Wayne Lai


Wayne Lai Yiu-cheung is a Hong Kong actor. He is one of Hong Kong's most successful television actors. Lai won three TVB Anniversary Awards for Best Actor, making him only one of three actors to have three wins in that category.
After graduating from TVB artistes' training program, he made his acting debut in 1986, playing supporting roles. He first rose to popularity for his role as Zhu Bajie in the 1996 fantasy drama Journey to the West. In 2008, he won Best Supporting Actor at the TVB Anniversary Awards for his role in The Gentle Crackdown II. His performance as Chai Kau in the period drama Rosy Business received critical acclaim and earned him the TVB Anniversary Award for Best Actor. Lai again won Best Actor at the TVB Anniversary Awards for starring in No Regrets and The Confidant.

Life and career

Lai was born in Hong Kong and the youngest in his family. His father was a firefighter. When Lai's father retired, his family moved to Kowloon's Shun Lee Estate.
Lai began working at television network TVB in 1983 as a clerk in the administration department. In 1985, he gave up the job and signed up for acting classes, and was enrolled in TVB's artistes training program. After completing the program, he joined TVB as an actor. He appeared various Educational Television programs, in which he played supporting roles. His made his television series debut in the 1986 docu-drama Price of A Green Card. From 1986 to 1989, Lai played various bit roles and made appearances as an extra in more than fifty drama series.
Lai portrayed Zhou Botong in four Jin Yong television adaptations, including Rage And Passion, The Condor Heroes Return, The Legend of the Condor Heroes 1994, and The Condor Heroes 95.
Lai gained popularity as Zhu Bajie in the commercial success Journey to the West. After starring in Anti-Crime Squad in 1999, he left TVB to pursue opportunities in the film industry. He appeared in the films Bio-Zombie and Happy Go Lucky, and starred in a few ATV productions.
In 2002, unable to earn a steady source of income from film projects, Lai returned to TVB. He starred in the television series Greed Mask, in which Lai portrays a transgender man.
Lai won Best Supporting Actor at the 2008 TVB Anniversary Awards for his role in The Gentle Crackdown II. In 2008, Lai starred in Pages of Treasures, marking his first role as the male lead. In 2009, Lai portrayed Chai Kau in the critically acclaimed period drama Rosy Business, starring opposite Sheren Tang. Lai's performance was met with overwhelming critical acclaim. Chai Kau became a Hong Kong pop culture icon and spawned the catchphrase "How many decades are in a lifetime?". At the 2009 TVB Anniversary Awards, Lai won Best Actor, My Favourite Male Character, and the TVB.com Popularity Award.
In 2010, Lai once again won Best Actor at the TVB Anniversary Awards for his role in the second installment of Rosy Business, No Regrets, becoming the second actor to win consecutive TVB Best Actor awards after Gallen Lo in 1997–1998. In 2011, Lai starred in the police procedural Forensic Heroes III as Pro Sir. In 2012, Lai starred as Li Lianying in the palace drama The Confidant. He won Best Actor for the third time at the 2012 TVB Anniversary Awards.
In 2015, Lai made a guest appearance in the drama Master of Destiny, and starred in the period fantasy drama Under the Veil. He portrays Kung Siu San in Lord of Shanghai, starring alongside Anthony Wong and Kent Tong. Lai then starred in the period comedy Short End of the Stick, a series about the lives of eunuchs after the fall of the Qing dynasty. Lai starred in the sitcom. In 2016, he starred in a dual role in the third installment of the Rosy Business franchise, No Reserve. Set during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Lai portrays identical twins Suzuki Kazuo and Kong Sheung-hung who, separated as children, confront each other as war enemies. In 2020, Lai starred in the action drama Death by Zero, portraying the role of an assassin.

Filmography

Film

Television dramas

Awards and nominations