Wayne Lai as a Eunuch in "The Confidant"

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Wayne Lai (黎耀祥) together with Michelle Yim (米雪), Christine Ng (伍咏薇), and Eddie Kwan (关礼杰) were in Hangzhou, China to attend the opening ceremony of a recent festival. At the media conference, Wayne revealed exciting details of his eunuch character in TVB drama, The Confidant <监>.

The Confidant centered on the life of eunuch, Li Lianying, and how he rose to power to become the favorite advisor of Empress Dowager Cixi, portrayed by Michelle Yim. Li Lianying was one of the most powerful imperial eunuch in the Qing Dynasty. Wayne revealed that his version of Li Lianying will be a stark contrast to what the viewers had seen in earlier movies and television drama renditions.

Wayne spoke of his interpretation of Li Lianying, “He is not effeminate and does not speak in high pitch. He can be quite manly and is also a gentleman.”

Wayne Lai: An Eunuch is Not Different From a Man

Wayne wished that viewers will have a different perspective of eunuchs after watching The Confidant. Due to the harsh environment in the Imperial palace, they were required to adapt to survive and protect themselves. Wayne said that he wanted the viewers to see the vulnerable side of the eunuchs. In the series, he humanized the character and displayed an emotional side of being an eunuch. “Li Lianying entered the palace when he was a young child. He was in a wholly new environment. He had no friends and did not know that he was going to be the biggest villian in China’s history!”

The Palace is Also a Workplace

Wayne referred to the imperial palace as a workplace, similiar to a large organization, which possessed top leaders and many colleagues. “The eunuch has a specific job to do. He needs to know how to work with his colleagues and how to speak to his boss. He also needs to learn to cope when he first joins the palace.”

A Romantic Eunuch

Besides injecting his eunuch with more “masculine” qualities, Wayne also hoped to feature a softer and more romantic side of Li Lianying. Viewers can expect to see a relationship development between him and palace maid, Nancy Wu (胡定欣). Wayne said, “The eunuch and the palace maid are like colleagues who are dating. They meet each other every day, and they have close working relationships. It’s natural that they develop feelings for each other.”

The Confidant is a highly anticipated series with dynamic plot and strong cast, featuring Michelle Yim, Maggie Shiu (邵美琪), Raymond Wong (黄浩然) and Edwin Siu (蕭正楠). Viewers will be excited to see how Wayne plays the most powerful imperial eunuch in the Qing Dynasty. In addition, early speculation that Wayne Lai may get a Best Actor nomination in this year’s TVB Anniversary Awards has already started!



Creds: QQ