our movie review of Invisible Waves here.