Wayne Lai Defends TVB
Speaking up for the station, Wayne thinks TVB still has a role in Hong Kongers’ lives.
TVB has taken a lot of criticism in recent years due to their declining quality and lack of innovation. Expressing his disdain for critical segments of the public whom he feels are lambasting TVB to either make themselves seem more superior or due to herd mentality, Wayne Lai’s (黎耀祥) feelings are not hard to understand, given that the station gave him a platform to shine.
He recounted, “When I entered the industry, the leading men were Tony Leung (梁朝偉), Michael Miu (苗喬偉) and Felix Wong (黃日華). I knew my position very well – but to have played leading man for the first time at 44 years old, and to have dramas for the ten years thereafter while being favored by advertisers – I feel that I’ve earned enough.”
Although anti-TVB voices have been growing, Wayne feels that the station still has its value. “Many viewers still need TVB. However bad it is, not everyone has the means to head out for entertainment. There are still many of us who switch on the TV after getting home. Since there still many people who still watch TV, we have to do better right?”
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Playing an imperial physician in the currently airing Chinese drama Legend of the Phoenix <鳯弈>, Wayne’s character traverses the line between good and evil but is fiercely loyal to the empress. In real life, Wayne also has a strong attachment to TVB.
Despite netizens’ criticism of the station and artistes’ unhappiness with company policy such as low wages, Wayne speaks up for the station which shaped his career. “I don’t dare say how TVB treats its artistes. One thing is for sure, that is it provides artistes a huge platform for viewer recognition, through which artistes can use to earn more on the side. When outside productions need actors, they’d think of TVB actors often. TVB allows artistes to ‘earn secretly’ as long as it’s not at other local TV stations, so you have to know where to earn your keep. Is the pay very low? The market will tell you. When a day comes when no one is signing up for the artiste training class, TVB will know the ‘actors’ market rate’.”
Learning to Accept Low Ratings
Not a blind supporter of TVB, Wayne acknowledges that the station’s influence and ratings are nowhere near its past success. “It used to be all big stars and famous directors at TVB Studios. Now it’s different. Just look at ratings for one; in the past Rosy Business <巾幗梟雄> achieved nearly 49 points…. Now people have many options. Why not focus on the customers you have now? I feel that doing business is thus; the premise is that you have to satisfy current customers. Without customers, then the business would be eliminated.”
Besides Rosy Business, some of Wayne’s most classic onscreen roles include 1997’s Show Time Blues <樂壇插班生>, while his outstanding turn as Zhu Bajie in Journey to the West <西遊記> cemented him in viewers’ hearts. In Rear Mirror <載得有情人>, he played a driver, one of the many man-on-the-street roles he excelled in. His performance in 2016’s On the Shorter End of the Stick <公公出宮> was so well-received he filmed many travel programs thereafter; while proving himself again in 2017’s Daddy Cool <逆緣> which took top ratings for the year.
Source: HK01
This article is written by JoyceK for JayneStars.com.
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I like you Wayne and I respect your opinion (and even agree with you on a few points), but sorry, I’m going to continue criticizing TVB because for me, the negatives still outweigh the positives, plus why should I give them a free pass from fixing their inherent issues? My opinion has always been that blind loyalty can do more harm than good when it excuses an organization from having to fix their inherent problems (and we all know there are PLENTY of inherent problems at TVB) – which is why I sometimes get irritated when I hear artists defend TVB purely based off loyalty. I’m also a huge believer in constructive criticism driving improvement, which is one of the reasons why I’ve continued to be so vocal about TVB’s shortcomings over the years…though with that said, nowadays more and more, I feel like I shouldn’t even bother with TVB anymore because I’ve been saying the same things for decades and they still operate the same way….at some point I need to stop banging my head against the wall, lol.
@llwy12 You are always on point. lol.. I think he’s the kind that’s just blindly loyal, safe and not adventurous. haha…There’s nothing wrong w/that as they are same like some of the office colleagues that you see daily. First and only job. lol…whereas most people would at least have 5-6 jobs in their lifetime. But he is certainly lucky to be able to catch his break at age 44 where some you see for decades and you still don’t even know their name.
@wm2017 Yup…definitely nothing wrong with taking the complacent / safe / loyal route (and Wayne definitely falls into that category, lol), as long as the artist understands that path isn’t for everyone. A lot of what Wayne said is true, except with one caveat, which is how much of a role both TVB’s antiquated policies (which pretty much hasn’t changed in more than 4 decades) as well as their execs / management team play in all of this. Take artists’ pay for example – yes, the market determines it for the most part, but what sense does it make for a green leaf actor (or actress) to still be paid the same amount (or nearly the same amount) that he was making 30 years ago when he started with TVB and then when he asks for a raise, he’s offered the equivalent of like $10 and is told “take it or leave it”….meanwhile a younger artist with no experience is cast as lead right away and paid way more than that at starting and then is given opportunity after opportunity despite their talent not matching up (and of course there are the “outside money” opportunities with endorsements, show invites, etc.). Market price is one thing, but there are ways where, as management, you can still take care of all your employees fairly from a financial standpoint without wavering too far off from market price/conditions or whatnot. This is the kind of stuff that people who defend TVB often neglect to talk about…at the end of the day, it’s not really about the amount of money per se, but rather, the lack of respect and insult to an artist’s dignity that the lopsided (and unfair) treatment fosters….
@llwy12 the entertainment industry is never fair, let alone the pay…
@llwy12 Agreed
He lost my respect. The current customers are dwindling so tvb gotta change. He was dang lucky to have a shot in the dark at 44. 99% who can act weren’t/aren’t/will never be that lucky. So now you’ve made it, you should help changing that wheel instead being complacent. IMO. Then again, not much he can do I suppose.