KUALA LUMPUR: Former TVB actor Paul Che has been enjoying a career renaissance after returning to the small screen as an acting coach on Chinese reality show Memories Beyond Horizon in 2022.
Entertainment portal 8 Days reported yesterday that jobs have been streaming in for the 64-year-old and he was even invited to walk the runway at Shanghai Fashion Week last year.
This is a far cry from his days of being in debt. With no work and income, he owed months in rental arrears and was evicted by his landlord.
In an interview with Hong Kong media HK01, Che opened up about what led to his financial struggles.
"When I joined showbiz four decades ago I committed all the major mistakes common in the industry," he said.
He was at first with Asia Television (ATV) and had a poor work attitude.
He joined TVB in 1997 and though his career was stable, he left after six years.
The reason — TVB only offered him an annual salary of HK$2,000 (RM1,202).
After leaving TVB, acting jobs were few and he ventured into insurance.
"I would often meet potential clients at karaoke bars and after talking shop, they would continue to make merry.
"As a result, I racked up more than HK$300,000 (RM179,789) in credit card debt and was forced to file for bankruptcy."
One of his darkest periods was in 2011 when his mother died.
Bankrupt and penniless, he could not even afford her funeral expenses.
But thanks to an anonymous HK$70,000 (RM41,950) donation from someone at TVB, Che managed to give his mother a proper send-off.
Over the last decade, Che has taken on various odd jobs to make ends meet.
He has worked as a construction worker, security guard, and sanitation worker during the pandemic. His last gig was as a health inspector in 2022.