The Joker

Rock star, actor, producer and provocateur—the unstoppable Josie Ho wants to get the last laugh

- Lauren James

Josie Ho arrives for our cover shoot, floating into her dressing room to ink her own jet black flicks of eyeliner while pondering out loud in a languid, smoky drawl whether London or Los Angeles is better for scoring the most badass vintage leather jackets.

“Girls!” she shouts.

Two attendants snap to attention, producing a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. She exhales a plume of smoke over a poster board pasted with images of outfits Tatler’s editors have selected for the shoot—all evocative of shadows and sultriness—and chooses to wear her own clumpy black Buffalo trainers instead of a pair of patent stilettos.

“Powerful woman” is a label Ho rejects. That’s not the way she sees herself or wants to be portrayed, despite a career as a rock star, actor and film producer that reaches back 30 years. She insists her strength lies in the network she can call upon. “My sisters Pansy and Daisy are the powerful women. Me? I’m tiny,” she says, shaking her head. “My power is a strong phone book.”

While it’s true her siblings gravitated towards the business end of her family’s considerable empire, Ho has applied an impressive work ethic across Hong Kong’s film and music industries. Now, global pandemic or not, she has never been busier, preparing several films for release, as well as writing new songs with her alternative rock group, Josie and the Uni Boys. Instead of riding purely on her family name, Ho has always strived for authenticity by doing things her way and on an equal footing.