Former TVB Actor Lau Kong, Reveals Why He Left

Former TVB actor Lau Kong, is well-known to fans of TVB dramas for his appearances in over 300 dramas during his 38-year tenure with the broadcaster. At 76 years old, he is no doubt, a familiar face on television and he recently explained why he left TVB.

After experiencing a significant 50% pay cut, Lau Kong made the difficult decision to part ways with TVB in 2020. As a full-time artiste, he once earned as much as HK$60K (S$10.4K) monthly but was only offered HK$7.5K (S$1.3K) towards the end of his tenure. In a recent interview on Radio Television Hong Kong programme “The Years We’ve Walked Together” (起走过的岁月), Lau Kong stated that there were also other concerning things that led to his exit.

When asked about speculations over him leaving because there were no more good co-stars, Lau Kong reluctantly admitted that it was right. He also added that if he should talk about it there and then, it will offend many people. He acknowledged that although there are still many talented actors/actresses in TVB, they unfortunately were not often in the same drama with him.

Despite the host, Gary Yeung, pointing out that his exit from the small screen is one big loss to Hong Kong’s entertainment industry, Lau Kong quickly reassured him that he’s not retiring yet. The former TVB actor talked about how addicted he is to acting but the only thing worrisome about it is that someone has to want you before you act, and the role must be good.

Why Did Lau Kong Leave?

According to the former TVB actor, the poor casting often resulted in him working with less experienced actors. Even with the fact that his co-stars were often very polite and obedient, Lau Long still felt like he was working with a bunch of kids on set. This also gave him the impression that there was not much improvement with whatever they were doing while on set.

He further added that there have been lots of directors who have approached him with one role or the other. Lau Kong tagged them as a “cheat,” because of how they initially coerce him into the roles by telling him how important the role is and that he’s the only one who can play the part. Unfortunately for him, when he gets to the TV station the quality of the scripts eventually turn out to be average.

“And when we go on set, we have to constantly think of ways to make the scene better. It’s actually very tough… So when you go to work, you feel less motivated,” he bemoaned.

However, there are several exceptions, such as “The Forgotten Valley,” a 2018 period drama where he played a standout villainous role and was nominated for Best Actor in the TVB Anniversary Awards. Lau Long actually intended to quit that year. He stated that when they were discussing the contract terms, they talked about a drama they wanted him to be part of.

He listened to the story first and later on felt that the role was quite challenging but he eventually went on to sign on for another year. Lau Kong added that he is still very passionate about acting and as long as there is a good script and role, he would accept it.