Wayne Lai Almost Quit Acting to Sell Fish Balls

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In the entertainment industry for 30 years, Wayne Lai’s (黎耀祥) road to success did not come easy. Since his debut, Wayne spent the majority of his career portraying extras and supporting characters. In 2009, under the recommendation and guidance of producer Lee Tim Shing (李添勝), Wayne starred in his first lead role in Rosy Business <巾幗梟雄>, which was a critical and ratings hit. For the next six years, Wayne enjoyed a newfound surge of popularity and success.

Due to his hard work and persistence, Wayne believes that his relatable experiences have helped persuade his fellow actors and diverse Hong Kong netizens to acknowledge him. “If Wayne Lai had an opportunity [to succeed], then anyone can have an opportunity.”

Although he has already won the TVB Best Actor award three times, Wayne hopes to be the first to win the award four times. “Having three Best Actor awards is nothing new. Gallen Lo (羅嘉良) and Roger Kwok (郭晉安) also won the award three times. Winning the award four times is truly exemplary. Even when I have passed, everyone will remember that I am the first actor in TVB to have won the TV King award four times.” Despite this desire, Wayne acknowledges that the competition is strong this year, with Anthony Wong (黃秋生) and Bobby Au Yeung (歐陽震華) also in the running.

Wayne Lai Thought of Selling Fish Balls

Having persisted through small and large scale roles in the 30 years of his entertainment career, Wayne revealed that many companies have invited him to be a motivational speaker at conferences. Admitting that his perseverance had deterred before, Wayne shared, “During different phases in my life, I have thought about giving up. The first time was when I was five years into my career. My contract had just ended [with TVB] and my career growth was inconsistent. Sometimes, I was a supporting actor and other times, I was an extra. So I thought about not renewing my contract and just switching my career to selling fish balls or even working at a supermarket. If it were just to earn money and make a living, it doesn’t matter what kind of work it is. But acting is my hobby and has a very special meaning to me. In the end, I decided to continue acting.”

Wayne reflected on his younger years and admitted that he often felt underappreciated. “I felt that way when I left TVB in 1998. I felt that I was young and could do better.” He further added, “Everyone will overestimate themselves. I believe that God already has plans for each person’s path.”




Creds: Yahoo

 

Gallen Lo still acts but it's mainland drama productions.

 

glad he stuck with it was rosey business really his first role?