'Am I really worth so little?' Sandra Ng on leaving TVB over $80 pay per show and $8 monthly raise

She may be one of Hong Kong's most decorated and highly-paid actresses, but Sandra Ng's journey in showbiz "hasn't always been smooth."

In a recent video interview with host-actress Carol Cheng on her YouTube channel The Do Show, the pair reminisced about their time working at Hong Kong broadcaster TVB. 

During the conversation, Sandra, 59, revealed that she left the TV station due to the low pay. 

She shared that she signed with TVB in 1984, and only received roles in five dramas. 

Just as she was cast on the long-time variety show Enjoy Yourself Tonight, she "jumped ship to film".

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/C-2THlzy4Ss/[/embed]

When Carol, 66, remarked that Sandra was "clever" and likely planned ahead, the latter told her that it was actually a sudden decision.

"I was really frustrated," she said. "They gave me a pay raise of HK$50 (S$8.40) a month. Would you keep working for that?"

Despite her exasperation, Sandra maintained that she wasn't criticising the industry at the time, but merely stating facts.

She said that TVB gave their talents fame, but getting advertising endorsements or other opportunities was entirely up to them. 

There were also no bonuses given, she said. 

"The whole system was like that. I even questioned myself at the time, 'Am I really worth so little? You give me HK$500 per show and are only offering me a HK$50 raise'."

On top of that, the roles she got were "unpredictable". While movie roles could be sporadic as well, Sandra added that they at least paid better.

In dealing with the uncertainty of scoring movie roles, Sandra said she chose to take things as they come, and not be too calculative. 

Other than working alongside each other on screen, Sandra and Carol also previously worked on radio shows together in the mid-90s — a job that Sandra admitted to taking for monetary reasons. 

She said it was during a lull period in the film industry, and that she took the role as the movies she had made that year almost didn't make any money. 

During that period, she even had to sell her house to pay off her loan and debts incurred from making her first movie, 4 Faces of Eve. 

Although the film wasn't a box office hit, it earned Sandra a Best Actress nomination at the Golden Horse Awards and Hong Kong Film awards in 1996 and 1997 respectively. 

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Rm6A0nfMYM&t=2421s&ab_channel=TheDoShow[/embed]

Paid daughter HK$100 for minor role

Sandra may have been disappointed with the pay raise she got at TVB, but her daughter Jillian was happy with getting just HK$100 for her appearance in Chilli Laugh Story (2022).

Jillian, now 18, volunteered to be an extra in the movie and her mum, who was a producer for the film, gave her a minor role so she could "know the difficulties that actors face".

Sandra added that Jillian had a limited understanding of Cantonese culture because she went to an international school, and hoped the on-set opportunity could be a good learning experience for her.

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drimac@asiaone.com