One breakout "Laughing Gor" role has propelled Michael Tse to instant stardom.

The 45-year-old Michael has been struggling to make a name for himself since he first debuted as a member of the boy band, Wind Fire Sea, in 1992.

Although he has achieved mild fame in films - all due to the success of 1996's Young and Dangerous - Michael's career stayed low on the radar for the next several years after Wind Fire Sea's disbandment in the 1990s.

Although Michael peaked again after starring in 2002's award-winning sitcom, Virtues of Harmony, Michael did not truly become a true money-making machine until after 2009's E.U., in which he portrayed the undercover cop, Laughing Gor.

Although Michael is currently busy with promoting Sergeant Tabloid and the filming of Sniper Standoff, the singer-actor still managed to find time to travel to mainland China to perform in bars.

According to East Week, Michael earns approximately 150,000 RMB (S$30,000) per stage performance, which would last no more than 20 minutes at a time. Last month, Michael performed on ten stages, earning 1.5 million RMB (S$300,000) in total.

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