KUALA LUMPUR: Hong Kong actor Tai Yiu-Ming recently made headlines after he was spotted working at an eatery, owned by restaurant tycoon Billy Cheung.
In an interview with HK01, Tai, 52, clarified that he has not switched careers, and it was a temporary gig when he was not filming.
His current job includes serving tea, waiting tables, washing the dishes and taking out the rubbish.
"Given the unstable nature of acting and the free time I have before my next project, Billy suggested I try working in the food and beverage sector.
"I don't have many jobs of late, and as actors, we sometimes go without a job for an entire year.
"If we don't have work, we have to pick up a new skill to survive," he said.
Tai has been working at the restaurant for two weeks, and wakes up at 5am for his shift.
He works until the wee hours of the night.
"The job is physically demanding. You have to take orders, clean the tables and tend to the customers.
"There's a lot more you have to do as a waiter than an actor," he said.
In terms of earnings, Tai makes roughly HK$300 (RM171) to HK$400 (RM228) a day.
The actor also mentioned that he takes the train to work, and occasionally takes a taxi.