Ex TVB Actress Leila Tong Once Nearly Drowned While Filming A Drama; Questions The Need For Actors To Risk Their Lives For Work

HK actress Leila Tong (唐寧), 40, made her showbiz debut in action comedy film Once A Thief (1991), which starred Chow Yun Fat and Leslie Cheung, when she was only eight.

She went on to join TVB as a child star and continued acting into adulthood, where she appeared in numerous dramas including Aqua Heroes (2003), Life Made Simple (2005), and Ten Brothers (2007).

Of late, Lelia often takes to social media to connect with her fans, posting snaps of her latte art, home bakes and even a couple of throwback pics, coupled with lengthy captions, reflecting on her growth.  

On July 30th, in a post titled “An experience from filming a drama”, the actress revealed that she once almost drowned while filming a scene during the winter.

According to Leila, she was filming a period drama and had a scene where her character attempted suicide by throwing herself into the sea.

She was required to jump of a jetty, and let herself sink into the sea to a certain depth so the camera could capture her disappearing.

Leila was also dressed in many layers of period clothing and described the experience as her “jumping into the sea while holding onto a cotton blanket”.

She quickly realised she did not have the energy to swim to the surface after attempting the stunt. Luckily, a production assistant noticed her struggling and saved her.

As she recalled the incident, Leila said she “did not dare imagine” what would’ve happened if the assistant didn't see her.

She added that when one was so consumed by performing their best in that environment, they wouldn’t consider the dangers they were really facing.

It made her question if it was really necessary for actors to risk their lives and go to such extents during shoots.

“I guess it’s normal for performers to be like this, to forget about themselves and give their all when performing,” she continued, at the same time extending her respect to those who also gave their all in productions.

Although Leila did not specify which drama she was shooting then, many believe that the screenshot she shared to accompany her post was taken from the 2004 TVB wuxia drama Twin of Brothers.