Karl Ting Once Went Without Work for 6 Months

Going on Sharon Chan’s (陳敏之) YouTube talkshow “Chi Chat”, actor Karl Ting (丁子朗) revealed how he once went without work for a period of six months, despite getting plenty of opportunities right after entering showbiz at 19 years’ old.

Went for Insurance Exams as a Backup Plan
Following his triple win at Mr. Hong Kong contest – he had secured first runner-up, Mr Photogenic and Most Liked by Audience titles, Karl was promoted by the station and enjoyed many work engagements from hosting to filming.

Recounting the six-month dry spell in his career, Karl said that sudden idle period left him feeling lost and wondering what other career options he had. Heeding a friend’s suggestion, he went for qualifying exams for insurance practitioners as a fallback plan.

A Lesson to Remember
Chatting about his experiences as a newbie, Karl shared that he was once on the receiving end of hurtful remarks on set. “Everyone assumed I was very savvy, (plus) I once hosted a large-scale event, but there was one time I was filming and it was around 4 or 5am, when (the director) wanted me to do a smile, I really didn’t know about acting back then and couldn’t deliver it properly, and everyone on set was just waiting for me (to wrap up filming),”

“The director said to try once more, and then there was this (crew member) who ranted, ‘Just yawn and we can all knock off!’ followed by a few vulgarities.” Although the actor was hurt and upset at that point, Karl said, “it turned out to be a good lesson that I remember until now, every time when I go to work, (the memory) keeps me motivated not to be the reason others can’t knock off work, secondly it reminds me how not doing my part well will also cause others to suffer.”

Happy that he now has a wider repertoire of works to show, Karl continuously pushes himself to attempt different things, partly so his parents would not worry that he cannot survive in the showbiz business. He also felt touched that his mother, who was not social media-savvy, specially taught herself how to use these platforms, and would now regularly reply to his Instagram stories to give her feedback about his onscreen performances!

Source: HK01