This isn’t the first time an actor has complained about the measly salary at TVB.
Remember how ex-TVB actor Oscar Leung was paid HK$6,000 (S$1.1K) monthly for eight years and only got an increment to HK$15,000 (S$2,700) after his breakthrough role in 2012’s Tiger Cubs?
Recently, TVB actor Niklas Lam, who propelled to fame after starring alongside Charmaine Sheh in The Queen Of News (2023), also took to Douyin to share his salary woes.
The 31-year-old actor divulged that ever since he entered showbiz, he’s had to take on five part-time jobs in order to make ends meet.
Besides acting, he also does social work, group psychotherapy, tuition and works for an online fashion store.
According to Niklas, he finally managed to buy a car after saving up for many years, but still spends a few thousand dollars on transport every month.
He forks out HK$2,500 (S$428) for his car every month if he drives to work — including HK$120 (S$20) for road tunnel toll fees, as well as parking fees which costs HK$100 (S$17) for four hours.
In total, he needs to spend at least HK$220 (S$38) on transport every day.
As a result, Niklas has had to tighten his belt so much that he can only afford to spend HK$1 (S$0.17) on two eggs for breakfast, coupled with a packet of iced lemon tea.
“All the money that I save will be used for transportation fees,” he explained.
In order to save up, Niklas would only have his meals at night markets or low-cost cafeterias such as cha chaan tengs.
Lamenting that he had already spent HK$300 (S$51) on breakfast, lunch and transportation, the actor couldn’t help but lament: “Life is so tough”.
He even shared that he’s intending to take on more jobs, and joked that he wouldn’t mind washing dishes at cha chaan tengs.
Now you must be wondering, why does he insist on owning a car if it costs him so much?
“In Hong Kong, all the actors have to travel to set or to the company for make-up themselves,” he explained.
He added that they often get call times that are in the middle of the night, and he would need to spend HK$500 (S$86), which is even more costly, to travel to and from his house in Tseung Kwan O if he didn’t own a car.
Aiyo, can TVB just give this man a raise already?