Michael Wong
A stalwart of the Hong Kong film industry for more than two decades, actor Michael Wong is also a father of three and a keen pilot. He sits down with Andrea Lo on his birthday to talk about his on-screen career, his passion for aviation, and what makes Hong Kong great.
I was born and grew up in upstate New York in Albany. I have five older brothers.
I was invited to Hong Kong in 1983 by [film producer] Nansun Shi, who is the wife of the director Tsui Hark. Back in the ‘80s they had one of the most successful film companies [in Hong Kong]—it was called Cinema City.
She found a picture of my brother Russell, [and] flew us over for a screen test, because they were looking for new artists to act in their films. Next thing we knew we were on a plane to Hong Kong.
You can say I’ve had more opportunities than most. I’ve worked as an actor for the last two decades with a lot of consistency—which, in any entertainment industry in any country, is not easy to do. So I guess I can say I’ve been one of the lucky ones.
I think a lot of us are typecast in the industry. I have gone through a period when I was typecast as a police officer and a commando. The last three films I have done were totally different characters, so it’s come after a long break.
I have to make sure I don’t confuse the discriminating issues with the industry. In fact some actors might say, “How come he gets to work so much, and we don’t?” I’ve done very well in this industry here, so I can’t complain.