HK Actor Peter Lai, 71, Says TVB Ignored Him When He Needed Help; Will Not Renew Contract With Them
In February this year, it was reported that veteran actor Peter Lai, 71, had gone for heart surgery to open two clogged blood vessels around his heart. The surgery went well, but left the actor with a hefty HK$300,000 (S$51,700) bill.
At that time, it was reported that he received monetary assistance from his godson, Hongkong actor Bosco Wong, 41.
Now, in a recent interview, Peter shed more light on his current situation.
According to the actor, he received assistance from Bosco, as well as Hongkong billionaire Joseph Lau, who paid off his hospital bills, and provided him with money for daily necessities as well.
On the other hand, it seems like his attempts to contact TVB have gone unanswered. As a result, the actor has said that he would not be renewing his contract with them when it expires in November this year.
Bosco and Peter in TVB's 2005 drama, 'War Of The In-Laws
As he has to recuperate at home after his surgery, Peter is unable to continue shooting TVB’s longform drama, Come Home Love: Lo and Behold, and that leaves him with no income for the foreseeable future.
Due to the current wave of COVID-19 infections in Hongkong, he is advised to stay home as much as possible too. Luckily, he has fans and neighbours who travel over to drop him meals every day.
Peter also shared that he makes sure to exercise for 15 to 20 minutes daily, and that heads over to a nearby park for a walk if the weather’s good.
Apart from that, his Come Home Love: Lo and Behold,co-star, Eric Chung, brings him out for tea every now and then too.
However, as he currently relies on the goodwill of others, he is worried about how he would cope if Hongkong experiences a total lockdown.
He's recovering well
The actor is also worried about his living expenses. When asked if he has enough money to tide him over this period, the actor replied that he’s not sure if he has received his salary from TVB this month.
“There's no record in my bank [statement], but it should be transferred every month without fail,” he mused.
Peter then went on to air his grievances against TVB, revealing that he attempted to contact the broadcaster’s senior executive, Catherina Tsang, multiple times, but to no avail. Right now, the actor has all but given up.
“If the other party looks down on me, why should I seek a compromise?” he said.
The actor added that the producer of Come Home Love: Lo and Behold had previously promised him that he would be able to return to filming this month at the earliest. However, the producer has stopped returning his calls.
“[Should] I behave like a dog wagging its tail for its master’s attention again? Stop being foolish!” he said in anger.
Photos: PBE Media, HK01
