Veteran TVB actor Chan Wing Chun used to take on extra work as cabbie and plumber to make ends meet

Veteran Hong Kong actor Chan Wing Chun, 67, is a familiar face on TVB, having acted in numerous dramas, mostly in small supporting roles, in his almost four decades with the broadcaster.

He is perhaps best known for his role in long-running sitcom Come Home Love: Lo And Behold, in which he plays the righteous Headmaster Tam To Tak.

Recently, the TVB actor made a guest appearance on Douyin talk show 娛武會友 (Yu Wu Hui You) alongside pals Lau Kong, Alice Fung, and Lo Chun Shun, his co-stars in 1996 wuxia drama State Of Divinity, TVB’s adaptation of Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.

During the show, he shared about his life as an actor as well as the struggles he faced as a newbie.

Like many of his peers, he had to grapple with low pay and would work several jobs to make ends meet.

And it seems he is quite the jack of all trades.

"I would drive taxi, minibus, and van, and when I wasn’t driving, I would work as an air-con technician and plumber. If I had a few days off at a stretch, I would lead a tour group overseas. I’m still a licensed tour guide,” he said.

He worked several jobs to supplement his income

This is also the reason why Wing Chun preferred to take on supporting roles, instead of the lead.

There are fewer scenes to shoot, giving him more time for his side hustles, he reasoned. He later found success playing villainous roles in dramas like Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils and The Criminal Investigator, and was even given the nickname “Eunuch King”.

When Chun Shun lamented: "Being an actor in Hong Kong is really tough,” Wing Chun chimed in: "Do you remember when you attended my wedding back then? I told you I just worked 10 days in China, and the pay was equivalent to my one year’s pay [at TVB].”

Chan Chun Wing with Michael Miu in 1984's The New Adventures of Chor Lau Heung

Thankfully, those days are behind him.

Wing Chun’s kids are all grown up and he no longer has to juggle several jobs to supplement his income.

In 2020, he considered leaving TVB after he was invited by a talent agency to develop his career in China.

However, he gave up the opportunity and remained in Hong Kong to take care of his wife, veteran actress Helen Ng, 62, who suffers from dermatomyositis, a rare disease that causes muscle inflammation and skin rash. 

Wing Chun’s first wife passed away in 2010 from a stroke, and he wed Helen in 2018.

Chun Wing with his wife, actress Helen Ng. Photos: HK01