Always On the Move

Actress Lai Hoi Shan's past, present
and future

By Chloe Chan and Carol Fok

         Courtesy of Ms Lai

    Being an actor or an actress is a dream for many people. It was no exception with Ms Lai Hoi Shan.
     “When I was 3 years old, I said to my mom that I wanted to be an actress and she did not feel right,” said Hoi Shan.
     Lai Hoi Shan was born in an academic family. Her parents wanted her to be a teacher. When Hoi Shan said she wanted to study acting in the drama school of the Academy for Performing Arts (APA), her parents were not very happy.
     She explained to the family and they understood what she was thinking finally. So, she entered the APA in 1985.
     After studying in the drama school, she had been interviewed by Television Broadcasting Company (TVB), Commercial Radio and Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK). All three companies offered her a job. She chose TVB because she wanted to be an actress.
     “I also would like to be a disc jockey, but I could take it as a part time job. So I joined TVB,” Hoi Shan said.
     At first, like many others, she did some unimportant characters. Sometimes she was not even required to say a word.
     However, she did not feel upset. “Everybody has a hard time in the beginning. You have to wait for your chances to come. When it comes, you have to grasp it.”
     Hoi Shan’s chance came two or three years after she entered TVB. She was given a character in a half-hour programme.
     Her performance brought her the chance to be a presenter in a show. She also joined Enjoy Yourself Tonight, which was a popular and long-lived programme. People noticed her talent to act in comedy, so Hoi Shan got another chance to be a comedy actress and acted in a popular programme.
     “I met a good partner in that half-hour programme. Mr. Ngan Kwok Leung was good and it was a pleasant experience,” Hoi Shan recalled.
     By that time, people knew about Lai Hoi Shan and remembered her. She felt like her dream had come true.
     “It was a very good feeling. But after some time, I started thinking what I wanted to do next,” Hoi Shan said.
     As she thought it was not stable to be an entertainer, she wanted to be a host for variety shows. She decided to see whether TVB would give her the chance.

     After a few years, she did not get any opportunity. It seemed to her that the company only wanted her to participate in comedies. She thought she could not do this for the rest of her life, so she started thinking to get another job.
     A chance came when she was asked whether she wanted to be a full time disc jockey.
     In the first few years, Hoi Shan worked part time in the Commercial Radio. She stopped when her acting 		Courtesy of Ms Lai
career was taking off. She reconsidered the offer and finally she thought she needed a change. She joined the Commercial Radio again.
     Being a presenter on the radio is not easy. According to Hoi Shan, one has to get the right voice. She thought she did not do well at first. Gradually, she found her "right voice" when she was working full time.
     Now, Hoi Shan is a presenter at Commercial Radio Station I. She is also an MC in some shows, public and private. She feels happy about her job.
     “I feel good now. I have some good partners, and many people support me,” Hoi Shan said.
     In the past, there was no need for disc jockeys to go outside of the studio, so they did not worry about their appearances.
     However, things have changed now. All radio stations organize outdoor shows. As a result, disc jockeys have more challenges, and it has become a more difficult job.
     Hoi Shan thinks her job is taxing. Organizing outdoor shows is a way of promotion. It can also help the presenters to learn more skills, making sure nothing goes wrong.
     Evaluation after shows can benefit the presenters. They know what they need to improve. They can strengthen their power. This is why she has evaluation after every show.
     “I am well prepared every time and I want to prove that I am proficient,” she said.
     In the meantime, Hoi Shan is thinking what her next goal is. She often wants to go back to school, but she does not want to leave her job. She still loves her job.
     She said, “You need to have some changes when you get to a certain level. I might become a teacher, but this would be the last choice.”
     Lai Hoi Shan is easily touched but she is also very rational. She thinks she is not suitable to be an actress although she is interested in it. Besides, she does her best in everything. She thinks people should always face the future and improve all the time. That is her motto of life.
     In the future we may listen to her shows on the radio, or see her in a school being a teacher, or see her on TV.



October, 1997

[Editorial] [Answer] [News] [Social] [Photo] [Education] [Culture] [Channels] [Science] [Celebrity]

Comment   Email Editor-in-Chief   Email Electronic Editor