Profile | Who is Leon Lai, one of the ‘Four Heavenly Kings of Cantopop’? Actor, singer, father and one of the most well-liked celebrities in Hong Kong
- Leon Lai Ming, one of the most popular celebrities in Hong Kong, has gone from phone salesman to actor, singer, film producer and record label founder
- Lai, who has recorded over 50 albums and appeared in over 50 films, is tight-lipped about his private life. His marriage over, he became a father in 2018
Leon Lai Ming is one of Hong Kong’s best loved entertainers. He is known as one of the “Four Heavenly Kings of Cantopop” alongside Andy Lau Tak-wah, Jacky Cheung Hok-yau and Aaron Kwok Fu-shing.
Born in Beijing in 1966, Lai moved to Hong Kong with his family when he was five years old. His parents divorced when he was young, and he was raised mostly by his father before he moved to the United Kingdom for boarding school.
After graduating from secondary school, Lai returned to Hong Kong and spent time working as a mobile phone salesman before he was convinced by friends and family to participate in broadcaster TVB’s annual singing contest, the New Talent Singing Awards, in 1986.
Then 20 years old, Lai was awarded second runner-up in the competition. Shortly afterwards, he signed a two-year recording contract, but only managed to release his first album, Leon, four years later after switching to the music label PolyGram – which was later folded into Universal Music.
