Original article published 2/20/2011
Source: Oriental Daily
Translated by: llwy12
Pictures credit as listed
Michael Tao and Margie Tsang enjoy being single
Margie Tsang and Michael Tao are former classmates from TVB’s 12th Acting Class. Earlier, the 2 friends got a chance to ‘reunite’ at fellow classmate Kiki Sheung’s wedding and both discovered that they actually had a lot to talk about.
Michael sat down with Margie recently to talk about various aspects of his life and career as well as reminisce about the old days’.
M = Margie Tsang
T = Michael Tao
M: I really like calling your name….大宇[Michael]! I’m curious to know if you felt that you were ‘handsome’ back when we were in Acting Class? Both Sandra [Ng] and I loved to partner up with you to rehearse scenes.
T: Really? I remember I was paired up with Carina [Lau] the most! As for the ‘handsome’ part…I felt that I was better looking back then – now, definitely not! Back then, everyone was handsome and pretty – hey, you’re a pretty girl too!
M: So….honest? Haha! Now you have a more mature feel about you – back then, you were too young and immature. I actually think that how you are right now is much better! (Displays a ‘satisfied’ look)
T: You looked better back then (hinting that Margie is not pretty now)…hahaha! Just kidding! You have ‘better taste’ now because of your maturity and experiences. This is especially important for actors / actresses – the more we experience, the more mature we become and the better our ‘taste’ is, which helps the acting. At Kiki’s wedding, I saw Sean [Lau] and the 2 of us would talk about our youth (‘When you were a young lad, you were this way…..’) – when I saw Carina [Lau], the images from our youth ran through my mind and we would also talk about what we were like back then….
M: How about me? In your mind, what kind of person was I like back then?
T: The teacher used the character for ‘snake’ to describe you! It was because when you walk, you always make the ‘ssst, ssst, ssst’ sound – it was very cute! Plus you were so ‘little girl’ during that time.
M: What do you mean [‘little girl’]? Immature? Better be careful what you say!
T: No, not immature…hmm, how can I say it? Definitely need to be careful what I say…sort of like that ‘young lady’ feel – basically the type we don’t dare to cross….
.—
M: So how was your career path after graduating from Acting Class? You’ve actually filmed quite a few ‘classic’ series…
T: At first I was walking around with my head in the clouds, didn’t really know what I was doing. My first series was "United We Stand" [TN: 1985 series with Michael Miu and Barbara Yung]– at least I had a recurring part…but my performance was only so-so – at that time, I was young and didn’t take things seriously, so when given a precious opportunity, didn’t know how to treasure it. Afterwards, I realized the mistakes I made during that time, as I didn’t have very many good performances for the next 8 to 10 years – everything was a mess and my career was pretty much stagnant.
M: Did you try going up to the production department offices and proactively seek out an opportunity?
T: Though I regretted my behavior at that time, I wasn’t the type to go seek out the producer to ask for an opportunity (due to my personality), so I continued to wait and at the same time reflect on my behavior. It wasn’t until I met my mentor Gary Tang [TN: former TVB producer now at ATV] and got the chance to participated in all 5 installments of his "Files of Justice" series, then after that was the "Detective Investigation Files" trilogy with producer Poon Ka Tak…I guess you could say that there was finally a turning point to my career. Unfortunately, later on, I was ‘disobedient’ and tried to negotiate higher pay with the company, thinking that I could follow in the footsteps of some of my seniors, but that backfired, so I ended up leaving…haha….
M: That’s how fate works! But then it’s because you encountered those situations that you learned to cherish things more later on!
T: Personality definitely changes fate! After I left TVB, I signed with [director/producer] Wong Jing, which resulted in the opportunity to film "Flaming Brothers" -- the series had good ratings and word of mouth back in the day. After that, I got the chance to work with Carina Lau on the series "Showbiz Tycoon", a happy collaboration that lasted 9 months – even though the 2 of us graduated from the same acting class in the 80s, that was actually the first time that we filmed together.
M: Looking back through Acting Class history, all of us [from that year] had pretty good achievements.
T: Looking back, I participated in quite a few ‘classics’ that audiences deeply remember, such as "Files of Justice", "Detective Investigation Files", "Flaming Brothers"….not too bad, since it wasn’t just 1 series, but several.
M: If you were to pick the series that you felt was the most ‘classic’?
T: "Detective Investigation Files"!! We had filmed several installments and at that time, it was very hard work.
M: That series also earned you the nickname ‘housewife killer’....in fact, my mom was also a big fan of yours! Hahaha….
.—
M: What is your opinion of today’s newer generation? In the past, us females did not have as many avenues for entering the industry, but nowadays, there are singing competitions such as <
T: So I guess you gals are ‘red envelopes’! Not ‘lang mos’, but ‘lo mos’! [TN: play on words – Michael is joking that Margie is a ‘lo mo’ or ‘old model’ rather than a ‘lang mo’ or ‘young model’]
M: What ‘lo mo’?
T: Haha! So that’s why I said ‘red envelope’…it’s more polite! Hahaha…
M: Out of all the ‘lang mos’, I like Angelababy.
T: Those type already are not my ‘cup of tea’, as I will be turning 50 years old soon.
M: Really? I couldn’t tell…I thought you were already past 50…hahaha! Though you are turning 50, still tell me a little about your love life.
T: Leave it up to fate….as long as there’s happiness!
M: I agree with you on that, because I’m also single, so I leave things up to fate as well. I don’t feel lonely at all – in fact, I enjoy too much the freedom that being single brings. To tell you the truth, I’m constantly wondering whether it’s necessary for people to get married? I like having my own ‘single’ world. Some of my friends worry about me and so constantly ask me to dinner or drinks because they are afraid I may be bored! But in reality, I love staying at home and doing things that I enjoy….don’t even bother me..I’m perfectly fine all by myself!
T: I agree with what you said about being single. I would thank my friends for being concerned about me, but when it comes to fate, it’s hard to say what may happen. If a relationship comes, then great, but if it doesn’t, that’s fine too – someone who is single can also enjoy the happiness that comes with freedom!
M: Any hopes for the new year? I know you’re very filial to your mother – even back in the Acting Class days, you were known for being a good son.
T: My hope now is for my mom to have good health, as she is at the age where older people illnesses will start showing up. The failure of my marriage actually gave me more time to be with my mom – these past few years, I’ve been able to have dim sum with her consistently. In the past, I would only have time to see her once every 3 months…I hope to make up for all the time that was lost.
.—
Both Margie and Michael feel that back when they were in Acting Class, there was definitely a lot of things to be learned. They also share memories of the interesting teachers they had during that time. Margie recalls the fear and respect she had for kung fu instructor Lee Kar Ting [TN: actor Gregory Lee’s father and an actor himself] and joked with Michael that luckily, Master Ting was not an instructor of the regular classes otherwise everyone would be bruised.
Laughing, she also mentions a teacher whom she no longer remembers the name, but recalls that he is very short – Michael immediately interjects and says: “Yes, that teacher was cross-eyed! When he taught martial arts, we were scared whenever he stuck his fists out because we thought he would accidently hit the wrong person. I remember one time, a student standing next to me actually asked the teacher who he was looking at and make sure he is striking at the right person.” To illustrate his point, Michael pretended to imitate the cross-eyed teacher doing martial arts, which made Margie laugh incessantly!
T: Back in those days, whenever our instructors taught, they loved to use Chow Yun Fat and Dodo Cheng as examples – in that era, the 2 of them were the most popular.
M: I remember that we were separated into day and night classes – altogether, there were approximately 40 people, but in the end, only 9 males and 9 females signed with the company.
T: That’s why our group was nicknamed ‘Gou Nam Nu’! [TN: literally translated as ‘Nine Males / Females’ – this phrase is another play on words]
M: Out of the females in the class, who did you feel would succeed the most?
T: Carina!
M: Wah, you seem to have an affinity toward Carina? It seems that you like Carina more than us – so Sandra and I don’t mean anything to you?
T: Haha! Well, maybe it’s a false sense on my part…because back in those days, the dance instructor loved asking Carina to demonstrate certain moves for the class and it seemed that she was involved in everything, so that’s why she would always come to mind first.
M: Actually, who in the class did you think would make it?
T: That I don’t know, but I did anticipate that I would be one of the ones signing with the company in the end because my test scores were pretty good and I had confidence in myself!
.***.
Chinese Version:
陶大宇曾華倩享受獨身樂
曾華倩和陶大宇是無綫同期訓練班同學，早前在商天娥的婚宴上重遇，展開講不完的話題，當中華倩滔滔不絕的「獨身論」大宇全程和應，而大宇面對老同學，坦承當年演藝生涯由「瀨嘢」到後悔，幸最後都遇上伯樂，成就多套經典劇集，不致枉費青春！
「小蛇女」
曾：曾華倩 陶：陶大宇
曾：好鍾意叫你個名……大宇！其實你覺得喺訓練班時自己靚唔靚仔？我同君如都鍾意mark你排戲。
陶：係咩？我記得我拍劉嘉玲多，至於個樣……我覺得自己嗰時靚仔啲，依家就唔得，嗰時個個都靚啦，你都靚女架！
曾：咁……老實？依家你係帶點成熟味道，以前又嫩口得滯！咁我覺得依家好啲！（擺出滿意樣）
回到o靚妹時
陶：你嗰時好啲（即係話依家唔靚），哈哈，講笑啫，依家係有味道！因為人大咗，尤其是做演員，要經歷過先有味道，娥姐結婚擺酒，見到青雲，大家又會講：「你o靚仔時係咁架……」見到嘉玲，即刻彈晒以前啲畫面出嚟，又話佢：「你o靚妹嗰時係咁……」
曾：咁我呢，喺你心目中又係點？
陶：導師係用蛇嚟形容你！你行路「雪雪雪……」好得意！你又o靚妹呢。
曾：即係點？幼稚？你小心啲講喎！
陶：又唔係幼稚，點講呢？真係要好小心講，有少少千金小姐feel，總之係唔好得罪嗰隻……
「瀨嘢年代」
曾：訓練班出嚟發展又點呢？你都拍過唔少經典劇？
陶：起初渾渾噩噩都唔知自己做乜架，第一套拍《生銹橋王》，叫做有個角色，但我表現麻麻，當年細路仔唔專心，有機會又唔珍惜，後來先知道「瀨嘢」，之後十年八年都冇表現，出嚟嘅嘢一塌胡塗，事業停滯不前。
曾：上製作部行個圈博個機會都好吖？
扭計扭出禍
陶：雖然我好後悔，但礙於性格問題，我又唔會搵監製傾博出路，所以咪一路等一路反省，直至我遇到「伯樂」鄧特希，拍咗佢一連五輯《壹號皇庭》，之後又拍咗幾輯《刑事偵緝檔案》，事業叫做有啲轉機，但我又扭計加人工，學啲師兄跳「草裙舞」，卒之外闖，點知又「瀨嘢」，哈哈……
曾：命運就係咁，你又咁樣諗，不過，可能要你遇過呢種情況，先會更加珍惜之後嘅嘢！
陶：性格改變命運啦，出咗去我簽咗王晶，又畀我拍咗套《縱橫四海》，當年喺亞視播都叫好叫座，又有機會同嘉玲合作拍咗套《影城大亨》，大家足足對咗九個月，都好開心，因為我哋自訓練班出嚟後，當年先係第一次合作。
「經典‧老模」
曾：睇番訓練班歷史，我哋個個都有番咁上下成績。
陶：睇番轉頭我都拍咗好多深入民心嘅經典劇，好似《壹號皇庭》、《刑事偵緝檔案》同《縱橫四海》，真係好難得，因為唔係一部，係幾部，都算係咁。
曾：如果畀你揀邊套劇你覺得最經典？
陶：《刑事》啦！一連拍咗幾輯，當年真係好辛苦。
曾：部劇仲為你贏得「師奶殺手」稱號，我阿媽當年鍾意到你嘔呀！哈哈……
曾：你點睇時下嘅新人？以前我哋女仔出嚟嘅渠道唔多，依家就話有《超級巨聲》、選美呀、o靚模呀咁。
陶：咁你哋咪變咗封「利是」！（俗稱利是為老毛）老模（毛）呀！
曾：咩嘢老模呀！
陶：哈哈……所以我咪話「利是」算囉！哈哈……
曾：o靚模中我幾鍾意Angelababy。
陶：呢啲已經唔係我杯茶嘞，我都就嚟五十歲。
「同聲又同氣」
曾：又睇唔出喎，我以為你一早五十（歲）咗，哈哈……雖然五十（歲）啫，你係咁意都講吓你嘅感情狀況。
陶：隨緣啦……開心咪得囉！
曾：呢樣嘢我又好信你講喎，因為我都係單身，我真係好隨緣啦，我一啲都唔覺lonely，太享受自己呢刻嘅自由，太鍾意呢個階段。其實，我成日諗，人一定要結婚嘅咩？依家我好鍾意自我天地，有啲朋友都曾經擔心我，成日約我出去飲嘢、食飯，怕我悶喎！我不知幾鍾意將自己關喺屋企，做想做嘅嘢，唔好煩我添呀，講真，我一個人都得架，自由度大嘛。
要孝順媽媽
陶：我都好贊同，但又咁講，朋友問候，當然多謝關心啦，有時緣分嚟冇得講，老土講句，有當然恭喜，冇咪冇囉，一個人都可以享受自由嘅樂趣！
曾：新一年你有咩願望？我都知你好孝順阿媽，以前訓練班你出名孝順。
陶：依家我嘅願望，係想媽媽身體健康啦，老人家啲病開始嚟，今次婚姻失敗，反而多咗時間陪阿媽，呢幾年我定時會搵阿媽飲茶，以前？三個月先見一次，以前忽略咗，希望依家補番。
扮鬥雞眼阿Sir
華倩和大宇同認為當年訓練班很多嘢學，又齊齊取笑教功夫的「鬥雞眼」阿Sir。華倩對教功夫的李家鼎又敬又畏，笑指幸好不是鼎爺做導師，否則個個癱晒！她更邊忍笑邊提及一位忘了名字、矮矮哋的阿Sir，大宇即說：「哦，嗰個阿Sir鬥雞眼嘅，佢打功夫時，出拳我哋都驚佢打錯隔籬，阿Sir有時出直拳，企隔籬嘅同學就問：『你會唔會打咗落我度o架？你係望我定望佢架？』」大宇更鬼馬的即席扮鬥雞眼Sir出拳，笑到華倩腰都彎。
「九男女」
陶：當年阿sir日日教戲都係攞發哥、嘟姐（周潤發、鄭裕玲）做教材，嗰個年代最紅佢兩個，我哋好似洗晒腦。
曾：嗰時我哋分日班、夜班，全部夾埋都有四十人，但最後簽咗九男九女。
陶：所以我哋咪俗稱「九男女」囉！
曾：女仔你覺邊個最得？
陶：嘉玲啦！
曾：嘩，你好似情有獨鍾佢喎？你特別鍾意嘉玲，都唔放我哋在眼內，當君如冇到？（醋意大發）
陶：我係有個假象啫，因為嗰時教跳舞嘅老師張亨利，佢一定叫嘉玲出嚟示範，乜都有佢架，咪覺得佢得囉。
曾：其實你覺得當時邊個會彈出？
陶：邊個彈就唔知，但我估自己會簽到，因為自己考試成績都幾好，對自己有信心！
攝影：沈建程
場地：the mira HONGKONG
文：影視組
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