Actress Myolie Wu says working at TVB was like training at Shaolin Temple

The heaviest workload she experienced was working 20 hours a day and barely getting any time left to sleep. Photo: Myolie Wu/Instagram

Myolie Wu is undoubtedly one of the most recognisable TVB actresses of the 2000s. But Wu revealed there was a lot of blood, sweat and tears that went into carving an illustrious career.

The 40-year-old is currently taking part in the Mainland China reality series Everybody Stand By, where established actors including Vicki Zhao compete to be named "Best Actor" by famed directors through a series of tasks.

Prior to the competition, Wu gave an interview, summarising her showbiz journey so far.

Wu, who won third place at Miss Hong Kong 1999, said she entered showbiz as a way to lighten her family's financial burden.

"My father had just retired. I was the youngest in the family and I didn't want to depend on my family members for money."

After the pageant, Wu was signed to TVB for 16 years, where she often played the "happy-go-lucky, younger sister roles". She left in 2015.

"There was no choice. Whatever role the company wanted me to play, I played. Even towards the end, it was like this. But that's how it is for everyone."

She added the heaviest workload she experienced was working 20 hours a day and barely getting any time left to sleep.

Still, Wu is grateful for the experience she had:

"At the same time, having this experience was a good thing. I feel like my time there was like being trained at Shaolin Temple. When you get out, you're not afraid of anything."