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Lai Lok Yi: I no longer think about the Olympic Six

15 Nov – Despite being accepted into Hong Kong TVB's Artiste Training School in 2001 due to his resemblance to late singer Danny Chan, Lai Lok Yi admitted that success didn't come easy for him.

The actor, who sat down for an interview with Mingpao recently, revealed that he was originally grouped in the "Olympic Six" when he graduated from the school in 2002 - a group that also include Raymond Lam, Ron Ng, Bosco Wong, Sammul Chan and Kenneth Ma.

However, while all the other actors achieved success almost immediately, Lai said that he was still given second and third line roles, and was later given the task to host a children's programme instead.

"I was unhappy with how slow my career progressed at the time and seeing all the other five playing lead roles. Some reports even said that I wasn't even part of the Olympic Six. But I was young at the time and didn't understand. I didn't have much work, so I would often go drinking or stay home," he said.

However, his good luck came in 2012, when he was cast as John Ma in the hit sitcom, "Come Home Love". The long-running programme enabled him to get more roles in dramas, including hits like "My Unfair Lady" and "Daddy Cool". He also played the lead role Wong Siu Ming in "The Tofu War", that helped him receive the TVB Anniversary Award for Most Popular Male Character in 2017, and subsequently gained a newfound fame when he was cast in the hit 2018 series, "Who Wants a Baby?"

Now that he is older and more mature, Lai said that he no longer thinks about comparing himself with the other actors grouped in the "Olympic Six".

"I don't think too much on winning or losing, and only hope that the public will like my performance. Tony Leung, Andy Lau, Julian Cheung, Louis Koo, and Ekin Cheng - these are all my idols. I hope to be like them in the future," he said.

(Photo Source: Lai Lok Yi Instagram)