Ex-TVB Actress Becomes Taxi Driver, Now Earns S$327 A Day, More Than She Did At TVB

TVB artistes have long griped about their less-than-stellar pay, with some taking on side hustles just to make ends meet.

Former TVB actress Pang Cheung Ling knows that all too well. While with the Hong Kong broadcaster, she drove a taxi part-time to supplement her income.

Now, after leaving TVB in July following nine years with the broadcaster, the 33-year-old has made driving her full-time job — and says she’s earning more than she did as an actress.

Cheung Ling, who was once dubbed a “Rosina Lam lookalike”, recently opened up about her decision to leave showbiz at a gathering for drama Deadly Sins, which she had a role in.

She said leaving TVB was something she had thought long and hard about, adding that with her contract up and age catching up with her, it was time to face reality.

“I feel there’s a certain period in life for pursuing your dreams. Once you reach a certain age, you have to face reality,” she said.

For now, her priority is simple: Make money.

And she appears to be doing pretty well at that.

After deducting expenses such as taxi rental and petrol, Cheung Ling says she takes home more than HK$2,000 (S$327) a day. If she works 20 days a month, that would come up to more than S$6.5K, more than what she used to earn at TVB.

“It’s definitely easier to make a living than being an actress. Being an actress is relatively tough,” she said.

Cheung Ling has always enjoyed driving, so becoming a full-time cabbie wasn't completely out of left field.

Though the hours are long, she likes that the more she works, the more she earns.

Cheung Ling recalled being extremely thrifty during her acting days and being content as long as she could afford two meals a day.

Now, she said, she finally has enough spare cash to “buy a couple more outfits and dress up”, and says her quality of life has improved considerably.

And yes, she still gets recognised on the job.

Though Cheung Ling usually wears a mask while driving, she says she has occasionally been recognised by bus drivers. When fans spot her, she greets them and thanks them for their support.

Cheung Ling joined TVB after graduating from its artiste training class in 2017 and went on to play mostly supporting roles in dramas such as Come Home Love: Lo and Behold, Forensic Heroes IV and Legal Mavericks 2020.

She is perhaps best known for playing the creepy “woman in red” in supernatural programme You Are Not Alone.

Her part-time gig as a cabbie also earned her the nickname “the prettiest taxi driver” among netizens.

While she is focused on driving and making money for now, she hasn't completely shut the door on showbiz.

If the right opportunity comes along, Cheung Ling says she would be open to getting in front of the camera again.