In recent years, former TVB leading actress Monica Mok, who has been in a semi-retirement state along with Gallen Lo, recently appeared as a guest on veteran media figure Jin Cheng’s YouTube show “Uncle’s Love”. She revealed that the decision to leave TVB and slow down her pace of life was prompted by a wake-up call from a fellow actor, Louis Koo, who asked her about the meaning of “buffet” during a casual conversation.
During her time at TVB, Monica Mok starred in classic series such as “Healing Hands II”, “Forensic Heroes”, and “Heart of Greed”, enjoying great success in her career. However, the relentless and high-intensity filming schedule at TVB left her feeling exhausted. As a result, she would occasionally turn down work opportunities.
During a break on set, Monica Mok chatted with other actors and suggested going for a buffet meal after work. Louis Koo, who was sitting nearby, sincerely asked her, “What is a buffet?” This moment greatly shocked Monica Mok.
Louis Koo explained that he had been filming continuously at TVB for two years, living a life where he was either at one studio or another every day, leading him to be completely unaware of what was happening outside, including popular dining cultures like “buffet”. This made Monica Mok realize that she did not want to become this kind of person.
The conversation with Louis Koo made Monica Mok aware that life should not solely revolve around work. Prolonged exposure to high-intensity work and becoming disconnected from society can cause actors to lose their grounding in real-life experiences when portraying roles. Therefore, she decided to stick to her principle of working for nine months and resting for three months each year, even turning down many opportunities, willing to be misunderstood by some producers as “not cherishing opportunities”.
This “awakening” experience led Monica Mok to gradually fade out of the television industry, reduce her workload, and choose to reside in Japan with her actor husband, Gallen Lo, to find and enjoy their own rhythm of life.
After many years away from the spotlight, Monica Mok recently returned to Hong Kong to attend a film event. She appeared noticeably fuller in figure, garnering the attention of everyone present. This marked her comeback after 26 years, co-starring with Chapman To in a new film.
Monica Mok and Chapman To’s last collaboration dates back to the 2000 film “La Brassiere”. The on-screen chemistry between “Chapman” and “Georgie” in that film is still revisited by many fans today. In their new movie, the two will play a married couple, triggering audience nostalgia.
Monica Mok and Gallen Lo are known in the Hong Kong entertainment industry as a “Buddhist-style couple” who prioritize enjoying life, spending time together, and exploring personal interests over chasing fame and high-intensity work.
Just like how Louis Koo’s question woke Monica Mok up, both she and Gallen Lo strongly resist losing their lives for the sake of making money. During his peak, Gallen Lo would often take long breaks after filming a movie, enjoying activities like gaming, diving, and traveling, earning him the title of “the biggest lover of fun” by the Hong Kong media. After marriage, they significantly reduced their workload, only making appearances on scripts or projects that genuinely interested them, never blindly adopting a continuous cycle of work.
Reports indicate that due to their mutual love for Japan’s natural environment and lifestyle pace, the couple has chosen to settle in Fukuoka in recent years. With Gallen Lo’s support, Monica Mok has established a real estate and relocation consultancy company there, fully integrating her interests and life into the local community.
During their time in Japan, Gallen Lo and Monica Mok live like an ordinary couple, often spotted by netizens buying groceries, taking walks in parks, cycling quietly, embracing the most comfortable and down-to-earth lifestyle. Their long-lasting high-quality marriage is largely attributed to their shared love for recreational activities, such as badminton, diving, skiing, and playing video games. Gallen Lo once revealed that Monica Mok is even more playful than him, their like-mindedness making their non-working life equally fulfilling.