Returning to his alma mater, Ling Man-lung reminisces about his years at the Academy, and how it shaped him into the Best New Performer at this year’s Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA).
One afternoon this summer, Ling Manlung (Siulung), winner of this year’s HKFA Best New Performer award for his role in Tomorrow Is Another Day, revisited rehearsal rooms of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, where he reunited with teachers and old friends. Having toiled as an actor for a decade, Siulung thinks back to his days in the School of Drama.
Like his fellow Academy alumni, Siulung is a dream chaser. “My motivation for choosing a career has always been passion rather than monetary rewards." Siulung was a Form 4 student when he first became involved in drama. Being on stage as a boy gave him a sense of achievement. This first encounter marked the beginning of a lifelong passion for the performing arts. Later, he had a chance to take part in a summer course organised by the Academy, where he learned that it is the only tertiary institution dedicated to performing arts education in Hong Kong and is subsidised by the Home Affairs Bureau. After completing his Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination, he decided to apply to the Academy. In those days the competition was particularly keen, and only 30 people would be chosen from hundreds of applicants. When asked how he stood out from so many candidates, Siulung attributes this to his thick skin. “There were three rounds of interviews, and the first round involved singing," Siulung recalls. “I forgot the lyrics shortly after I began, so I put on a cheeky grin and ‘la la la-ed’ my way through to the end of the song. Even the interviewer found it very funny and could not keep a straight face.”
Siulung took diploma and bachelor's degree programmes at the Academy, graduating in 2008. He says that what he learned then still stands him in good stead. “Acting teachers helped us understand ourselves, as we sat in a circle and analysed personality traits and behaviours that would hinder our acting. During the process, we had to face our fears and weaknesses.” Siulung recalls his distress when he repeatedly failed to meet his teachers’ standards. “I was so afraid of being judged by the teachers. I once told Chan Suk-yi that he was pushing me way too hard, only for him to respond that I was not giving my best.” Siulung says this revelation led to an extended period of introspection.
When he left the Academy, Siulung joined the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (HKREP), which gave him plenty of opportunities to practise what he had learnt. Those years saw him playing an array of challenging roles and learning from dramatic role models, but he was also struggling. During his early days at HKREP, Siulung was asked to perform in a play that he did not particularly like, and he did not communicate well with the other actors and the director. “At that time, I just wanted to rush through my performance. Later, when I got a chance to watch a video of that production, I realised how bad my performance was. It was then that I realised that an actor could never do well if he was driven by his emotions. There are no shortcuts in acting. Acting has to be natural and spontaneous. As an actor, you may not always get a script you like or click with every actor or director. Thanks to the advice of my teachers and those with more experience than me, I have learned to give myself completely to each role I play. I remind myself of this if I find myself in the same sort of situation again.”
Siulung has been a member of the HKREP family for more than a decade, and his outstanding performance in The Sin Family landed him the role in Tomorrow Is Another Day. This year, Siulung is about to part ways with the company to embark on a new phase of his career. “Despite the uncertainties ahead of me, I will play each role wholeheartedly, hone my acting skills, explore more creative work, and — last but not least — be the best I can be.”
Summing up his five years at the Academy, Siulung said it taught him that acting is a serious and professional art, bringing not only a sense of achievement but also a sense of mission. “Poon Chan-leung, an Academy alumnus, once discussed with me why actors are so needed in society. Every film or drama production mirrors the values of the whole crew and the message they aim to convey, which can provoke reflection in the audience. That is why I think my job is meaningful.” His stunning performance in Tomorrow Is Another Day is a case in point. It exposes the audience to the inner world of a boy with autism, proving how a devoted actor can contribute to society. “When you love your job, you will be willing to strive for excellence. When you are giving your best, you will contribute to society."
(The article was published in the Sep 2018 issue of Academy News. Click here to read the original story.)
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