Hong Kong star Lawrence Ng sells image rights for AI film, gets paid without having to act
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Actor Lawrence Ng revealed that artificial intelligence was used to digitally recreate his appearance as a 20-year-old for an upcoming movie.
PHOTO: LAWRENCE NG/WEIBO
Hong Kong actor Lawrence Ng has licensed the rights to his younger likeness to a production company.
At a recent promotional event for his new drama Deadly Sins, the 62-year-old revealed that artificial intelligence was used to digitally recreate his appearance as a 20-year-old for an upcoming movie.
“They used what I looked like at 20 to make a movie. I didn’t have to film anything,” he said, adding that he was very satisfied with the final result.
Ng said the project not only allowed him to experience being a leading man again, but also came with a handsome payout.
On whether AI is a threat to actors, the former TVB star responded in the negative, believing the technology could create new opportunities in the film industry.
“In the future, I can sit down without filming anything and still get the job done. Even if I break my legs, I won’t have to worry,” he said.
Ng made it clear that he has no concerns about his likeness being misused by the production company, as the agreement is supported by a comprehensive contract.
He made his showbiz debut in 1983 and is best known for his role in the TVB series Healing Hands (1998 to 2005).
Ng has also starred in shows such as A Taste Of Love (2001), At Home With Love (2006) and The Hippocratic Crush II (2013), among many others. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK