Raymond Wong Finally Becomes First Male Lead

In his past films and television series, Raymond Wong Ho Yin was always relegated to being the second male lead. After acting for fourteen years, Raymond finally took on the lead role, acting as Ken Cheng Tak Si’s son in When Lanes Merge <情越雙白線>. Never focusing on the weight of the role nor awards, Raymond said, “I only hope to star in a role which the audience will still remember ten years later.”

In When Lanes Merge, Ken and Raymond’s onscreen explosive characters often lead to frequent clashes. During the filming of the series, Raymond was already confident of the depiction of this unique father-and-son relationship, as he was emotionally moved by the script as well.  “Prior to filming When Lanes Merge, I already knew Ken Gor. I have to thank him for teaching me many things on the set, including how to read the script, how to face the camera, and other tips on reciting the dialogue and acting. In addition, Ken Gor likes to visit internet forums to read about the audience’s reactions firsthand. Perhaps some netizens leave irresponsible comments, but they provide a direct sense of the audience’s reaction. I find it to be very useful. Did the audience enjoy watching the series? This is another matter. After filming a series, I will not denounce the script and will reflect about it afterwards.”
Taking Things Step by Step and Waiting for the Right Timing

Raymond attracted the recognition of Director Johnny To and entered the entertainment industry, appearing frequently in his films. In the last few years, Raymond turned his focus to television and acted in TVB series. “Since entering TVB, my screen time in When Lanes Merge was the most significant. I did not think about it too much, as I enjoy working with Ken Gor. W collaborated earlier in A Watchdog’s Tale <好狗出更>, but we did not share too many scenes together. In When Lanes Merge, we filmed together from the beginning to the end. I truly enjoyed the process.”

“After entering TVB, I did not consider the weight of my roles. This year, I have many series which will be broadcast, such as Rosy Business 2 <巾幗2> and Can’t Buy Me Love <公主嫁到>. My screen time in these series is more significant than previous projects. Although I played supporting roles before, I did not give up. Joining TVB for three years, my work load has not been minor. Opportunity also needs time to develop. TVB is a large organization which needs time to observe me. It also takes time to develop a working relationship. Right now, the relationship is ‘maturing.’ I hope to continue to harvest good results.”
Some artists will fight to get noticed. Although Raymond is not lacking ambition, he does give the impression that he is the dedicated type.  “Each person is different and many things depend on timing. If Raymond Wong were to star in a Hollywood movie now, do you think it will work? To a certain extent, I feel comfortable now. After observing you, TVB gives you more work, which is good incentive. I am not without hope, but I do not want to fight with others. Within my position, I want to create something [through my acting], allowing me to pursue my own direction.”

Do Not Want to Create a Savage Child

In recent years, artists without long-term TVB contracts, such as Wayne Lai Yiu Cheung and Sheren Tang Shui Man, received awards at the TVB Anniversary. However, Raymond does not see the awards as awe-inspiring. Last year, Raymond was nominated for the Most Improved Male Artist Award. At 2009’s TVB Awards Ceremony, he attended with a playful spirit. “I hope that one of my series will receive an award this year. This is a greater accomplishment as it is a product of team work. It is not based on your own efforts, but requires many people working together. I will not dwell on it.”

“In the past, one of my past performances was remembered after ten years elapsed. Before the end of the year, I will have two more series released. I am also confident about my recent roles. My wish is to have my role remembered for some time afterwards.”

Over the last few months, Raymond has filmed non-stop. An artist films on average ten episodes per month. This year, Raymond has already filmed one hundred and thirty episodes. At one point, he only slept one hour every night. Returning home, he acted like a dead corpse. Raymond’s wife was very understanding and waited for him to return home every night without complaints.

Raymond does not want to have any children yet. “Eventually, I want children. However, my filming schedule will be busy until February 2010. I do not want the child to become a savage because I did not have time for discipline. You have to teach children carefully so that they will survive in society.”

“The new generation of children is very weak and complain a lot. Some of my friends treat their children like gods and will kneel before them, begging the children to eat. The children will not eat without the television on. If that’s the case, I think they do not have to eat! There are no black and white rules, but the new generation is very spoiled.”

Source: Singtao

Jayne: Raymond Wong’s dedication towards acting and yearning to create a special performance (no matter how large the role) is quite admirable. This same belief allowed Wayne Lai to achieve remarkable popularity, as audiences noticed Wayne’s acting skills, no matter how small the role was in his early career. I wish more young artists share the same drive to polish their acting skills in minor roles before they get promoted to lead roles.