MAGGIE CHEUNG - CHEUNG: 'I HATE MARTIAL ARTS STUNTS'

Hong Kong actress MAGGIE CHEUNG has shattered her image as a martial arts superstar - by complaining she hates doing her own stunts and relies on special effects to make her look convincing.

Cheung admits she didn't enjoy filming Japanese hits CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON and HERO, because the demand for impressive stunts left her cursing Asian stars like JACKIE CHAN and BRUCE LEE, who popularised martial arts movies.

She complains, "I always up doing the stunts. But I'm not a very sporty person. Every time I'm offered one, I think it will be a chance to get fit. But it never happens. I always end up feeling achy on set.

"But it's amazing what they can do with camera angles and special effects. These days, you hardly need to be able to fight at all."