HK Actor, 33, Diagnosed With Stage 4 Lung Cancer After Persistent Cough Since May

Rising Hong Kong star Will Or Wai Lam shocked fans on Wednesday (Jul 30) after revealing on Instagram that he has stage four lung cancer.

It means that the cancer has advanced beyond the lung to other parts of the body.

The 33-year-old, known for his roles in movies Drifting (2021) and Weeds on Fire (2016), said he first began coughing persistently in late May.

Despite completing two courses of antibiotics prescribed by a GP, his condition didn’t improve.

He was later referred to a respiratory specialist who ordered a CT scan that revealed abnormalities in his lungs.

During a review, Will recalled jokingly asked the doctor: “Your face looks so serious. Is it cancer?”

Further testing and a hospital stay later, his late-stage cancer was confirmed.

In disbelief, Will said the doctor if he's sure it is not tuberculosis.

“My legs felt weak, like I was stepping into thin air,” he wrote.

In the post, Will said he tried to make a joke about how he felt. “My head hurt. I had an MRI and there were no issues with my brain. It also confirms it is not full of crap. It is likely psychological, and I just felt like sleeping to avoid reality”.

He said the diagnosis forced him to reflect.

“I used to say I wanted a break. Turns out I actually love working. Have I ever treated this like just a job? Not really. I throw myself into it, no matter how tough it gets, I enjoy it,” Will wrote.

The actor says he has begun targeted therapy and is unsure of how his body will respond. As there are unknown side effects from the treatment, he is stepping away from work for now and hopes to return when his condition stablises.

Will also shared that at one point, he kept asking, “Why me?”.

That changed when he saw his father tearfully questioning, “Why not me instead?”

“That moment made me realise how lucky I am to have a dad who loves me so much. I am even more grateful that it is me, and not someone I love, going through this. That helped me slowly come to terms with having cancer. It is all about perspective,” said Will.

Despite his diagnosis, Will added, “Don’t worry too much. I’m still walking and functioning and living life as usual”.  

Will ended his post asking everyone to give him and his family space. He also urged the public not to overwhelm him with advice as he has a capable medical team to take care of everything.

“If we ever meet, don’t tell me to “stay strong” or “keep fighting”. We are already struggling in this chaotic world. Just give me a smile, a nod, send me a strong emoji, or yell, “I love you!” if you are not afraid of looking silly. That is enough to let me know we are in this together,” he wrote.

Will was in the thick of rehearsals for stage production Banana Playhouse but has since withdrawn from the project with his role recast.

Promotional interviews for his upcoming movie, Electrify, originally scheduled for August, have also been postponed. A release date for the film has also not been confirmed.

Despite his relatively young age, Will has already earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination at both the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards for his role as a young homeless man in Drifting.

Photos: willallwailam/IG, 8world, Sinchew