Fei Mao Actor Kent Cheng Was Once S$3.4mil In Debt; Andy Lau Helped Him Get Back On His Feet
Now, Kent’s able to give back to society as well and recently donated S$86K to help those affected by the pandemic.
Now, Kent’s able to give back to society as well and recently donated S$86K to help those affected by the pandemic.
Hongkong actor Kent Cheng is perhaps best known for his iconic role as the intellectually disabled Fei Mao, or Fat Cat, who first appeared in 1985 film Why Me? alongside Chow Yun Fat and former actress Olivia Cheng.
His performance won him his first of two Best Actor awards at the Hongkong Film Awards, and Fei Mao went on to spawn several more films and television shows, including 1988’s The Beloved Son of God, the sequel to Why Me? that co-starred Maggie Cheung, and 1997 ATV drama Forrest Cat.
Younger fans might also recognise Kent as Fat Bo, the friend of Donnie Yen’s titular character in the Ip Man franchise.
While he found success as an actor, director, and producer, Kent wasn’t as lucky when it came to being an entrepreneur. In the ‘90s, he launched his own film company with his friends, but the business failed and he ended up being HK$20mil (S$3.4mil) in debt. This left him with no choice but to sell his belongings and keep taking on jobs in China to pay it off.
Fortunately, his wife Lam Yin Ming, with whom he has two children, stood by him through it all. His good friend Andy Lau also lent him a helping hand and provided him with job opportunities, such as getting Kent to come on board as the producer of the 2007 movie Brothers.
It's why Kent remains grateful to Andy to this day. He was quoted as saying many years later: “How many people can you say are sincerely helping those in the film industry? I never expected that Andy would help someone like me instead of just helping newcomers.” Glad to know Louis Koo’s not the only altruistic superstar out there.
Today, the 69-year-old seems to be in a much better place financially and is doing his part to give back to society. Earlier this year, he reportedly donated HK$500,000 (S$86,100) to help those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He’s also still going strong at work with no plans to retire anytime soon. In addition to his special appearance in TVB drama Line Walker: Bull Fight, Kent recently shot a film with Hongkong actress Kingdom Yuen, and fans were heartened to see that he still looks to be in good spirits these days.
Photos: China Times, Kent Cheng/Weibo, IMDb, Ming Pao, 神和她的孩子在跳舞/Weibo
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