HK Actor Wong Wai Tong, Who Is TVB’s Go-To Rapist In Dramas, Is A Dedicated Family Man Off-Screen
‘Cos reel life does not translate to real life, okay?
TVB actor Wong Wai Tong, 61, has the dubious honour of being the station's “Rapist For Hire”, no thanks to him playing a rapist in numerous dramas.
Wai Tong, who made his showbiz debut over 40 years ago, is happily married to his wife, with whom he has two kids — a daughter, who has since graduated with a Master’s degree, and a son, who’s now in university.
The actor poked fun at himself during a recent interview, joking that his fate was sealed after first playing a rapist in the 1998 drama, Armed Reaction.
Wai Tong with his family
But of course, his on-screen persona is nothing at all like his off-screen self.
Wai Tong, who was described as well-mannered and polite, is actually a dedicated family man.
According to the report, Wai Tong heads to the market after work every day to buy groceries so he can cook dinner at home for his family.
“Seeing them go for another portion of food makes me feel really happy,” he smiled.
The actor went on to share that he does not enjoy filming rape scenes because they are psychologically taxing, even for actors.
Wai Tong (left) in the 2019 drama, My Commissioned Lover
So every time Wai Tong has to shoot a rape scene, he does ample preparation beforehand.
“The most important thing is to protect the actresses and to make sure they’re not hurt,” he said.
Although he has to be violent on-screen, he does not touch the actresses at all during the scenes, a feat he says he manages thanks to his years of martial arts training.
He's a professional
“As a martial artists, you have to be able to ‘hit the target’. When we get hit, we react in an exaggerated manner so the protagonist will look like he has used sufficient force when punching,” he said.
Additionally, as this is all for show, they have to ensure that their punches don’t actually land, and protect both themselves and their co-star too, if things go awry.
“As long as we manage to give the director what they want in the scene, it’s fine. Once you understand this, everything else just relies on your skill,” he said.
Wai Tong with Patrick Tse (left)
Wai Tong joined showbiz after attending the Shaw Brothers Studio’s acting training class and martial art classes in 1981.
He was the stunt double for Patrick Tse and Michael Miu before joining TVB as a martial arts instructor in 1996. He made his acting debut a year later in 1997.
Photos: Ming Pao Weekly
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