KUALA LUMPUR: Veteran Hong Kong actor Wan Yeung Ming, 66, recently made a triumphant return to TVB after 24 years, in the drama Darkside Of The Moon.
He has appeared in many TV series in his heydays such as Crimes Of Passion, Happy Harmony and Justice Bao, as well as hit films like Young And Dangerous and The Storm Riders.
JayneStars reported that in a recent interview with hk01.com, Wan recalled a dark period in his 30s when he was busiest as an actor.
Wan said that he could not manage working on two projects at the same time.
"I was the lead in both shows. After filming for the drama, I would rush to the movie set.
"I once went six days without sleeping, I was so tired that I fell asleep while driving and even dozed on set."
That relentless pace continued when he signed on to TVB and worked for seven months straight with no rest.
Under pressure, Wan sought solace in gambling, and this quickly spiralled out of control.
"I thought I'd only gamble one month's salary, but in just two rounds, I lost HK$200,000 (RM114,000)," he said.
Determined to recover his losses, he kept betting, eventually amassing debts far beyond what he could manage.
"I lost my entire seven months of salary.
"At one point, my gambling debt was so massive that I contemplated suicide."
Fortunately, there was still hope for him as his shows were still airing every night.
He eventually stopped gambling, but faced years of gruelling work to repay his debts.
He quit his steady job in TVB dramas to earn more money quickly. For five years, he accepted any role available.
"I made a mistake, but I don't regret it. Regret is useless, you face the consequences and move on. These experiences shape your life."