Hong Kong actor Dicky Cheung recalls singing in bars at 17 to support family after father left
Cheung said he grew up in a household affected by domestic violence and learned from a young age to be careful around his strict father, who worked at sea and spent only about three months each year in Hong Kong, Singapore newspaper 8days reported.
He said he became highly sensitive to his father’s moods and often worried he would “hit mum or anyone else”.
Hong Kong actor-singer Dicky Cheung. Photo from Instagram/@dickycheungifc |
Cheung recalled that his father once became angry after his younger brother accidentally wore his shoes on the wrong feet. He also remembered being slapped for scoring 60 points on a maths test after failing multiple times.
As he grew older, he skipped school to pursue his dream of becoming a professional footballer and was eventually expelled. He said a handwritten note from his mother that read: “turn back” made him reconsider his future.
His family fell apart financially after his father left when he was 17. Cheung began singing in bars to help support the family, earning HK$150 (US$19) a night at first. His salary later increased to nearly HK$2,000 for one night of singing.
Cheung said an encounter with underworld figures at the bar prompted him to steer clear of dangerous situations and pursue singing more seriously by entering Hong Kong’s New Talent Singing Awards. He went on to win the championship and the “Best Stage Performance Award”, marking the beginning of his entertainment career.
The actor said he has now entered a calmer stage of life and is less focused on fame and wealth. “Now I’m very happy to have fish for my meal, I can’t even finish a bowl of white rice. A lot of people are influenced by society’s standards of success, believing that certain jobs or a high salary reflect success. In reality, the most important thing in life is happiness,” he said.
Dicky Cheung is known for starring in period dramas such as The Legend of the Book and the Sword, Journey to the West, War and Beauty, The Duke of Mount Deer, The Young Vagabond, The Monkey King and The Young Zhang Sanfeng.
Comments are closed.