Q&A: Alex Fong

Of the local athletes to turn to show business, singer-actor Alex Fong Lik-sun is probably the most successful. The former competitive swimmer, who represented Hong Kong at the 2000 Olympics, had an early start in the entertainment circles as a student, playing himself in the 1999 RTHK drama series Y2K. His clean-cut looks and sunny persona made him hugely popular with teenage girls, and he soon signed with record company Go East and management company Gold Label.

The 30-year-old has appeared in more than 20 films, including romance movies such as Marriage with a Fool and Love is Not All Around alongside his rumoured girlfriend, pop singer Stephy Tang. Fong's latest role is in the Jeffrey Lau Chun-wai movie, The Fantastic Water Babes, which co-stars actress Gillian Chung Yan-tung.

You play a top Asian swimmer in The Fantastic Water Babes. Are you stuck with your sports star identity?

I don't really think so. Actually, many people have forgotten I was a swimmer. Younger audiences don't have any idea that I am a former member of the Hong Kong team. While playing quiz games at a sports festival three to four years ago, I asked the audience what swimming style I competed in, but no one knew. When I was on the mainland last year promoting Kung Fu Cyborg - my first movie that had a national release - the media and fans there didn't know about my past at all. That's good for me.

Water Babes was filmed in 2007, and its release was postponed because of Gillian Chung's sex photo scandal. Did you think the movie would never be released?

It was originally to be released in 2008 around the Beijing Olympic Games, but I wasn't worried it would be canned. There was a rumour that it would only come out on DVD; that would have been a waste - and it would lose money too. I believed it would eventually screen in cinemas since it was youth-oriented and had a positive message. It's a significant piece of work in my career.