{"id":21816,"date":"2022-12-30T17:41:27","date_gmt":"2022-12-30T09:41:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/?p=21816"},"modified":"2024-04-17T12:27:56","modified_gmt":"2024-04-17T04:27:56","slug":"a-rising-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/2022\/12\/a-rising-star\/","title":{"rendered":"A Rising Star"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hong Kong actor Ling Man-lung talks about his journey to rise and shine in the performing arts industry.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Esme Lam<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having defeated popular Japanese and Thai actors including Yokohama Ryusei from The Journalist<\/em> and Dew Jirawat Sutivanichsak from F4 Thailand<\/em>, Ling Man-lung has been crowned as the first Hong Kong winner of the Best Rising Star at Busan\u2019s Asia Contents Awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Ling Man-lung has been crowned the Best Rising Star at the 4th Asia Contents Awards in Busan, South Korea. (Photo Courtesy of Ling Man-lung)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was amazed. Who could have imagined that the globally-renowned judges would have watched In Geek We Trust<\/em>, which is just a small TV drama production in Hong Kong? I am also thrilled that my hard work of 14 years is finally recognised,\u201d says the 36 years-old actor who received the award on October 8 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy family and my friends sent me messages to congratulate me that night. The nomination is already a great achievement for me,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ViuTV drama, which made Ling a household name, was broadcasted in January 2022. He plays the role of Shun, a CEO of a startup company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
In Geek We Trust, which made Ling Man-lung a household name, was broadcasted in January 2022. (Screen Capture from Viu TV’s website<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

He was nominated for both Best Actor and Best New Performer for his role in Tomorrow Is Another Day <\/em>at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2018 and won the latter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ling fell in love with acting when he was a Form Four student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He decided to study performance after joining a drama production and attending acting courses at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA). He was 15 years old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was amazed. I did not know that acting could be trained before attending the courses. I wanted to continue to learn from those teachers,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of joining an artiste training class held by a television station, he decided to study performance at the HKAPA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople in Hong Kong categorise actors as movie actors, stage drama actors and TV drama actors. To me, they are the same. They all act,\u201d the actor says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His parents used to worry about him, fearing he could not make a living after graduation, but they supported him to pursue his dream anyhow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy mum told me not to regret my own decision. No matter what decision I make, she will always support me,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter gaining more acting experience in my secondary school and HKAPA, I find acting more and more attractive,\u201d the actor says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After graduating from HKAPA in 2008, he started his journey of acting by joining Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, a troupe founded in 1977.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He starred in the Hong Kong movie Tomorrow Is Another Day <\/em>in 2017 after working as a stage drama actor for 10 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTeresa Mo Shun-kwan, a locally renowned actress, was impressed by my performance after watching a stage drama The Sin Family<\/em> in 2016. Then she recommended me to the director of the movie,\u201d Ling says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mo acted with Ling in another leading role as Wong Kam Fa, the mother of Ling\u2019s character Kwong <\/em>in Tomorrow Is Another Day<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven though I have been in the troupe for nearly ten years, I rarely get the chance to play the leading role. So this opportunity is really precious to me,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To better portray the character Kwong<\/em>, who suffers from autism and mild intellectual disability, the actor did research about the medical condition to prepare for the role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI read a lot of research about symptoms and behaviours of autistic patients to gain more understanding of my character,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Ling enjoys acting a lot, he admits that there are some difficulties in being an actor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI deny myself easily. As an actor, I am always ready to take criticism. The feeling of the audience is always directly reflected in their faces and comments. The only solution is to be more positive,\u201d Ling says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unstable income is also a problem. To make a living during the pandemic, Ling has held workshops to teach acting since last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had no job for a period of time due to the pandemic. Then I decided to learn how to hold acting classes from my mentor Chan Suk-yi, who is the acting dean of the School of Drama in HKAPA, a drama actor and a director, so that I can sustain my living by holding acting classes,\u201d Ling says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Apart from acting, Ling Man-lung has held workshops to teach acting since last year. (Screen Capture from Ling Man-lung\u2019s Instagram account<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

His students are mainly new actors, and some are Youtubers such as Locker Lam Ka-hei from Trial Or Error and Angela Yuen Lai-lam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the preparation of teaching materials and designs of the curriculum, the actor also sharpens his own acting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery time I prepare for my workshop, I can revise some basic acting knowledge and techniques I have learned. Also, I can learn new things from my students. I  also want to join acting workshops hosted in Europe to polish my acting if I have the opportunity to,\u201d the actor says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ling says he does not really have a career plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI will just take things as they come and keep learning and appreciating my own value. I hope I can continue producing and creating not only as an actor, but maybe as a director or a screenwriter,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ling thinks that it will be great if Hong Kong can collaborate with other countries more. He also thinks audiences\u2019 input is important to the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCreators and audiences have to grow up together. Audiences can give more comments and advice. Producers in the industry can create better work by taking in their views,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edited by Felicia Lam
Sub-edited by Ella Lang<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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