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Vivienne Chow

More than a year ago,  Canto-pop singer Deep Ng Ho-hong was suffering from low self-esteem. This was before he entered  showbiz.

While many might have turned their back on the confidence issue, Ng chose to deal with it head-on.

And  that became his motivation.

When he was a  teenager,  winning was almost routine.

At 15,  Ng had mastered Thai boxing, and  over the  following three years, he won 12 out of the 13  open championships he entered. In 2002, he won  the New Talent Singing Contest organised by TVB.

He played the guitar and started teaching others  when he was

only 16.

'I used to do things only if I was good at them. I needed the praise from others,' says Ng, who turns 21 next month.

'But now I realise it was the wrong attitude. I was very stubborn.  Anyone can be good if  they work hard and keep practising.'

Ng is  in the offices of Mandarin Entertainment, the producer of his  latest film Dating Death, a horror flick  by celebrated director Herman Yau Lai-to.

Surprisingly, Ng, his assistant and makeup artist have been waiting. Ng is sitting on a sofa, as  the makeup artist does the final touch-ups. And he is surprisingly gentle for a former boxing champion.

Ng signed  with Music Plus, a subsidiary of Emperor Entertainment Group (EEG), after winning the TVB talent contest.

Since the release of his self-titled debut EP  last year, he has been dubbed the 'new Eason Chan Yick-shun', because of their similar looks  and singing  style.

He's grateful for the comparison, Ng says.

'He's [Chan] such a great singer, dedicated and serious. I'm nowhere near him,' he says. 'It's just a way for people to remember newcomers. Maybe they find it easier to remember me this way.'

After a year in the entertainment industry, Ng's attitude towards success has changed. He understands that one man's effort is not enough.

'The support from my colleagues  provides me with motivation,' he says.

'I know that luck  won't stay with me forever. All I can do is to seize the luck that happens to be around at the moment.'

So his luck brings him not only a record deal, but also movie opportunities. He says that his role as Kin, an athletic but violent young man in Dating Death, was his biggest break so far.

'Herman [Yau] is a super guy. He was  patient with us and very involved in the whole production. He was a great leader on the set,' he says.

Tonight,  Ng is attending the premiere of Dating Death, which opens in local theatres the same day. 'I'm getting a little stressed out,' he admits.

'I  haven't seen the whole film yet. I hope it will be okay.'



Ng bounces back