Wayne Lai to remain in TVB after contract ends

Who's next to leave TVB following Charmaine Sheh's departure? Not Best Actor Wayne Lai that's for sure.

Wayne's fans will see more of their idol as he expressed intentions of renewing his contract with TVB after his current one ends next year.

Ever since he decided to ditch his career as a clerk in the business department of TVB in 1985 to join the TVB acting school, it has been a slow yet steady climb for Wayne.

Twenty-two years after his first drama in 1986, Wayne finally won for himself the "Best Supporting Actor" for The Gentle Crackdown 2, and in the following two years, he further affirmed his capability with the "Best Actor" awards for roles in Rosy Business and No Regrets.

While many actors deem a role in movies as the best form of recognition for their work, Wayne, who participated in Turning Point (2009) and I Love Hong Kong (2011) thinks otherwise.

When asked if he has any intentions of going back to the movie industry, Wayne said, "I realize that movies don't suit me, and I enjoy filming for dramas, despite it being a tough process."

He continued, "To me, movies are all about presenting the best of an actor within the shortest time possible, and this is the greatest of all challenges. Not only is it difficult for the actor to ascertain himself with the role that he is about to take up, it will also result in the actor under-performing."

"That is why I prefer drama series. In the process of filming for it, I get to spend a lot of time with the role that I am assigned to, allowing me to discover and understand the new character that I will be presenting to the audience."

"Also, with the filming period for a drama series being much longer than that of a movie production, I get to enjoy the process of the entire shoot."

Having to stay with a particular role for such a long period of time, is it difficult for Wayne to jump out of his acting persona?

"I always believe that if one has the ability to get into his or her role, they will have the ability to get out of it as well. Whenever someone is unable to do so, it must be because they are unwilling to part with their persona."

"In my case, I disallow myself from being reluctant to part with my role. Instead, I will enjoy and cherish the different experience I get from the different roles I play, as acting always allows one to experience what they can't in reality."

While China remains attractive to many Hong Kong celebrities resulting in them shifting their career focus there, Wayne clearly prefers to stay in Hong Kong.

When interviewed, Wayne stated the two main reasons why he seldom participates in China's production - he wishes to spend more time with his 13-year-old son, and that he dislikes the idea of having someone else dub his shows due to his inability to deliver his lines in fluent Mandarin.

For a perfectionist like Wayne who gives his all when acting, he feels that whenever someone else dubs his shows, the originality of the role he plays reduces by half, and he will not enjoy the filming process too.

Wayne said, "As long as all goes well, I will be staying with TVB."

Good news for fans then as we continue to expect Wayne to wow us with his upcoming drama Forensic Heroes 3 this year, and more in the years to come.

StarHub TVB Awards 2011 will be telecasted on July 24 at 8.45pm, on VV Drama (StarHub TV Channel 855).

- Credits to xinMSN

Comments: I think Wayne has made it quite clear in a number of interviews that he won't go to China and film dramas, so for fans of Wayne, you can be really assured that you'll continue to see him in future TVB dramas. I can't say the same about Sheren though. =X

There will definitely be more news from the Chinese newspapers coming up, so stay tuned! I will probably post them up tomorrow! =)