Insignificance

Hailing from the TVB Artiste training class of 1988, others from Kenny's class have taken their respective steps along the road to notoriety, including Gordon Lam, Canti Lau and Simon Lui. Kenny's route has been a lot slower, but in no way does he feel hard done by. Most artistes in his position would take the chance to blow some steam, but for the extremely level-headed Kenny, he feels that there is no point in dwelling on the past. Everyone has to work hard to reach their goals and he is no exception - this path was his own choice and he has no regets. Kenny often refers to himself as a 'nobody' because his showbiz life has not been a smooth ride. In the last eighteen years, he has had his fair share of bit parts in series and films, so he is more than qualified to use this title, but is he being too hard on himself?

"I really love Stephen Chow's film 'The King of Comedy' because I am overcome by empathy of his character each time I watch it. I see myself in the film. As an extra, you are scolded if you walk too fast, but you are also in the wrong if you walk too slowly. If you want to give an opinion, you are returned with curses. You have to spend time making your character right, but not steal the limelight of the other people... all of this once happened to me.

"You can see by looking at me, that there are limitations. I am rarely cast as the colleague in the office - you will more likely find me playing a thief or a kidnapper. I remember in 1988, during my first five years with TVB, I played a role alongside Stephen Chow in the series 'Ah Dak Goes Crazy' as one of his friends. Later, Stephen becomes a superstar in the movie industry, but I am still a nobody. As my first five-year contract drew to a close around 1993, I decided that I had no more opportunities and moved behind the camera into production.

"I met with a slump in the movie industry at that time, but my time behind the camera made me realise that there were people who were worse off than me. When I was young and brash, I was frustrated as to why people did not choose me, but I realised later that to be a bit player was already pretty good. As a production assistant, you have to do absolutely everything from climbing to diving. At least as an actor, you have body doubles and even if you don't make too much money, you still have some supporters to look after you. Have you ever seen a fan bringing soup to a PA?

"In three years of backstage work, I learned what the crew thought about artistes. I learned that it was all about teamwork, so as an artiste, you cannot be selfish or egocentric, or you will just cause trouble. My outlook had changed, so in 1997, I returned to TVB and gave myself another chance. I still remember that I said to myself at the time that I would work much harder than I did when I left three years ago and not think too much about the rewards. As long as I enjoy what I do, then hard work is okay as long as I have no regrets."

Back on track

After returning to TVB, Kenny was given some more substantial roles, such as Ada Choi's boyfriend in "Healing Hands", who had just been released from prison and also the Vietnamese character 'Vietnam' in "A Kindred Spirit", which led to the misconception that he is of Vietnamese origin.

"On one promotional trip to Australia, I found out that I have a lot of Vietnamese fans, who thought I was a fellow countryman. Even the Hong Kong press thought I was Viet!"

With the acceptance of his character, Kenny felt that this would be the break he had been waiting for and raised his hopes for fame. However this was not to be as none of his series that he filmed in the following two years were aired and he was left in limbo. People in the street started to ask him why he had given up showbiz and reporters thought his contract had been terminated. As he felt everyone had forgotten about him, Kenny's emotions hit rock bottom and he became very depressed. Fortunately, it was thanks to one supportive fan that helped turn him around.

"One day, I went to work and I received a gift from a fan. Inside, there were two Symphony Orchestra CD's and a letter. The letter read: 'Wong Tak Pun: You are so unhappy, you should listen to some music and de-stress.' I was so touched because I thought the audience had forgotten me, I never imagined I still had fans!When I returned home that day, I was a changed man. Two years of depression had been lifted. I don't aim to be a superstar, all I needed was someone to recognise my hard work."

Kenny went on to take roles in "Armed Reaction" as a perverted criminal, "Angels of Mission" as a terrorist and the devoted eunech Siu Shun Zi in "War and Beauty". Together with Sung Tung Yeung in "The Dance of Passion", there is a recurring theme in his characters in that they have been dealt a raw deal by fate into running down the wrong path in life. Kenny doesn't mind this stereotyping though, because he feels that to be given such complex characters to portray is a huge challenge to his abilities. Given the opportunity though, he would love to take on a comedy role, something with a bit of black humour along the lines of Jim Carrey.

Firmly Rooted

Kenny was born on 30th April 1963 and hailed from humble surroundings. He has a firm belief that life is what you make of it and there is no point in complaining when things don't go to plan. This is probably inherited from his police officer father, who brought him up with two feet firmly planted on the ground. The middle of three sons, Kenny was subjected to a strict upbringing by his mother, who desisted from buying a television because she didn't want them to be distracted from their studies, but his interest in the world of acting grew from the days in high school when he would play truant to go to the movies. He has a deep set philosophy on life and is always ready to share this.

"When I was young, we were poor and I did not receive any pocket money, so as soon as I graduated from high school, I went out to work on the building sites, in sales and also as a model. Making money is not easy and life at every stage is hard work. Since I became an actor, I have never had any money left at the end of the month, but you can't complain about this because people will think you are immature. If it was just for the money, I would never have become an actor, because as everyone knows you never get back what you give in this industry.

"In the early days when my work was unstable, my family did worry about me. Fortunately, because of the lack of a television in my youth, then apart from my mother, no-one were TV fans and did not pay much attention to how I was doing and this relieved some of the pressure. My biggest regret is that my mother died a couple of years ago and was not able to watch my performance in 'War and Beauty' or 'The Dance of Passion'. You have to cherish what you have before you, so my only goal at the moment is to keep working hard. I have an acute sense of danger, maybe because I have seen so much. That's right, the superstars of today could end up in the pits tomorrow. You shouldn't inflate yourself too much, why not spend the energy thinking about winning awards on keeping yourself ahead instead."

A Quiet Life - A Happy Life

Kenny has a love for exhilaration, in particular driving a racing car at high speed around a racing track or taking on watersports, but there is also a quieter side to him, that includes going out to sea to relax and sunbathe or just staying in all day. His dream would be to own a boat of his own, so he can just get away from it all whenever he wants. Having learned the basics of piloting a boat in preparation for one of his earlier roles, he is already part of the way there. For Kenny, Hong Kong is the ideal place to be because there is so much variety in what you can do - if you want to get together with a few friends for a night out, or if you want to go and do some watersport, there is the facility to do this, as well as some beautiful sights.

"In my eyes, you can seek enjoyment from any activity, the question is whether or not you want to explore and try it."

Em's thoughts...

My first lasting impression of Kenny Wong was from watching "A Kindred Spirit" and I remember thinking to myself how this character was somewhat of a paradox. His exterior was a tough, weathered soul, a little rough around the edges with experiences of a hardened environment, but through his actions and expressiveness, you could feel a gentleness and depth from him that was difficult to understand. For me, this was a true reflection of the potential of this actor. As for many though, the showbiz path is a recipe of ups and downs and without a little luck thrown in, it is a tough rise to the top, no matter how much hard work you put in or how much raw talent you posess.

A couple of years ago, I caught an TVB travel show, where Kenny joined Moses Chan in a candid film introducing one of the cities in Australia and through this, I managed to catch a glimpse of the real Kenny and his modesty, honesty and playfulness shone through and left me with a sense of admiration for him. On the other hand though, I also felt for him because I could see him working hard and plodding away at TVB for many years to come without a chance for a breakthrough because he was not one who would go out and blow his own trumpet.

I am pleased that he is starting to gain recognition now and as a result we get to find out a little bit more about him. It's a shame that it has taken this long for him to reach the showbiz headlines, but I'll be rooting for him to become the next Michael Tao or Bobby Au Yeung. He has the talent, it's just up to him to seize the opportunities.

Not long after writing this artiste spotlight, I found this additional article on Kenny, so I translated it too....



[3 Weekly - Issue 347 June 2006]

Holding Out to the End - Kenny Wong

A Chinese saying "Respectfully Accompaniment in the End Seat" - sitting to one side, quietly sitting in the corner; or it can be explained as the last one, accompanying to the end; another explanation is to sit right at the back to keep one's status. No matter which definition you use though, it can be used to describe Kenny Wong.

In "The Dance of Passion", Kenny Wong has been included in the 7 leading roles and he admits that his character Sung Tung Yeung is his biggest role to date in any series.

Getting into the top seven should be a good thing, but when it comes to placings, he is still the last one of the seven, or the little eunech following the top six around. Just that his character is a little better, but then there is the fear of being neither high or low; for the highest, you have ten thousand followers; for the lowest, you lose your job and claim welfare, but for those in the middle class, the stress is the greatest and the taxes the heaviest.

Being the last of the seven is no big complaint for Kenny though: "All along, I feel that the title of star or idol is bestowed upon you by other people and not something you can claim to be. I don't mind being last. Hey, I get to stand alongside the ranks of Moses Chan and Bowie Lam, what more do you want? I just hope that you keep watching and see what Kenny Wong ends up doing. I just want you to feel that Kenny Wong can do it, that is enough!"

Whether he is accompanying the others or coming in last, when the storyline, ratings and leading cast for "Dance" is not drawing in the results, it is the time for those who have been working hard to lift their heads and we see that out of the three male leads, it is Kenny who has taken the lead and the first of the men to land a spot on the magazine covers.

There are also rumours that some fitness centres have taken a shine to his great body and asked him to be their spokesperson. As fame and fortune beckons, then what of being in the background?

A flat and beefy body is the first requirement of a coolie.

Failed Study

For every artiste, there was a time before they were famous, and some superstars tell of leading simple lives before they found fame, sharing a pair of trousers with other people, in an attempt to reason why they deserve their fortune, or as a justification for their extravagance 'because they deserve it'. However for Kenny, the sob stories of the past are not worth talking about because everyone has a past.

"If I have done it, I will admit it!" This is what Kenny says!

With such a bold answer, surely a shock story of 'stealing other people's underpants' or 'pulling up a girl's skirt at school' would be provided, but he reveals nothing.

"I am not looking for other people's sympathies, you have history, I also have history! No matter how bad it was in the past, how hungry I was, how hard it was to get through, it is all the the past, there is nothing to talk about." Then again, he had admitted earlier that he was soft on the inside, so after a little gentle persuasion, he revealed a little of his childhood.

There were five members of Kenny's family when he was young, his mother developed breast cancer and when his uncle died in an accident, his mother could not accept this and developed psychiatric problems. His father was a normal police sergeant on a measly salary, so they lived a basic life, not going hungry but by no means luxurious. As for himself, he knew from a young age that he was not studious, so after scraping Form 5, he didn't wait for the results before looking for a job, with the sole aim of keeping himself and not become the burden of his family.

Before he entered showbiz, he had been a deliveryman, warehouse attendant, salesman and was finally being introduced into modelling by a friend because he was tall and skinny (Kenny didn't work out in those days, so he was quite scrawny). After a year, he went full time and started working out in the hope of getting more work. His great body came from this time.

The Road to Category III

Some people will do anything to enter showbiz and become a star, the tone deaf take part in the New Talent Singing Contest and wooden faces with no expression still apply for the Artiste Training Class. However, for Kenny, already with a foot in the industry as a model, he never dreamed of being a star, he just wanted to make some more money and part of this was thanks to good friend Wilson Lam Chun Yin's 'helping hand'.

In 1988, after modelling for a year and a half, Kenny realised that there was a limited shelf life to being a model and just as he was troubled about this, fellow model and good friend Wilson had already arranged everything for him.

"At the time, I didn't even know that TVB had an Artiste class, but one day Wilson told me about it and suggested I went along to try, even getting a form for me, so I thought why not give it a try as I might not even get in. Eventually I was successful in the audition and even completed the class, so that is how I became an artiste." After graduation, Kenny took on a host of "Stop!" or "Don't move!" roles of Policeman A, Criminal B, Colleague C, Mate D... it was only until "Ah Dak Goes Crazy" with Stephen Chow did he get any proper lines and a chance to have proper rehearsals.

Thinking that this was his chance and working hard to get his results, when 1993 and the end of his contract came along, Kenny just received a letter thanking him for his performances. After leaving TVB, Kenny was introduced by friends into the film industry, working as a production assistant, floor manager and even assistant to the costume designer. Finally, to make ends meet, he accepted a role in his first Category III film, opposite Pauline Chan, who later committed suicide in 2002.

"I am not afraid to admit that I once did Cat III, I had to live and make money, so if showing my bum meant I got a lead role and a decent salary, then that was fine. Moreover, the job was offered to me via TVB, so what did I have to be afraid of?" With such obedience, following every instruction from the company, TVB repaid this dedication and when Kenny returned in 1997, his career took an upward turn.



Vietnam Danger

The saying goes 'With Risk Comes Chance' and after four years of instability in the movie industry, Kenny learned to cherish every opportunity, at least at TVB, he could make a living without taking his pants off. Long-lived series "A Kindred Spirit" raised Kenny's popularity and just as he thought he was on his way to success, the risk arose again.

In 1997, "A Kindred Spirit" saved the careers of at least two people. One was 'Auntie Ho' Nancy Sit, the other was 'Vietnam' Kenny Wong. At the time, whenever he was out in the streets, people would call him by his character's name, with many people even mistaking him for being Vietnamese, but after "A Kindred Spirit", Kenny found himself back to square one, continuing to play the little, pointless roles, fading in the memories of the viewers and reporters. At the time, Kenny took on additional jobs once again to make ends meet, temporary driver, hawker - whatever could make him some money.

"That time was hard, when I was hawking, people recognised me and thought it was a candid camera stunt by the TV company, but there was no other way, I had to make money to live." In 1998, it was "Healing Hands", where Kenny played a faithful Triad leader Ho Tak Kwong that brought Kenny another wave of hope.

"In 'Healing Hands', my popularity was quite good, but in the same way as 'A Kindred Spirit', as soon as the series had finished, it was back to the way it was before and I had to wait for the next job, had to carry on with the bit parts. Although I understood that it was not up to me whether I became famous or not, but to accept this was easier said than done. If I carried on like this, what would I become? Finally I said to myself that I could not carry on like this, I did not want to regret having given up later on. So I did this and in 2004, Siu Luk Zi in 'War and Beauty' was quite popular, this brought more hope, but this wasn't to last and I felt very down. Whilst filming 'Blade Heart',I was always losing my temper for no reason and I thought I was suffering from depression, but I got over it. Now I have 'Dance', I daren't say I will become famous, but for me, this is an opportunity and I am happy with this."

Gentle Charming Man

You can't judge a person by their appearance - even children know this, but how many people can see through the exterior? Kenny's appearance is tough and gives the impression of being very chauvinistic, but he talks of himself as being a simple man, because he puts a lot of emphasis on his female partner's feelings and puts her first in everything. With a masculine appearance, but a gentle personality, the rough with the smooth, then little wonder that the devoted Christian Ada Choi and the innocent Maggie Siu have been linked romantically to him.

In the last month, Kenny's exposure in the press and his rumours have been greater than he has had in the previous seventeen years. The gossip started with him doing his best to woo co-star Ada Choi and then moved onto his romantic affair with Maggie Siu, finally resulting in him landing on the magazine covers. To get onto the front pages, then surely he should be happy for at least half a day.

However, this kind of 'achievement' does not mean much to him, to have it or not to have it is no great difference, he just insists that he will not create news for himself just to get into the papers.

"On the first day I entered the industry, I knew that to get your name known, then making gossip is the best way to do this. When I was filming 'A Kindred Spirit', there were already reporters who asked me to work with them and create a story. I felt that if my real life was exposed, then this is the truth and I have nothing to hide, but to intentionally hook up with a female artiste just to get into the papers, then I felt this was not the right thing to do, because this would affect the other person. It's not that I mind dating someone from the industry, there is not much difference as long as we are comfortable and happy. I put a lot of emphasis on feelings, so if you ask me if I am a chauvinistic man, then I don't think I am. I will do what my girlfriend asks of me and have discussions with them. I will care if they are unhappy and even when we split up, I will still think about their feelings. I feel all along that even if a couple split up, then you don't have to become enemies, it just depends on how you deal with it. It doesn't matter if you are my ex. Just let the past go by. You have your story, I have my story - it's all the same."



Man and Dog

I admit that I judged him by his appearance, when a muscly Kenny Wong tells me about how caring and sensitive he can be, I am suspicious of this. However, when the interview was completed, I saw Kenny in the car park with his beloved dog 'Fat Pig' cleaning up before getting in the car, his care and gentleness was apparent to the point of repulsion.

I remember someone once said that if people love animals, then there is a limit to their badness. I totally agree, because I have dogs as well, so I know.