From Eileen Yeow to Hugo Ng, Singaporeans have made quite a name for themselves in Hong Kong after joining TVB. In another timeline, we could have had veteran local actor Wang Yuqing in the mix, too.
On the latest episode of meWATCH talk show Hear U Out, the TV idol of yesteryear told host Quan Yi Fong, 48, about a huge regret when it came to showbiz — rejecting a TVB offer in 1988.
“I met TVB’s artiste management team in Hong Kong, and they immediately offered me a three-year contract,” the 61-year-old said.
The monthly pay was HK$3,500 back then, around the same as what he earned as an actor in Singapore.
He continued: “But I was worried about the language barrier since I couldn’t speak Cantonese. They said it was fine because they could teach me and offered to put me up in a dormitory near TVB. As soon as I could speak Cantonese fluently, they’d assign roles to me.”
He thought: “I was at the top in Singapore. Had I gone there, I’d have had to start from scratch,” and turned down the offer after thinking about his family.
Another regret he has is turning Taiwanese singer Sarah Chen down when she offered to introduce him to Taiwanese novelist and producer Chiung Yao, who has had her novels adapted into over 100 films and TV dramas. Taiwanese actor Chin Han rocketed to fame in the 1970s and 1980s after starring in adaptations of her novels.
He added: “I had developed a love-hate relationship with acting. In fact, I love it more than I hate it. That’s why I’m still in this industry, although I left for some time in between. I’m back again and I enjoy it more and more.”
However, he felt that he had “made a mistake” because actors weren’t as close to each other when he returned. Back in the day, he recalled going to Malaysia with his co-stars to eat durians and having supper, even chatting with actress Zoe Tay until people “got the wrong idea about our relationship”.
He joked: “Now, when I go to change my clothes after filming, everyone will be gone by the time I’m out. If I’m not fast enough, they might even lock me in.”
It seems that, despite Yuqing’s mixed opinions on showbiz, he is here to stay. He joined Channel 5 long-form drama Sunny Side Up earlier this year and told Lianhe Zaobao last week that he had signed a two-year contract with the channel.
This article was first published on AsiaOne and republished on theAsianparent with permission.