Two Men - Two Ambitions
Raymond Cho & Johnson Lee

The two younger male members of the Ko household in "Welcome to the Family" consists of savvy insurance broker, Ko Yau Yi and the punctual, pragmatic DHL courier Cheung Yat Moon. Unlikely best friends in the show, their characters span the extremes of the personality spectrum, but they share a common trait that they are fiercely set in their own principles.

Reflecting this situation in real life, the experiences and backgrounds of Raymond Cho and Johnson Lee are also miles apart and they currently hold very different ambitions for the future, but like their characters, they know what they want in life and are both working hard to achieve this.

Let's take a closer look at these men and their ambitions through their own words...
Fortune: Normal Sized - Raymond Cho

You probably don't remember, but Raymond Cho released an album twelve years ago and he was in with the 'idols' group. At the time, he worked alongside the top female artistes of the time such as Amanda Li, Lee Man and Lau Man Kuen and packaged as a charming lover, he should have been a great hit.

But then, he fell flat on his face.

Talking of his past, Raymond has little reaction: "At first, I was in the clouds, but when I found out that no-one was buying my records, I understood then what was happening."

Raymond is so candid that it is lovable: "I really was a failure then, but I felt all along that there would be a time when I do well."

With a determination that is almost one-sided, he has found that day. Playing Doctor Heung in "Healing Hands II" brought Raymond Cho back. And now playing Ko Yau Yi in the sitcom "Welcome to the Family", this 'man next door' has been described by magazines as "unsuspectingly gaining a position in the hearts of the audience".

Maybe some people really can't become idol superstars, but if a normal person can find their best positions, then you can still live a fortunate life.
Courageous

If someone were to ask me, how I saw my career development over the years, I would say that I was better than those below but not as good as those above me. Then I would turn to myself and mutter under my breath: 'Of course it hasn't gone well'.

I am actually quite courageous. Before entering showbiz, I was a 'walker' [Field Salesman] with a stable income. I entered an amateur singing competition and a record company approached me to sign me as a singer, which I accepted without a thought. At the time, I was already 26 years old.

In 1994, I released my first album "Love Deeply" and at the time my passion was at a high as I also received three silver newcomer awards (others that year included Leo Ku and Eric Suen) and this made me even more arrogant as I vowed to hold a concert at the Coliseum, but not long afterwards, I found that this was an illusion that wouldn't last. Although I signed with three different companies along the way and released four albums, but I can only describe my singing career as a total disaster. This industry is very realistic, you can have several hundred screaming fans in the audience for a show, but if you release albums that no-one wants to buy, then you are a failure.

My contract with the manager ended in 1996 and it was not renewed. Faced with having to support my family and with no work on my hands, I was at a loss as to what to do.

Luckily, I am an optimistic person and I always encouraged myself: I am hardworking and punctual, in three years I have only been late three times, there is no way I can be as bad as this. The only thing I could do was to have confidence in myself - whether it is clearing the credit card debts or my career, there will be a day when it works out.

I did have a bottom line though, if one day the audience start to see me and hate me, then this would prove that I no longer have any value in this industry and I will definitely retire and not outstay my welcome.

Strange Encounters

I was once so poor that I couldn't even afford to eat. Up to 1999, I owed the credit card companies $120,000 and was paying $30,000 a year in interest. At the pinnacle of the debt, I had borrowed money from all my friends and my mood was very bad as I fell to the lowest point ever in my life. I had thought about changing jobs, but I didn't know what I could do. The exits for artistes are very narrow, I could have gone to sell insurance, or start my own business. My brother had been in the insurance sector for over ten years, so it would have been awkward for us both to be in the same job and starting a business was out of the question. Life always acts in mysterious ways though and each time I thought about moving on, then a job would present itself to me. It happened many times and kept me dangling on, wanting more.

Maybe people realised my situation and took advantage of me not having a manager, so I came across many 'strange encounters', where they would try and cut my fees or not pay me after a performance and this became the norm. Some people would rip me off and then make out that I owed them a favour. One promoter once said to me: "There is a movie opportunity working with Anthony Wong, but the fee is just $8000. Don't say I'm not helping you!" When I heard this, it made me very angry, $8000 to film a whole movie, even worse off than an extra, and you say you are helping me?

This is low, but not the lowest. I remember filming a telemovie in the mainland and when I arrived on set, I saw that all the women had stripped off and it was then I realised it was an adult movie. I was so frightened that I ran away immediately, even losing out on my transport costs. Later I had an offer of a one day scene for a movie and although the fee was $3000, I had to show my bum and have it whipped. Of course I didn't accept, but then they came back with another offer saying: "Okay, we will find a body double for that scene, but then we can only pay you $2000." It was all just a scam to save some money, the audience wouldn't know that wasn't me, but they had saved themselves $1000.
Optimism

After being conned so much, I realised that there was shelter to be found under a big tree. Finally in 1999, I asked a friend to help me make tracks to join TVB, preferring to start from the beginning again. I know that I am not suave enough, so after signing with TVB, I have sought to find some roles that are suited to myself. To give a comfortable presence and a down to earth impression, I think I have achieved this in the past three to four years.

Actually, since "Healing Hands II" was aired, I have rebounded from the bottom of the pit and I have finally paid off my debts. I really have to thank the company. As an artiste, you are driven externally and even if you have the greatest talent, without the opportunities, you will never show this. Apart from this, I have eternal gratitude to my family and my girlfriend, who have always stood by me. [Raymond has been dating John Chiang's daughter Elaine for five years.]

Do I want to sing again? I have the greatest confidence in my singing ability, so of course I hope to have this opportunity, but after so many years, my passion has subsided a lot. Some people know how to ride the waves of success and will go out partying and socialising to network and gain opportunities. For me, after so many years in the depths of uncertainty, I am rather enjoying this phase of stability. Doing the work before me well is my only target now. I will leave everything up to the company to arrange because I don't want to worry about that any more.

Sometimes if you don't wish, then the opportunities will knock at your door. Take the recent show "Forensic Heroes", where i play a rather cool character with a moustache, this has given me a breakthrough in both my image and my role portfolio. If it carries on like this, then it won't be bad. The most important thing is to live each day happily and in a couple of years time, when I have saved enough money, then I will be able to marry my girlfriend.
Worth Being Happy About - Johnson Lee

You'd think Johnson Lee would react quickly, but he thinks long and hard when answering questions: "Because I have to filter your questions."

You'd think Johnson Lee would be chattering away like a bird outside the cage, but he is very serious during the interview: "Only in interviews, usually I am quite playful."

Only when it involves work, does he live up to the name his mother gave him: Sze Chit - 'detailed thought'.

"I am quite quick, I will take action straight away, but the duration will be longer and no-one knows how long."

"If you think slowly and wait around, then in this industry, you will not survive." This is not without reason.

Taking action quickly to launch into showbiz, for Johnson Lee to become known in just five or six years is no easy feat.

And yet, when we ask about the location for the shoot, the owner proclaims himself to be a fan of Johnson and proving that he is not just a "Welcome to the House" regular, he manages to reel off some of Johnson's other productions such as "Cocktail" and "Not Just a Pretty Face".

"This is worth writing down!" We should be happy for him!
Poverty

When I was younger, my family were quite poor and my family of four lived with my aunt. Fortunately, my father worked his way up from the bottom and when I was five, we finally had our own home. Our lifestyle was better, but by no means were we very rich.

In 1984, the emigration craze began and we were part of the very earliest families who arrived in Canada. At the time, I followed the family to Mississauga in Toronto to start a new life. My dad said he wanted to start a new career and I embarked an another inhumane life, because I was the only Chinese person, surrounded by a lot of foreigners. The first five months were the hardest and I was often teased by the western children and schoolmates for my poor English and of course, the racial discrimination was inevitable.

People have a strong ability to adapt though, especially children and after six months, I began to make friends with the other children. When I was eleven or twelve, there were more Chinese children in the school and I began to learn how to hang out in the bars or go and play snooker, but this only lasted about six months.

Life was really boring and the most exciting thing was probably when my sister would regularly buy her black vinyl records of Hong Kong singers and being able to rent Hong Kong series on video tape, such as "The Greed of Man" and "Cop Unbowed (Sai But Dai Tau)". I watched 'Greed' six times and you realise that this show has sixty episodes!

As for my academic results, they were respectable, in my Grade 13 exams (matriculation equivalent), I achieved an A in English and met the criteria to study at the University of Toronto, which is hard to get into because it is quite well known.

Path to Stardom

I read Fine Arts at university and found that I had potential in film-making. My graduation project involved painting, but I asked the professor if I could replace this with a short film instead. I shot this film based on my dreams and finally was awarded with an A grade.

I felt that I didn't have enough and needed to take on a course in the fundamentals to build on my basic skills, so I continued studying, taking one or two courses in America, including animation and movies. This was at least a great stride towards my ambition of becoming a director. I returned to Hong Kong after that and worked as a PA (Production Assistant). A month later, I took part in the 'King of Comedy' training class in the hope of becoming part of the backstage crew for the film.

People say that life as a PA is a hard one, but I personally feel - which job is not hard work? If a fresh grad can get a job with a high pay, I would say that is very unrealistic. Even if you have a PhD, you still have to start from the bottom.

After that, who would have thought I would become an artiste? I even took part in some comedy sketches and specials with Lee Lik Chi. After 'King of Comedy', I worked for a few months at Lee's production company and thanks to his attention, I was able to become a director for a show that interviewed celebrities.

When the technology boom took place, a website invited me to release an album and I agreed to become a singer. That year was the most relaxed one for me. After that contract ended, I signed with TVB and my first series was "Life Begins at Forty" [Johnson played the nameless 'convenience store guy', in case you're wondering.] and my second was "Not Just a Pretty Face", where my character 'Dog Dog' is one of my favourites so far.
Optimism

Artistes have a good position in showbusiness, and so far I have never had as good a job as the one I have now, but for me, being an actor is not enough.

If you ask me if I have given up on my ambition to be a director, then of course I have not. I am currently working with friends on some scripts and I already have four or five of them ready. You can say that the market at the moment is not very good, but if you think a little deeper, now is the best time for new directors to show their abilities.

Whether a film has a budget of $20 million or with just a few hundred of thousands, then they may still only bring in audiences of around 200,000 and because of this, then there may be a chance for lower budget films to make a success. The investors should choose to back the smaller productions and 'play' it so that you can add your own elements and chance a blockbuster. It's not just "Titanic" that people will go and watch, films like "Endless Love" and "Sideways" did well because of selling ideas.

For me currently, I am trying my best to head toward directing, so when I am filming, I will try and learn from the crew and increase my own skills. To be a good director, yo uhave to project the ideas that are in your head through the pictures and convey the message that you want to give. Some people may already have this when they are twenty, for others, they may not know how to film it when they are forty and even when they are sixty, they may still be making terrible films.

I think that I should now have the ability to make a story that can move myself emotionally.
Articles translated by Em
Source and Pictures:
TVB Weekly - Issue 467 - 30/05/06
TVB Weekly - Issue 470 - 20/06/06