HK Heartthrob Jeffrey Ngai Really Doesn’t Like Talking About How Handsome He Is

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It’s not every day you see a celebrity practically bounce into a room for an interview, but Jeffrey Ngai clearly enjoys defying expectations.

If there’s an actor who embodies what the internet calls “golden retriever energy”, the 27-year-old Hong Kong star would absolutely top the list.

When 8days.sg arrived at a hotel suite in Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay earlier this month, the scene was almost comically solemn.

The living area was quiet — save for a few crew members standing around — and had the air of a high-level security briefing, as if we were moments away from meeting a president.

Then, without warning, a bubbly, almost childlike ball of sunshine burst out from the bedroom and zipped over to the couch in front of us, fully ready to begin the interview.

“Oh, not yet, we’re still setting up,” we told him.

Without missing a beat, Jeffrey sprang back up and cheerfully trotted off to the dining area, grabbing a quick refreshment amid what had already been a long day of back-to-back interviews.

In the new thriller Road To Vendetta, Jeffrey plays a poker-faced Hong Kong assassin known only as “Number 4”. Orphaned young and raised in a noodle shop, he’s later sent to Japan to eliminate a yakuza boss — only to be ambushed by his own client, a Japanese girl seeking revenge.

Jeffrey’s easygoing, sunshine-filled demeanour makes it almost impossible to imagine him succeeding as a serial killer, even if he tried. He’s so gentle and affable that it even showed in his brief indecision over which language to use for the interview.

“If I speak Cantonese, can you understand? How come you can understand?” he asked, eyes wide with the most endearing, childlike curiosity, after we offered him the choice between Mandarin and Cantonese.

Fun fact, Jeffrey: plenty of people in Singapore speak Cantonese too — a revelation we were more than happy to share.

As we continued setting up, we discovered yet another adorable quirk about Jeffrey, who is easily one of the most handsome faces among Hong Kong’s new generation of actors.

The actor, who’s often said to resemble Edison Chen, doesn’t seem the type to dwell on his looks.

While he cheerfully admitted that he prefers being filmed from his left profile, any attempt to accommodate that was immediately waved off.

He also hurriedly protested with a flurry of “no, no, no” gestures when we assured him that he “looks good from any angle”.

And one more thing: you can be absolutely certain Jeffrey always has fresh breath — he sprays his mouth every time there’s a pause between conversations.

Honestly? Just how thoughtful is that?

Road To Vendetta marks one of Jeffrey’s first forays into action films, but don’t be fooled, the actor, who boxed when he was younger, handled most of his own stunts like a seasoned pro.

And surprisingly, he “did not think too much” about getting roughed up during fight scenes.

“If you’re afraid of hitting others or getting beaten up, it would be very obvious on camera,” he said with a shrug.

The hardest part of playing a serial killer, Jeffrey admitted, wasn’t the action at all — it was suppressing his natural kindness and conscience.

“A killer carries out missions with zero humanity. But as a normal human being, you’d feel compassion. That’s what makes it really hard.”

After all, Jeffrey readily describes himself as someone who’s “quite soft-hearted.”

“I’m a very ‘go with the flow’ kind of person, so if something happens, I’ll just accept it,” he said, adding that he’s not the type to hold grudges.

So did he need heavy make-up — maybe a scar or two — to look more ruthless?

Not at all. Jeffrey’s innocent, boyish charm actually worked in his favour.

“If you really want to kill someone, people shouldn’t be able to tell. If a killer can be spotted, then he’s not very professional. You need to look calm,” he chuckled, flashing that trademark mischievous smile.

To maintain that cover, Jeffrey also worked in a noodle shop in Road To Vendetta.

Can you imagine walking into an eatery and seeing a waiter who looks like him? You can practically picture the queues forming just for a glimpse.

But you already know Jeffrey’s reaction to such a comment. “No lah,” he laughed nervously. “Just… no lah, aiyoh.”

Speaking of scars, Jeffrey suffered a serious neck injury back in May 2025, shocking fans when he posted a photo of a large cut just below his jaw on Instagram.

He recalled that the accident happened during a wake-surfing scene for another project. After falling into the water, the rope he was holding suddenly twisted around his neck while the boat continued moving forward.

Fortunately, he freed himself in time, though his mind went “completely blank” during the ordeal.

“It all happened in a split second, but it was terrifying. You don’t even know if you’re still alive or if you’re gone,” he said, his tone turning serious as he relived the frightening moment.

“I was just staring at the sky, touching my neck to check if I still had a pulse, if my body was still warm… Okay, I’m alive. That’s good.”

The thought of being disfigured didn’t even cross his mind in that life-or-death instant.

“All you think about is whether you’re still breathing. You don’t worry about those things,” he said, pointing to his neck to show where the scar runs — though it was concealed by make-up during filming.

And did he think the scar added to his manliness?

“Let’s not talk about this,” he chuckled, gently batting away yet another chance for compliments.

Surprisingly — and thankfully — the incident didn’t traumatise him or affect how he approaches future roles.

“I think if there are safety precautions, it’s fine. But if an accident is meant to happen, it can’t really be prevented.”