Netizens Share New Pics Of Young & Dangerous Actor Michael Lam, Who Became A Monk In 2009

It isn’t uncommon for entertainers to give up their showbiz careers in exchange for a more pious lifestyle — retired Mediacorp actor Xie Shaoguang and former Taiwanese singer Jenny Fei were both ordained as Buddhist monks, while erstwhile screen siren Sharla Cheung makes regular pilgrimages to monasteries around China.

Recently, netizens posted some updates about another familiar face who has also devoted himself to religious work, former Hongkong actor Michael Lam.

The 46-year-old’s past works include the fourth instalment of the Young & Dangerous hit franchise and 1995 Hongkong-Singapore co-production Bugis Street.

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Michael (centre) as Dinosaur in Young & Dangerous 4
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Baring his bod in Bugis Street (Photo: Apple Daily)

He was also known for being the ex-boyfriend of Hongkong actress Kathy Chow, and was her swimming coach before he started acting. They never went public with their relationship, but it’s rumoured that they only dated for a very short time.
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With his old flame Kathy (Photo: Apple Daily)

Unfortunately for Michael, his showbiz journey wasn’t the most smooth-sailing and he eventually faded out of the limelight. In 2009, he became a monk at the Tsz Shan Monastery in Hongkong and now goes by the title of ‘Guo Hong Shi Yan Wei’.
Over the years, many celebs, such as Anita Yuen, Louis Cheung, Alex Fong, and Jacquelin Ch’ng, have visited the monastery to ask Michael to be their guide and listen to his teachings.
In addition, Michael is a member of the Tsz Shan Monastery basketball team and sometimes invites his famous pals to participate in charity matches.
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Jacquelin visiting Michael at the monastery
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Michael shooting hoops

When netizens posted pics of Michael (see below), they described him as having “kind brows and pleasant eyes” (a Chinese idiom that means amiable-looking), a sharp contrast from his past image and roles.
Not surprising, considering one of his most famous characters was a gang leader.
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Michael giving one of his sermons
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He’s still got some swag

Photos: Apple Daily, IMDb, 爆废1公社, Tsz Shan Monastery/Facebook