Ling Man-lung

Ling was born on 1986 or 1987.^[1] He grew up in public housing estates and originally intended to learn dancing in secondary school.^[2][3] However, after participating in a drama performance at school, he became interested in acting.^[3] He attended the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2008.^[4] After graduation, he joined the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre and worked as a full-time actor.^[3] He received a nomination for Best Actor with his performance in the play The Sin Family in the 25th Hong Kong Drama Awards.^[5] However, due to the instability of income, Ling later turned to freelance and worked as a waiter and dishwasher in a cha chaan teng to cover his expenses.^[2] He also taught performing arts in theatrical companies at the recommendation of director Chan Suk-yi [zh].^[3]

In 2018, Ling received his onscreen debut role in the featured film Tomorrow Is Another Day.^[6] He played the autistic and mentally-handicapped son of Teresa Mo's character and his performance received widespread acclaim.^[5] He won Best New Performer and received a nomination for Best Actor in the 37th Hong Kong Film Awards.^[7] In 2019, Ling performed in the stage play The Beauty Queen of Leenane alongside Deanie Ip, Poon Chan Leung [zh] and Louisa So, and received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in the 29th Hong Kong Drama Awards.^[8][9] From 2019 to 2020, he also featured in the crime thriller films A Witness Out of the Blue, Missing [zh] and Shock Wave 2.^[10][11][12]

Ling landed his first major television role in the 2021 ViuTV comedy series In Geek We Trust [zh].^[13] His performance garnered him public renown,^[14] and he received a nomination for Rising Star of the Year in the 4th Asia Contents Awards.^[15] In 2023, Ling co-led the horror film One Night At School [zh] with MC and Eric Kot.^[16]