DAVID Yip may have been television's The Chinese Detective, but he has only visited the mainland once - briefly in 1978.
His father left Canton at the age of 16, but Yip cannot remember which part of the province his father hails from - although he hopes to discover some family ties before shooting finishes on Goodbye Hongkong.
As Yip's mother was a Liverpudlian, he grew up speaking English at home. In Hongkong, he spends his time telling confused waiters he can't speak the lingo.
''I can appreciate my character in Goodbye Hongkong because I am Chinese but grew up experiencing another culture,'' he said. ''This movie gives me a wonderful chance to express this duality.'' Yip has some dialogue in Cantonese in the film, and aims to overcome this through mimicry. ''If someone puts it on tape, I can copy them,'' he said. ''But it's not desirable because I can't get the nuances. I'm going to try to learn the language while I'm here.'' The actor, who trained in theatre, has spent most of his career avoiding being typecast - arguing a Chinese actor can play any role, and that parts need not be tailor-made along ethnic lines.
But he has just finished shooting a comedy for the BBC in which he plays a Hongkong native with a strong London accent. Every Silver Lining was produced by Richard Boden of Blackadder fame, and centres round a Jewish couple and their diner in the East End of London. Yip plays a neighbour who becomes part of the family.
His honeyed tones quickly become contorted into a vowel-strangling East End Kowlooner as he rattles off a few lines. ''We're all very happy with the result,'' he said. ''And I'll find out when I go back whether we're going into a second series.'' The Chinese Detective was never shown here (''There was no fighting, that's why Hongkong didn't want it,'' Yip said), but is experiencing a rebirth via cable and satellite in the UK.