Chow Yun Fat is Andy Lau's idol

He plays a gambler in From Vegas To Macau III, but in reality, Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau says he is only a master at looking good when flipping tiles and cards for show.

"I don't gamble at all," the 54-year-old actor and singer told the media at the movie's gala premiere held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Sunday.

"I only know how to play mahjong, because if I give my dad money, he's not so happy, but when I lose to him playing mahjong, he's happy.

"I have no interest in gambling," said Lau. "If you win a few million, you probably may not have any emotion, but losing just a few thousand dollars, you would be, like, 'Wah! How did this happen?'

"I'm great when it comes to the actions and gestures in gambling, but if it's real gambling, I'm not good.

"I don't detest it, but I think one shouldn't gamble too much."

In the sequel to the hit film series, Lau's character Michael Chan, who goes by the alias "Little Knife", is a gambler who tries to protect his friend Ken, the God of Gamblers (Chow Yun Fat), from assassination.

Little Knife first appeared in the 1989 classic God Of Gamblers, which also starred Lau in the role alongside Chow, who played the original God of Gamblers, Ko Chun.

Lau said he would have loved to be reunited with veteran actor Chow, 60, on screen as casino buddies earlier, but their busy schedules did not permit a reunion till now.

He praised Chow for his positive outlook on life - "Nothing can faze him" - and his fitness.

"He is looking better and better," said Lau, who looked sharp himself in rolled up jeans and a black blazer. "Now he should fatten up. He's making the rest of us look bad."

Aside from age, not much has changed between the pair and their characters, he added.

TRUTH AND FICTION

"Both the God of Gamblers and Little Knife have grown older, but what didn't change was that Little Knife still idolises the God of Gamblers, and in real life, brother Fat (Chow) is also my idol, so there's actually no difference there."

As for who should win Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards, which will take place on April 3, Lau, who last won the award in 2012 for A Simple Life, said he does not dwell on such things.

This year, he has been nominated for Lost And Love and has watched all his fellow nominees' - Nick Cheung (Keeper Of Darkness), Tony Leung Ka Fai (The Taking Of Tiger Mountain), Jacky Cheung (Heaven In The Dark) and Aaron Kwok (Port Of Call) - performances, saying he thought they were all good.

"I do not bother about awards, do you think I would want to get rid of them (the other nominees)?" he said jokingly.

hpeishan@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on February 02, 2016.
Get The New Paper for more stories.