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Do you really know who I am? I’m Leon Lai.
I grew up in Tsuen Wan, in a 300-square-foot public-housing estate flat with nine other family members. I started to take care of my grandma when I was eight: I was a walking stick and guard at the same time.
We led a very happy, busy childhood. My siblings and I had to fight for the best space to sleep at night. I liked the spot above the table. You get the best breeze at night.
My mum used to be very hot, with a 23-inch waist, but after seven babies she had a 32-inch waist. But I guess her devotion is a virtue I love more than appearance.
The biggest thing I learned from my parents is not to be them.
I swear at my son all the time, and now he doesn’t smoke or swear.
When I made a film in 1997, I wanted it to call it "The Litter of the Breeze." Wong Kar-wai said that’s too long and changed it to "First Love."
What’s the most important and beloved thing in my life? Women. Wearing bikinis, and sitting in a coffee shop.
I like arranging things and taking control of projects - that’s why I’m a producer. If, I was born not in a city but in the countryside, I don’t think I’d be a farmer, I’d be a village leader, mobilizing farmers to work and sharing the end products.
I hate looking back with regret.
Balance in my personal values is very important, particularly seeing through the glamour of showbiz.
I’m not afraid of death. I work every minute because I’m greedy.
The best time to get inspiration is on the toilet.
I allow myself to have two-second depressions, the same duration as the high one gets at climax.
You can’t indulge too much in happiness or depression.
When I was doing the traffic on Commercial Radio, the program was accused of revealing where the cameras were placed on roads. But, hey, the idea of setting cameras is to warn people not to drive fast, not luring drivers into a trap, right?
I believe everyone has evil within them. If there were no sexual maniacs, no one would wear clothes. Why pretend we live in a utopia, and not acknowledge the dark side of human nature? I just tell people to be tough and face reality.
Jan Lamb and I formed Soft/Hard as a radio-host duo, one questions and one answers. But we were bored of talking on air, so later we produced a record “Do What You Don’t,” rapping nonsense in Cantonese.
I made too many films with continuous five-minute shots. I don’t get much money from companies; I use as many resources as possible, so why not make it artsy? My next target is to make a commercial film, but I would still use the production budget to make a version for the market and one for myself.
It will be a film of pure violence. That’s what I really like.


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Comedian Eric Kot

Magazines

Comedian Eric Kot has many strings to his bow: a radio host, part of DJ duo Soft/Hard Core Kids, comic actor in more than 40 films - including “Oh! Three Guys,” for which he won an acting award - and director of such films as “First Love: The Litter in the Breeze.” Now he’s turning his hand to promoting, including extreme sports, fashion and media. His latest project is dubbing the French comedy “Mean Spirit” into Cantonese.


Comedians and comedy