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13 p eople This man of many identities could great success as an actor, he says it has not NICOLE PU be just any middle-aged man on the always been easy adapting to the drastic street. He wears a black sports jacket, changes in his life. N jeans and black sneakers, the spare tyre “I am a small potato! I couldn’t around his midriff clearly visible under believe what had happened right in front his over-sized white T-shirt. Dragging of me,” he says of his first walk down on a cigarette at the bus station where the red carpet. “The whole thing was he arranged to meet Varsity, Lam jokes like a dream.” that we can ask whatever we want and The first time Lam attended warns us foul language may slip out of the annual Hong Kong Film Award his mouth during the interview. The ceremony, he put on a tuxedo, and 45-year-old actor takes us through his arrived at a venue in Tsim Sha Tsui at journey from working as a porter at the 5 p.m. sharp. There was hardly anyone Yau Ma Tei Wholesale Fruit Market around. Worried that he had gone to the to his nomination for Best Supporting wrong place, Lam phoned his company Actor in the Hong Kong Film Awards. to make sure he had not mixed up After Lam had been working as a the venue and time. But his colleague porter for two years, a chance meeting told him no one would be on time and with the martial arts film master Lam celebrities usually arrived at 5:30 p.m. Ching-ying led to an introduction into or even later. the world of film. In 1986, Lam Suet As crowds of celebrities was hired as a production assistant, congregated in Tsim Sha Shui, he felt whose duty is to take care of the crews’ even more nervous. He dared not eat needs, including buying meals and any of the food being offered because he carrying props. was afraid of getting his clothes dirty. In the following decade, Lam tried The people around him wondered who different backstage jobs including prop this man was. Once he explained he making, lighting, film production and had come for the awards, they seemed even shooting. “After learning almost surprised. Some had never heard of his the whole behind-the-scenes operation, name. Who would have thought that an I wanted to make try something new. I unknown production assistant could be wanted to be an actor,” he says. a nominated actor? Once he had resolved to be an Rolls Royces were arranged to actor, Lam started to observe actors’ take the nominees to the Hong Kong performances and imitate them during Coliseum in Hung Hom. “It was like work breaks. Not only did he take the a carriage … I was sitting in the first initiative to learn, but he also grasped Rolls-Royce of the fleet,” says Lam. e is a loyal triad gang the golden opportunity to act. “I begged After getting out from the car, he I am just member in the comedy (Johnnie) To Kei-fung again and again had no idea of where to go, where to HRun Papa Run; a hapless to give me a part in the movie. I annoyed stand for the media to take photos or cop in Johnnie To Kei-fung’s noirish him all the time,” he says. Finally in where to sign on the board. Everything PTU in 2000; the nouveau riche 1999, director To gave him a part in was so new to him. mainlander in Poker King; a bodyguard the revenge drama Where a Good Man His legs were shaking when he in crime thriller The Mission and a Goes, playing a police sergeant. finally stepped on the red carpet. He had little loving father in the romantic comedy A year later, Lam was nominated for so many conflicting emotions. In the the guy Sound of Colours. Lam Suet is the Best Supporting Actor at both the Hong past, he was a voluntary worker, helping character actor par excellence, a “green Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse to lay down the red carpet, now he was leaf actor” in Cantonese. He has been Awards for his work as a weapons expert stepping on it as an actor. In the end, cast in supporting roles in over 100 in The Mission and he won a Golden Lam walked down the red carpet with local movies, but has never been a Bauhinia Award for his role in PTU. Elaine Jin Yanling, who was one of the leading man. While it seems that Lam has enjoyed nominees in the Best Supporting Actress Varsity MAY 2010 ISSUE 116 MAY 2010 ISSUE 116 Varsity 14 category. When he saw his name “Lam had said that if Lam had time to spare, his frustrations, he finds his own way Suet” on a label on a chair, he had to he should have been thinking about how out - giving 100 per cent to his acting. pinch himself; “this is impossible,” he he played his part instead of moving Sometimes he even finds it hard to thought. At the time, he was still working chairs around. Now that he recognises pull himself out of character. “I wish I as a production assistant in Johnnie To’s the duty of an actor, Lam is glad to could be one of the characters forever. romantic comedy Needing You. receive production assistants’ help. My birthday wish is to work every Unlike the other nominees, Lam day,” Lam says. crossed his fingers and hoped his name “Lam Suet is a Asked if he would accept being people would not be announced. It turned out cast in supporting roles for the rest Di Lung won Best Supporting Actor in mess. He has no of his working life, he says: “I can’t 2000. Lam smiles as he remembers. “I take it. I will shoot my own story felt so relieved and thrilled that I didn’t future and no big as a small potato in this glamorous get the award,” says Lam, who believed industry. I want to share my own he did not measure up to the other dream.” stories with the audience,” Lam says, nominated actors and so should not get calm yet determined. the award. “I did not know what acting Not only has Lam overcome his was at that time,” he says. “Everything awkwardness, but he also aims to I had was given by (Johnnie) To. It was be a professional who can carry out not my work.” directors’ requests. During the shoot of At the very beginning of his acting the 2009 revenge thriller Vengeance, career, some regarded Lam as To’s Lam was asked to plunge from a two- pawn, which made him feel frustrated. storey building “I was prepared to But he did not deny the label outright be admitted to a hospital. So were because he had not yet fully grasped the staff. Before the shoot, they what acting was about. arranged a car to take me to In the past, he had thought acting hospital,” Lam says. “But I am was superficial and that actors simply a professional, so I accept what imitated other characters. Later, he directors tell me to do.” He has realised there was much more to it - been suffering from aches and actors have to consider many things, pains in his knees and ankles such as their positions in front of the since then. camera and how to express characters’ With more than 100 movies feelings in a natural manner. under his belt, Lam’s compulsion Even as Lam’s fame started to grow, to act is diminishing but what he still could not let go of his past. He might keeps him going is his desire for be an actor but deep in his heart, he was appreciation from the audience. still a production assistant. Every time the Asked to evaluate himself as an production assistants handed him a glass actor, he criticises himself mercilessly. of water or got him a chair, he would feel “Lam Suet is a mess,” he says. “He has embarrassed. Sometimes he even refused no future and no big dream. He feels their help and did things himself. stressed by being who he is. He is This uneasiness was such an so worried about losing his job impediment to his effectiveness as an because he knows his place actor that To gave him a tongue-lashing can be taken easily.” about his inappropriate behaviour. Lam’s words betray “ ‘You don’t know what you are the frustration of an doing’, To shouted at me. ‘You are an actor who has never actor, not a production assistant!’ ” been in the leading Lam says To had yelled at him for role over the last 10 doing other people’s jobs instead of years. To escape focusing on his own job as an actor. He from the reality of Varsity MAY 2010 ISSUE 116 APR 2010 ISSUE 115.

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