KUALA LUMPUR: Veteran Hong Kong actor Keng Cheng may be a success story today, but his journey was far from smooth.
In 1993, the 73-year-old faced financial ruin after a series of poor investments left him with HK$17 million (RM9.8 million) in debt.
Co-founding a film production company at the height of his career, Cheng's dreams crumbled due to mismanagement, forcing him to live in a low-income neighborhood for over a decade.
To make ends meet, the TVB star sold his home and car.
Friends abandoned him during his darkest days, but one person stood by him: singer-actor Andy Lau.
The 63-year-old superstar offered Cheng financial assistance and opportunities to rebuild his career.
One notable gesture was inviting him to produce the 2007 film Brothers.
"I will never forget Andy's kindness for the rest of my life," Cheng told Taiwan's TVBS News.
In another interview, he said, "How many people in this industry truly help others? I never expected Andy to help someone like me."
Though Cheng has cleared his debts, challenges remain.
His wife's illness requires expensive treatment, prompting him to take on more acting roles to cover medical costs.
The two-time Best Actor recipient at the Hong Kong Film Awards made his screen debut in the 1976 TVB series, Hotel.
Since then, he has acted in numerous TV series and movies, including Why Me? (1985), Crime Story (1993), The Log (1996), Flash Point (2007), Sleepwalker (2011), Chasing The Dragon (2017) and Ip Man 4 (2019).
Cheng's latest movie is the Donnie Yen action drama, The Prosecutor, currently showing in cinemas.