In 1958, The Union Film Enterprise Limited held open auditions for new actors, picking 28 finalists from over 700 young candidates for a three month intensive training that ended with two being signed as contract actors. The breakout among them is a young man named Peter Cheung, or the actor that we would come to know as To Ping.

Recognising Cheung's pragmatic and humble nature, renowned actor Ng Cho-fan – also a shareholder of The Union – took him in as a disciple and granted him the name ‘To Ping' (meaning ‘flat road' in Chinese), hoping that he would have a stable path throughout his acting career. As his mentor had hoped, To's career was indeed a smooth one; he remained prolific throughout the years, playing a wide range of roles that left a long-lasting impression on viewers. It's no surprise that To was among the first actors (along with Lydia Sum and Leung Sing-po) to be recruited by producer Robert Chua for variety show Enjoy Yourself Tonight when TVB was formed in 1967. To truly became a name bringing joy into Hong Kong households then.

Over his long career, To Ping has acted in a wide range of films that includes melodrama, martial arts, youth musical, erotic and even Shaw Brothers' social satire, playing both good guys and baddies. Over seventy films To had made, three of which took his well-known television nickname ‘Marvellous Ping', proving that his television persona was truly a household name.

This programme features nine of To's films. In April, we will screen his earliest films for The Union, followed by a showcase of his later works in May. To will also travel from Australia to meet audiences at the programme's opening film Road as well as sharing his experiences at the seminar on 8 April. We extend our sincere thanks to him for taking the time to join us.

Morning Matinee series is guest-curated by Yuen Tsz-ying

Tam Bing-man: Dubbed "The Prince of Broadcasting", Tam has worked as a performer for over six decades and continues to work actively as a dubbing artist. Tam began as an announcer on Rediffusion Radio at the age of 18 and became a radio star with The Modification of a Country Girl, which was later adapted into a hit film. Since then, Tam has acted in over 80 films – including hits The Country Bumpkin and Enjoy Longevity-300 Years – and recorded 30 albums. To this day, Tam remains one of the most recognisable character actors in Hong Kong thanks to his prolific acting career on film and television.