Liu Xixian
Lau Sik‑yin (English name Lawrence Lau; born 25 September 1961) is a Hong Kong actor and television host, formerly under contract with Asia Television. Because he once weighed over 100 kg, he is nicknamed “Fat Boy Yin.” He remained loyal to ATV even after its license was not renewed, earning him the nickname “Lau Chung‑san.” He now works as a freelance artiste.
Background
Lau is native to Lecong in Shunde, Guangdong. He grew up in Government Quarters on Peak Road, Happy Valley, where his grandfather was a senior civil servant. He attended Fukien Secondary School and then Po Chiu Secondary School for Form 6 pre‑university, during which he joined a summer drama training class at the North Point Community Hall. After pre‑university, he studied accounting and worked for several years in import‑export, shipping, stationery, electronics, and insurance companies. He then became a banking teller at Chase Manhattan Bank and Nanyang Commercial Bank while performing in stage plays such as The Taiping Rebellion and The Great Assassin.
Later, urged to choose a career path, he joined Nestlé’s advertising department handling budgeting, clipping, and warehouse management. There he saw TVB’s recruitment notice for script researchers and drama training. He applied and in January 1984 became a researcher for the women’s midday program Women’s New Style. Regularly passing the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, he quit his job to enroll in its inaugural Directing program, graduating in June 1988.
Shortly thereafter, Lau appeared in a Napoleon VSOP commercial and assisted in the Hong Kong film A Small Man’s Diary. In December 1988, introduced by actor Anthony Wong to ATV’s Artiste Department Director Lau Tin‑lan, he joined Asia Television. He also signed with Golden Harvest as an actor. At ATV he hosted variety shows, notably as co‑host of Alan Tam’s variety show.
In 1990, after an on‑air gaffe, he was suspended briefly before returning to host coverage of the FIFA World Cup. In 1995 he met TVB drama producer Leung Tin and began acting in many television dramas, with key roles in From Chaozhou and The Bund.
After 23 years at ATV, Lau’s contract expired in 2011. He rejoined ATV in 2013 but terminated his contract on 6 February 2016 under Employment Ordinance 10A for unpaid January and February 2016 salaries. Unlike many former ATV artistes, he did not move to TVB but remained freelance. In September 2017, he performed in the Cantonese stage production The Marriage Bureau Goes to Korea.[1]
Selected Film and Television Credits
TVB
- 1987: Live Theatre: The Pager Story
Other Television
- 2018: Sign Language Series 6 (RTHK
Advertisements
- Green Island Sauna
- 1987: AKAI VCR
- 1988: Nissan Sunny
- 1988: Napoleon VSOP (with David Wu)
- 2009: Shine Bright Bookshop
- 2017: Science+Joint Uric Acid Research
- 2019: Chung Cheng Financial