Riding on the high ratings of Highs and Lows <雷霆掃毒> and in preparation for the TVB anniversary awards, chok king, Raymond Lam (林峯) , recently sat down for an interview to discuss what chok really means to him, his thoughts on the TV King award and what is on the horizon for this budding megastar. “To me, chok is a form of expression – an attitude. For the entertainment industry, chok is a part of the profession! I have to admit, in the beginning, even the other artists misunderstood what chok meant. They would say to me, ‘Raymond, can you stop being so chok when you’re onstage? It’s very exaggerated!’ What did they expect me to do? Just stand still and look directly into the camera with no expression? As a performer, we have to get into the character. So whether we’re an actor or singer, we will have some form of chok in us, it’s just not going overboard with it.” When discussing speculations that Raymond will win the TV King award this year, he said, “I’ve been filming TVB series for over ten years and my dad has never praised my acting. In fact, he only gives me constructive criticism. Recently he has been watching Highs and Lows and he actually said, ‘This is your best role to date’. Wow! I didn’t even know how to respond to that, so I simply said, ‘Okay,’ but deep down inside, I already felt like I won.” Because of Raymond’s wealthy background, he especially wanted to step away from his father’s shadows and stay low-key. In fact, Raymond saved up for 10 years to purchase his first Mercedes-Benz vehicle and shied away from high-profile dates with girls. “I used to be very self-conscious, so I didn’t go out with girls. Many people thought I was gay because I only hung out with guys. Of course, the photo incident last year [with Mavis Pan 潘霜霜] revealed that I do, in fact, like girls. Haha!” The reporter could not help but also point out that Raymond liked big-chested girls. Raymond quickly refuted, “Absolutely not. Please don’t misunderstand me. Beauty comes from within and that’s what I look for.” In recent years, Raymond has spent his off time from TVB to advance his movie career in mainland China. “Although my movie career has just started taking off, I’ve been really happy. Jamie Chik (戚美珍) once advised me that it’s important to stay focused and hungry in this industry and I couldn’t agree more with her. That way I will never feel like what I’m doing is enough and will continue pushing myself to improve.” Creds: Oriental Sunday
Well, I think if Kevin Cheng has won before then we shouldn't be surprised if Raymond Lam wins this year. I think I have to agree with Raymond's dad, this could be Raymond's best performance so far. He's more matured. Maybe being "chok" for him has paid off!
