Call him ‘Dr Lau’.
Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters by the Hong Kong Shue Yan University on Thursday (Dec 14).
At the ceremony, 15 minutes was spent extolling Lau and his achievements, as well as his contributions to Hong Kong, Sin Chew Daily reported.
The South China Morning Post reported that Lau did not give a speech when he was conferred the degree, but simply said: “No worries, I am not going to make a speech, thank you“. However, he did spend some time speaking with reporters after the event.
Photo: China Daily/Asia News Network
Lau joked that he was feeling emotional at the start, but as he didn’t expect his introduction to be that long, he felt compelled to interact with the people in attendance.
As his citation was presented, Lau occasionally smiled and nodded to the audience.
On his award, Lau said it’s not about the title, but whether he can be a role model to others and do his best, no matter the circumstances.
“I didn’t know I’ve done so much!” said Lau.
The 56-year-old joined Hong Kong’s TVB station in 1981, and has starred in more than 60 films. He’s also a prolific singer, holding more than 500 concerts since 1984, with over 48 million albums sold. In 1994, he set up the Andy Lau Charity Foundation to help the needy.
When asked why his wife Carol Chu and five-year-old daughter Hanna were not present at the ceremony, Lau joked that he was afraid “they’ll steal the limelight”. Hanna also has school that day. When asked if there’ll be a celebration, Lau replied: “No, I’ll probably just bring the robe home and take photos with her (Hanna)!”
The actor, known as one of Hong Kong entertainment’s “Heavenly Kings”, said he hopes to do more in the future to preserve part of Hong Kong’s culture, such as Cantonese opera, music, and Hong Kong cinema.
Laughing when a reporter asked if his doctorate will bump up his acting fees, Lau expressed doubt that his newfound status would affect box office takings.
candicec@sph.com.sg
