Sun Wai-Keung

Sun Wai-Keung (Chinese: 辛偉強, stage name: 申偉強) (born April 10, 1971) is a Hong Kong actor. Sun began his professional acting career in 1994 and has since performed over a hundred stage roles.,^{[1]: 1 [2]: 1} nominated 18 times for the Hong Kong Drama Awards (香港舞台劇獎)^[3]: 1 and other theatre awards, and has won five times.^{[3]: 2 [4]: 1} In recent years, he has expanded into screen acting, appearing in Hong Kong ViuTV's original program Be An Acting Star (《選角》) as an Acting Instructor^[5]: 1 and starring in the television series City of Light (《光明大押》).^[6]: 1 He also organizes theatre productions and drama reading performances overseas, nurturing young talents in the performing arts.^[7]: 1

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Sun attended Po Yan Primary School (1977–1983),^[8] then Ho Lap College starting in 1983. The secondary school hosted an annual "Drama Night," where he was bored by the poor acting he witnessed as audience. Determined to make a difference, he joined the school drama club in Form 3.^[9] His acting talent was soon recognized by Mr. Raymond To Kwok-Wai (杜國威), the teacher in charge of drama, who became his formative mentor and enlightener.^{[10][11]: 1} During his secondary school years, Sun won the "Best Actor Award" in consecutive school drama competitions (1986/87 and 1987/88).^[12] Upon graduating, Sun gave up otherwise attractive School of Design at the then Hong Kong Polytechnic, and chose to pursue his passion for the stage by enrolling in the School of Drama at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts,^[13] thereupon embarked on a lifelong profession.

During his studies at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Sun received three performance awards and three scholarships. He was honored with the "Most Promising Actor Award" (1990/91) and the "Outstanding Actor Award" twice (1992/93 and 1993/94). His academic excellence earned him the Artiste Training Alumni Association Scholarship (1990/91), the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation Scholarship (1992/93), and the Standard Chartered Bank Scholarship (1993/94).^[14]

In 1994, he graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with a Postgraduate Diploma in Acting^[15] and joined the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre the same year as a full-time actor. Guided by theatre legends Mr. Chung King-Fai (鍾景輝) and Mr. Fredric Mao Chun-Fai (毛俊輝),^[16]: 1 Sun committed himself fully to the craft^[11]: 2—even performing through injuries in his pursuit of excellence.^[17]: 1 In 1999, he landed his first lead role as young Peer in Norwegian play writer Henrik Ibsen's famous work Peer Gynt, translated as 《培爾•金特》,^[18] marking his rise as one of the troupe's key actors.

After three decades with the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, Sun left to become a freelance actor in 2024. Over the years, he has received 18 theatre nominations and five awards from the Hong Kong Drama Awards (香港舞台劇獎)^[3]: 3 and the Chinese Drama Festivals (華文戲劇節),^[4]: 2 participated in the cross-strait joint performances in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau,^{[19]: 1 [20]: 1 [21]: 1} and other performances abroad.^{[22]: 1 [23]: 1 [24]: 1} Sun's stage repertoire in over a hundred productions spans a wide range of characters^{[22]: 2 [23]: 2 [1]: 2 [2]: 2} — classical and modern, virtuous and villainous, tenacious and cowardly, comedic and tragic.^{[25]: 1 [16]: 2} He is known for infusing characters with rich nuance through his use of dialogue and stagecraft^[26] and for reinterpreting ordinary characters with emotional depth.^[27] His ability to master even the most extreme personalities or emotional shifts in a single take earned praise from Golden Horse Best Actor Mr. Tse Kwan-Ho, who described him as "a veritable stage drama king."^[28]

In addition to acting, Sun also works in voice dubbing, directing, screenwriting, story development, and drama instruction.^{[29]: 1 [1]: 3 [2]: 3}

Alongside his acting career, Sun is deeply committed to theatre education. He has led workshops and training sessions for aspiring actors in both Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.^[30]: 1

Sun met his wife, Ms. Poon Pik-Wan (潘璧雲)^[31] through their shared work in the performing arts. Poon is a dramatist, writer, and certified sound bowl therapist.^[32] They married in 2008, with Sun adding a personal touch to the wedding by creating original comics and love songs.^[33] Since then, they have pursued their artistic and cultural journeys hand-in-hand.^[34]

The couple advocate for animal rights and oppose pet trafficking.^[11]: 3 They have taken part in numerous rescue missions, saving abandoned and endangered cats and dogs^[35]: 1—at one point raising ten cats and ten dogs simultaneously at home, all from the wild.^{[17]: 2 [35]: 2} In recent years, they have adopted a vegetarian lifestyle^[36] in pursuit of health and longevity.^[17]: 3

In 2020, Sun adopted a stage name in Chinese (申偉強) as he embarked on a new phase in career. In 2024, he and his wife organized theatre works and drama reading performances in a UK tour across 3 cities, handholding fledgling actors.^[7]: 2 Back in Hong Kong, he made his television debut in ViuTV's original program Be An Acting Star (《選角》) as acting instructor, and continued into 2025 with the historical TV series City of Light (《光明大押》).^[6]: 2

In September 2025, Sun will return to the stage in Manchester, performing in a new play written by his wife with both as joint directors, as part of the Hong Kong Stories • UK Stages 2025 theatre series.^[37]

Sun's stage repertoire in over a hundred productions spans a wide range of genres and characters.^{[22]: 3 [23]: 3 [1]: 4 [2]: 4}

Sun's stages beyond Hong Kong include cross-strait joint performances in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, other Asia locations and most recently the UK.^{[22]: 4 [23]: 4 [20]: 2 [21]: 2 [19]: 2 [24]: 2 [30]: 2}

Sun plays, organizes or creates Play reading programs as another form of theatre performance.^{[2]: 5 [30]: 3 [38]}

Sun's iconic vocal performances were featured in some classic characters.^[29]: 2

In addition to acting and coaching, Sun also works in various backstage roles.^[2]: 6

Sun is deeply committed to theatre education',^[2]: 7 and will continue to lead workshops and training sessions for aspiring actors in both Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.

Over the years, Sun has received 18 theatre nominations and five awards.^{[3]: 4 [46][4]: 3 [47][48]}

• Sun Wai Keung's Instagram
• Sun Wai Keung's Facebook