Ex TVB Actor Ngan Kwok Leung, 69, Says He Left The Company 'Cos He Was "Backstabbed" And Disrespected
The incident happened in 2008 but it still leaves a sour taste in the veteran actor's mouth.
Hongkong actor Ngan Kwok Leung, 69, was once a familiar face on television, having starred in many TVB classics in the ‘80s and ‘90s such as Hong Kong 81, The Seasons, A Kindred Spirit, and Virtues of Harmony.
In 2008, he left TVB after almost three decades and became a tai chi instructor. He now lives in China, where he leads a semi-retired life.
He's a tai chi master
In a recent interview on online series Good Good Buddy, the 69-year-old revealed the reason behind his departure.
Then, Kwok Leung, who had already been practicing tai chi for a while, signed up for a referee course which required him to attend a class for a few hours each week. As this did not take up a lot of time, he informed a TVB production coordinator in advance so that she could coordinate the filming schedule.
However, after more than a month, a producer called and told him that there was talk that he would leaving TVB as soon as his contract was up. And if there were any scenes left to shoot, he would not return to do it.
Kwok Leung was puzzled as he never said he would not renew his contract, which would be up in two months, but he did not clarify the matter.
He was very disappointed in TVB
But what got him really mad was when someone from the artiste management team called him up to say: “Kwok Leung, you still have some unfinished business. Leave on good terms. Don’t just leave as soon as your contract is over.”
When asked why didn’t he explain the misunderstanding, Kwok Leung replied: “Actually, I only had one scene left to shoot and at the time, there was more than a month to go in my contract. I waited for two weeks but still did not receive any notice for my shoot so I told the other party, ‘This is the situation now. I am just waiting around every day. Why don’t you shoot my scenes?’ I received the notice two days later.”
Kwok Leung said the incident left him very disappointed with TVB.
"If I wanted to continue in this industry, I could have taken this up with [the upper management]. But when I think about it, some people just 'detest the rich and despise the poor' [Ed: A Cantonese term to describe someone who is petty-minded and has no integrity]. I didn’t even offend you and I am so low key at work, how did things turn out this way? There are greener pastures elsewhere, I'll go strike it out on my own,” he said.
Kwok Leung now lives in China with his wife
That's not the end of the story. Just a day after Kwok Leung left TVB, someone called him and offered him a role, but he turned it down.
"There is no point. Although I don't know who backstabbed me, I would definitely run into that person and would have to greet him. There is no meaning," he explained.
Moreover, no one from the upper management approached him to understand the situation. It was then that he decided to switch careers and become a tai chi instructor. He also opened a pet supplies store in Hongkong.
Life is now good for Kwok Leung, who lives in China with his wife. He goes for tea and has massages in his free time, and says he can go to bed as and when he pleases.
Photos: Sinchew
