"looking back" at stars

I'm currently watching one of TVB's classics produced in 1989, the #1 most watched drama of all time - Looking Back in Anger. It is an excellent production with wonderful acting and such a strong script. You really don't see series like this these days. I am enjoying it so much. Aside from the fantastic story-telling and acting, it's quite surprising and rather amusing to see some of TVB's stars today acting as background characters and cameo's. Anyways, I'm up to episode 14 right now and I've spotted the following...



Gallen Lo Ka Leung

Before he was TVB's #1 brother and a multiple Best Actor winner, Gallen played a cameo role in Looking. He acted as a pursuer of Carina Lau's character, who was determined to marry her. His character is the son of another rich family and was introduced to Carina by her family in hopes of her finally having a socially "acceptable" and "proper" boyfriend. Their personalities didn't match and he did a lot to try to please her, but in the end, their marriage fell through because Carina realizes she can't force herself into marrying him.

Gallen is so young-looking in Looking! His acting has really come a long way since the time of Looking. Although I'm not a fan of his, I think it's great news that Gallen is coming back to TVB. A lot of people are very excited and happy by this news. I always had a feeling that he would return some day. Rumor has it that his first series with TVB in 4 years is slated to begin filming in August and its tentative title is translated as "When a Dog Falls in Love with a Cat" and said to be co-starring Myolie Wu, Margie Tsang, and Lui Fong.



Cutie Mui Siu Wah

I recognized Cutie the moment she appeared as the cashier at the cafeteria that Felix Wong's character was working at. I suspect that the character had some feelings for Felix, but ultimately, Cutie had a total of only a minute or two of screen-time in her 2 or 3 episode appearance.

I really enjoyed Cutie's cameo. She looked so young and cute! Her wide smile is the same then and now. She hasn't aged much either. Seeing her performance made me realize how much I miss her presence in series. She is full of personality and charisma. It's been 3 years since Cutie has acted in a series. I really hope she changes her mind and acts again. She is a great MC because she's so naturally funny and charming, but I would much rather she share her talents on-screen in series.



Frankie Lam Man Lung

Frankie's character is a member of Deric Wan's character's rich friend's posse and I guess you can say he is Deric's "friend" too. His character is a rich boy himself. His character is insignificant and really only a "background" role with a line or two here and there.

I was very surprised when I noticed a very familiar face in the posse of friends - it was Frankie! I have this very mature and professional image of Frankie because he is my Virtues of Harmony "big brother", so it was kind of weird to see him looking and acting as a teenager. However, his face hasn't really changed much. Who would have thought that he would become a leading actor in the years to come? Although Frankie has left TVB again, I am so happy that he's coming back to film Forensic Heroes II in the fall. I can't wait to see Frankie reprise "Doctor Koo Chak Sam" - my favorite role of his - and reunite with Bobby Au-Yeung, Yoyo Mung, and of course, Linda Chung.



Gordon Lam Ka Tung

Frankie's character was insignificant, but Gordon's was even more insignificant. He was a waiter at the place Cutie and Felix's characters worked at. The camera was only focused on his face for about a second in which he had like one line. He was so skinny back then!

Who could have guessed that this kelefe would become a prominent leading man in the late 90's at TVB, star along-side the likes of Andy Lau and Tony Leung after leaving TVB, pair with Maggie Cheung in an award-winning and memorable coupling, and take home a Best Actor award? It's very impressive, admirable, and commendable how far Gordon came from the time he was a kelefe in Looking - a true success story! I quite like Gordon's acting, but the likelihood of him returning to TVB is almost none. Although TVB brought him up from a nobody into a someday, he expressed how displeased he was with them at the time he left. He said something along the likes of how TVB looks at "quantity" over "quality" - I agree.



Gilbert Lam Wai Sun

Before Gilbert was ATV's #1 brother, joined TVB and left, and then joined ATV again, he had a cameo in Looking with Carina and Felix as a character part of a TV series about people with the same birthday. ATV fans definitely know who Gilbert is, but most TVB fans these days probably don't. Back in the early 2000's, he had supporting roles in series such as Where The Legend Begins and The King of Yesterday and Tomorrow. Having left ATV where he was always the lead, Gilbert was fed up with only playing supporting roles at TVB, so he left and went back to ATV.



Gregory Lee Wing Ho

Before he hooked up with Shirley Yeung and played antagonistic supporting characters, Gregory was a child actor at the beginning of Looking. He was kind of good and likable back then... I wonder what happened to him when he grew up.



Evergreen Mak Bao

These days, Evergreen has a nice spot as one of TVB's dependable and great supporting actors (and has led once in the rather well-received To Love With No Regrets, but his acting was overlooked), but in 1989, he was a kelefe. I'm pretty sure this is Evergreen - it looks so much like him. Like Frankie, his character was part of the posse of rich friends Deric's character befriended.