Memories of HK Entertainment’s Golden Age: “TV Screen Idols” Magazine (螢幕偶像) – POST #2

As promised in an earlier post, I will be sharing various articles from my collection of “TV Screen Idols” magazine (the now-defunct publication that used to be extremely popular back in the 80s and 90s). With the variety of articles in the magazines, it is indeed difficult deciding which ones to share. Whenever I can, I’ll try to translate entire articles, but when that’s not possible due to time constraints (since many of the articles are very long), then I’ll probably just do a summary (sort of like what I do for the book reviews).

Anyway, here’s the first article that I’ll be posting related to the magazine – I decided to translate this one in its entirety because it consists of the artist’s own words.

The below article is part of a Special Feature that was in one of the “Golden Chinese New Year” editions of the magazine. It was published back on February 3rd, 1986 (over 25 years ago). In that particular section of the magazine, the editors had a few of the entertainment industry’s most popular artists (in music, movies, and television) share their thoughts on whatever they wanted with readers – each of the artists wrote up something and submitted it to the editors to publish as a “In the Artists’ Own Words” feature in this special issue.

The artists chosen for this segment wrote about various topics and in different styles – some artists chose to write a thank you letter to fans (Anita Mui), others chose to recap various milestones in their careers (Leslie Cheung and David Lui Fong), while others took the opportunity to clarify rumors that had been circulating (Andy Lau) or decided to write about topics close to their hearts (Sheren Tang, Margie Tsang, Chow Yun Fat). I would have to say that the most ‘creative’ of the writings by far was Alex Man’s – it reminded me of one of those poems written by those ancient scholars (obviously it was a bit difficult to understand upon first read…LOL).

For this post, I decided to translate Margie Tsang’s (曾華倩) ‘Words from the Heart’.

Here are my thoughts regarding the article:

.—Keep in mind that the below was written by Margie back in 1986 when she was in her early 20s (and not long after she entered the TV industry). Around that time period, she had already filmed about 5 TV series and a couple movies.

.—1986 was the year that Margie broke up with her famous ex Tony Leung for the second time, after having reunited with him for less than a year (though some sources state that they had already broken up in late 1985). Whatever the case, I can’t help but wonder whether Margie’s relationship with Tony somehow played a role in Margie thinking the way she did back then.

.—Interestingly enough, Margie became a ‘housewife’ herself when she married businessman Lam Siu Kei in 1996 and gave birth to a son in 1999. Unfortunately though, Margie and her husband divorced in 2002 due to ‘incompatible personalities’. Since then, there have not been any confirmed reports of a new romance.

.—The below was written 25 years ago…now that Margie has gone through some of the experiences that she described in the article, I wonder if she would still think the same way today? We may never know, but it’s definitely interesting ‘food for thought’….


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“Envious of Young Housewives”

Written by: Margie Tsang

Article originally published on February 3, 1986 in “HK TV Screen Idols” Magazine – Year of the Tiger Golden Edition (金裝螢幕偶像)

Translated by: llwy12

I once heard someone assess me in the following way: too cold and uncommunicative.

Perhaps so. But, there are also times when I feel like being chatty, enthusiastic, and wild.

I constantly feel that my personality is a bit contradictory: one moment I’m this way and another moment I’m that way. Sometimes, I feel like doing certain things, but then afterwards, I get fed up with it – even when I set my mind to it and feel determined to do it, that determination usually does not last long.

This personality of mine has caused me much unhappiness.

I envy those young housewives whose simple, main focus every day is in maintaining their family and toiling for their husbands and children. After dropping their children off at school in the mornings, they [the housewives] go and buy groceries, then after returning home, begin a day full of household chores – clean here, sweep there, and in no time, the house is spotless. When the children return home from school, they keep watch and make sure the children’s homework is done, also giving advice when questions come up. In the evening, they start to cook in the kitchen, preparing a delicious feast for the entire family to enjoy.

I also envy those women who are able to maintain an ordinary life, working an ordinary job. Every day, they start work at a certain time, have a consistent lunch schedule, and after returning home from work, they can go out and watch a movie with their boyfriends. Even though this would be their routine day in and day out, they are very happy with it and very satisfied with life.

How I wish I could be a person who is willing to be ordinary, not wishing for things and not fantasizing. Too much fantasizing, too many beautiful dreams cause sadness when these dreams can’t be fulfilled and I must face reality.

Of course, there are all different types of people in the world; some are more suitable to do this job while others may be better suited for that job – as long as each person does their best and does their part well. Perhaps I’m just too indecisive, wanting to do this and that, starting one thing without first completing another – in the end, I’m not able to gain success in either and just have a bunch of loose ends on my hands.

I thought about it for a long time and, honestly speaking, perhaps what I truly envy isn’t the position of ‘housewife’ or ‘office clerk’ itself, but rather, the ‘concept’ of such simplicity and focus. They are able to put all their effort into doing their jobs well, yet still enjoy it in the process.

If only I am also able to experience that level of comfort and find that sense of belonging in the TV industry, where I can concentrate my efforts fully on doing the job well while at the same time find joy and contentment in it.

Review of “The Legend of Master Chan 吉星報喜” (1989)

It’s been a long time since I watched this series, so of course, when I saw that it was coming on TV, I was ecstatic. Despite having watched this series several times already, I didn’t mind rewatching again, since I love old TVB series (“old” meaning from the 70s/80s/early 90s) and this series in particular is especially enjoyable.

Even though this series is set in the Qing Dynasty era, it has nothing to do with the Imperial palace or anything of that nature – this is important to note because in recent years, most of TVB’s Qing dynasty era series have been dramatic epics filled with stories about the Imperial palace, the emperor, and infighting between various magistrates, concubines, etc. (to the point that I’m sick and tired of watching series with that theme). This particular series is way different – first of all, it is a comedy rather than a drama, and second, it focuses on the “adventures” of ordinary people as well as those who work for the government bureaucracy…the emperor and his wives are nowhere to be found and in fact only get a mention or 2 in the series (thank goodness!!).

There is definitely a lot to like about this series – the “intelligent” comedic humor interspersed throughout the series (the jokes and such are genuinely funny, to the point that I got a stomach ache afterwards from laughing so hard – and the humor is very wisely done..there’s none of that stupid raunchy slapstick stuff that is characteristic of many TVB comedies nowadays), the storyline is well thought out and fast-paced, the characters are well-developed and believable, etc. But what really drew me in to this series was the cast, which consists of many of my favorite actors/actresses (many of whom are no longer active in the HK TV industry).

The main cast consists of Deric Wan, Kathy Chow, and Margie Tsang, with a strong supporting cast (for the most part) with the likes of Hugo Ng, Paul Chun, Lau Siu Ming, Bak Yan, Michael Tao, Nixon Pang, Gallen Lo, Angelina Lo, etc (there are many more people in the series – I only named the ones that most audiences would be familiar with). The chemistry between this particular cast – especially the trio of Deric, Hugo, and Paul – is absolutely awesome, which is interesting given that it was the first time that a few of the main actors had worked together.

I will admit that one of my primary reasons for watching this series was because of Deric Wan – he is just such a brilliant and versatile actor, it’s very hard not to be drawn in to his series. “The Legend of Master Chan” was actually Deric’s first ancient series and -- if I remember correctly – the only Qing dynasty era period drama that he starred in at TVB (it’s known that Deric dislikes acting in period dramas because he hates shaving his head)….so of course, this series is particuarly special for Deric fans.

As is typical of most of my series reviews, my focus will be on the characters / cast rather than the storyline itself, since most of the time, certain aspects of the storyline end up being revealed in the character analyses anyway.

Here are the highlights:

Deric Wan (Chan Mong Gat) – Deric plays the historical scholar Chan Mong Gat, who is known for his intelligence and wisdom. In the series, his character is extremely smart and talented, but because he has a very playful personality, he sometimes lets that get the better of him and does some mischievious things that make people think that he is a “brat”. His dad (played by Lau Siu Ming) owns a rice shop in the Chan village and is constantly lamenting to his wife (played by Bak Yan) how naughty his son is and how it’s her fault because she spoils him so much. Instead of being serious about his studies in school (which he could definitely excel in if he had put in the effort), Mong Gat spends most of his time hanging out with his classmates and playing tricks on others. Later on, he ends up fleeing the village because of the woman he loves (To Yi Mui) and settles down in Guangdong, where he meets Lau Wah Dong and Fong Tong Gang (more on them later). Also, he re-encounters the ‘fiancee’ Kam Ngin Fung, whose family used to live in the same village, however the parents broke off the engagement when both were just children (mainly because at the age of 10, Mong Gat didn’t know how to talk and Ngin Fung’s family thought he was a mute). They are enemies at first, constantly arguing but then end up falling for each other.

Of course, it’s Mong Gat’s smarts that eventually makes him successful, as he soon becomes a rich and successful businessman (with ties to both the underground world as well as the bureaucracies) and later on, becomes one of the “Three Great Advisors of Guangdong” due to his quick thinking and intelligence. The interesting thing about the character is that he may appear to be a ‘brat’ on the outside, but on the inside, he is actually a very righteous, good man who has a great sense of humor but also is willing to help others and has a certain amount of respect for elders – also, he has no problem forgiving those who have wronged him, primarily because he is able to see the good qualities in them and he respects them.

I love Deric’s performance as well as his character in this series! He is so funny in this series and his interactions with the other artists / characters comes across so natural that you feel like you are right there with him, experiencing what he is experiencing. His portrayal of Chan Mong Gat is very endearing and also refreshing (he’s wearing ancient costume, yet has cool sunglasses on – now how often do you see that?). Watching how Deric’s character deals with the two women in his life (who are constantly arguing with each other) is just plain hilarious – despite his “smarts” and his success everywhere else, his one “weakness” lies in the difficulties he encounters in ‘taming’ these two strong women.

As for how close Deric’s portrayal of Chan Mong Gat is to the actual historical person – well, to be honest, I can’t really comment on that piece because I don’t know too much about the real person. Therefore, when I watched the series, I pretty much took out the historical aspect and treated it as a regular series.

Kathy Chow (To Yi Mui) – I would have to say that Kathy is really the female lead in this series (over Margie), as she has the most screentime (appearing throughout the entire series). Kathy’s character Yi Mui is the daughter of a group of ‘Robin Hood’ type bandits (led by Angelina Lo) and so growing up, she has always carried with her a sense of justice and righteousness, sticking up for people and situations whenever she feels that an injustice is being carried out. Even though she is not too educated, she is a smart woman and very strong-willed, plus she is extremely skilled in martial arts. She is actually a great match for Deric’s Chan Mong Gat, as she is very much on the same level as him in terms of ‘street smarts’. In the beginning of the series, she passes herself off as a male, as her mother sends her to the local school in the village town so that she could get an education (the school only accepts males) – therefore, she has many opportunities to ‘match wits’ with Mong Gat and his classmates. Initially, she falls for Mong Gat’s classmate Chan Gwan Yat (played by Nixon Pang), but after he betrays her and cuts ties with her (and she sees the guy for who he really is), she realizes that Mong Gat is truly good to her and so ends up falling for him.

I like Kathy’s character in this series – she’s smart and loud, but not annoying. Plus she’s a strong character, not meek and shy like traditional Chinese women of that era – I also like how she is very straightforward and isn’t afraid to show her emotions (she is definitely not what I would characterize as ‘weak’ or ‘stupid’, which is great because everyone knows how much I hate weak, badly developed characters).

I also enjoyed the interaction between Deric and Kathy in this series – knowing how many times the two have collaborated, mostly in modern series (though not always paired together), it was interesting to see how they interacted in an ‘ancient’ setting and in a comedy. These two definitely shared a lot of funny scenes together!

Margie Tsang (Kam Ngin Fung) – Margie actually does not have as much screen time compared to Kathy, as she really only appears in the later half of the series (after Deric and Kathy escape to Guangdong). Her character Ngin Fung is supposed to be the polar opposite of Kathy’s Yi Mui, as Ngin Fung had a more Westernized upbringing and so she dresses and talks like Westerner as well (she even has a Westerner boyfriend when she first appears). As is typical of an only child of a somewhat well-to-do family, Ngin Fung is spoiled and has a very willful personality – she likes to throw her weight around and have people heed her every whim. She’s also quite strong-willed as well (yay – another strong character) and sometimes, when she encounters someone she doesn’t like, she purposefully tries to be unreasonable, just because she can (for example, her relationship with Mong Gat in the beginning). When Ngin Fung ends up falling for Mong Gat later on in the series (in the typical TVB formula), she does change her ways a bit in that she is less obnoxious and willful, but still loud-mouthed and strong-willed.

I’ve always liked Margie as an actress and I definitely enjoyed her performance in this series, even though her role was not unique (she’s usually typecasted into playing willful characters). As always, Margie’s acting is very natural (which is one of many reasons why I like watching her performances). Her endless bickering with Kathy in the series is funny, though to be honest, I find Deric’s reaction (as well as the reactions of the other characters) to the arguing to be even more hilarious – the things that they do to try and sabotage each other in order to gain Deric’s attention are a bit formulaic, but funny nonetheless.

As for the Deric and Margie pairing – well, considering how rare it is for the two of them to be paired together (I’m having difficulty thinking of another series that they even collaborated on, let alone being paired together!), I have to say that I would have loved to see more of them. Too bad they didn’t have a whole lot of screen time together (compared to Deric and Kathy, that is).

Paul Chun (Fong Tong Gang) – Paul’s character is a smart aleck who is cunning and smart but can't exactly be described as 'righteous'. I wouldn't call him a villain, but he's not necessarily a 'good' person in the traditional sense because he does things in a way that can be deemed 'inappropriate' or 'outside of the rules'. Most of his time is spent trying to outwit and outsmart Chan Mong Gat, though in the end, he proves unsuccessful in this endeavor and ends up submitting to Mong Gat, even becoming his friend and confidante. And it's pretty much because of him that Mong Gat and Ngin Fung end up together.

As always, Paul Gor puts in an awesome performance as the devious assistant to the magistrate who eventually reforms and changes his ways. Paul Gor has always been one of my favorite veteran actors (I've been watching his series since the 80s) -- what I love about him is that he always puts 100% effort into his roles and whether he plays a good person or a villain (or a somewhat comedic role as with this particular series), he is ALWAYS convincing with his acting. It was alot of fun to watch the 'battle of the wits' between him and Deric in this series, with their characters constantly trying to outsmart and outdo the other, yet in the end, they are able to see each other's good qualities and mutually become friends.


Hugo Ng (Lau Wah Dong) – Hugo’s character is another wise and intelligent man who, when he first appears, works for one of the bad guys, but eventually realizes his faults and becomes a righteous person, going over to Mong Gat’s side and helping him manage his businesses. Wah Dong is actually a friend of Fong Tong Gang’s and even though he didn’t work for him, he supported Fong Tong Gang at first in trying to ‘outwit’ Mong Gat and sabotage him, until he realized that both of them were no match for Mong Gat. He is moved when Mong Gat easily forgives him for doing him wrong and becomes dedicated to helping him, evenutally becoming a good friend.

Hugo does a great job in this series, however his role is very small in here – in fact, I would venture to say that he has even less screentime than Paul Chun. I’m not sure if he was perhaps filming other series at the time because I noticed that there were some group scenes in the latter half of the series where it seemed like he should have been in the scenes, but he wasn’t.

Anyway, I’ve always felt that Hugo was a bit underrated as an actor. He certainly had the potential to be ‘leading man’ material (the looks as well as the acting), but for some reason, he just never really made it very far. I’m actually used to seeing Hugo play serious characters or villains (he’s one of those actors who is perfect for ‘ancient’ series because he looks good in ancient costume and just has that overall ‘ancient’ era feel), so to see him play a somewhat comical character like this one is quite refreshing.

Nixon Pang (Chan Guan Yat) – The best way to describe Nixon’s character in this series: A PIECE OF WOOD!!! (hey, that’s actually pretty similar to his acting in real life…LOL!). His character is one of those ‘book-smart’ types who excels in school, but pretty much sucks in everything else. He’s the “boring” type who doesn’t really know how to think for himself (relies on his dad and the servant boy who takes care of him to think for him and give him advice on stuff) – because he is so ‘rigid’ and ‘by the book’, he is not able to think outside the box and so in a sense, is inferior to Mong Gat, who may not do well in school, but has the street-smarts and intelligence to survive in the ‘real’ world. Nixon becomes a magistrate in the second half of the series, but that’s only because he got lucky (and also because of his dad’s ‘connections’ as the village leader). Both Yi Mui and Ngin Fung like him at first, but after he betrays Yi Mui and then later avoids Ngin Fung because of her “incident” with Mong Gat, he ends up in an unhappy marriage with a woman that his dad arranged for him.

If I had to choose a character to dislike, it would definitely be Nixon’s character – his character is so dense and weak, it’s not even funny! I got so annoyed and bored with his character that I just kept wishing for his scenes to hurry up and be over!

I hate to say this, but I’m glad Nixon is no longer in the industry – the guy just cannot act! He wasn’t in very many series to start with and was only the “lead” in one series while at TVB (bad decision on TVB’s part) – good thing because his “acting” his extremely wooden and boring. Can’t stand watching him!


Angelina Lo (To Dai Leung) – Angelina plays Kathy’s mother and also the leader of the bandits who steal from the rich and give to the poor. Despite being a bandit, she is still a very ‘righteous’ and ‘upright’ woman who understands very clearly right from wrong. Even though she always has to appear strong on the outside because of her position as a leader, it’s obvious that she is also a loving and caring mother, as is constantly looking out for her daughter and wanting what’s best for her future (one of the reasons why she sends her to the village school to get an education). Also, when she finds out that Gallen’s character is actually her long lost son, she is overjoyed that she is finally able to reunite with him, but also understood that in his position as magistrate, he may not want to acknowledge her as a mother, so she was ready for that (luckily, he did acknowledge her).

Angelina is another veteran actress whom I enjoy watching – I remember the first time I saw her was in the “The Seasons” (which coincidentally also starred Gallen Lo) and I’ve watched most of the series that she was in before and after that. She’s a very versatile actress who can play both the benevolent mother as well as the evil, bxxchy roles really well!


Gallen Lo (Magistrate Wun) – Gallen’s character only appears in a few episodes near the end of the series, so I wouldn’t really say that his role was even ‘supporting’. He plays one of the higher Magistrates (Chan Guan Yat’s boss) who comes to Guangdong for the purpose of capturing Mong Gat’s ‘sifu’, who has been on the run for over 20 years (the ‘sifu’ is a blind monk who used to work for the emperor in the palace but ends up going on the run because he accidentally revealed the ‘fate of the Heavens’, which the emperor didn’t like, so he became a fugitive). The Magistrate is actually a very ‘rigid’ person who is very upright and does everything by the rules, so it’s very hard to find fault with him. It is later revealed that he is actually To Dai Leung (Angelina Lo)’s long lost son and because he is a very filial person, he accepts and acknowledges Dai Leung despite her ‘bandit’ lifestyle.

This was actually one of Gallen’s earlier series and it’s obvious that his acting skills were not very polished back then – as is typical of his earlier series, Gallen’s acting in this particular series is a bit wooden (though in my opinion, better than Nixon’s). The thing that stood out most to me about Gallen in this series is that he looked extremely thin and pale, almost as though he was sick or something (maybe filming too many series and didn’t get much sleep?). Anyway, those who are interested in seeing how much Gallen has changed in terms of appearance as well as acting, this series is a good choice for the ‘earlier works’ part.

Michael Tao (Yat Dim Hong) – Michael’s role in this series is also relatively minor, as his character is one of the members of the bandit group led by Angelina’s character (his name Yat Dim Hong comes from the big red mole that he has on his face). He’s the type of person who acts before he thinks (he’s already not very bright to begin with, but add to that the fact that he sometimes acts brashly and doesn’t use his brain when he should, and you’ll see why he finds himself in ‘awkward’ situations more often than not).

Michael may not have much screen time in this series, but his character is absolutely hilarious! I know I had said once that Michael’s strength in terms of acting skill is in dramatic and villain roles, but he doesn’t do too well with comedic roles – at the time I said that, I completely forgot about his role in this series. I definitely enjoyed Michael’s performance in this series – it was funny seeing him make a fool of himself in a lot of different situations!

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Honorable mentions:

Lau Siu Ming / Bak Yun (Mr & Mrs Chan) & the actor who played Deric’s ‘sifu’ – Definitely need to give an “honorable mention” to these 3 veteran artists, especially Ming Sir, who had some of the funniest scenes in the entire series (special ‘kudos’ to Ming Sir for maintaining his hilarious accent throughout all of his scenes!). I don’t know if it’s the tremendous amount of experience that these artists have or if it’s just that they are truly excellent actors – whatever the case, it was a joy to watch these artists’ performances!

Gregory Lee (the young Chan Mong Gat) – Yup, you guessed it – child-actor (at the time) Gregory plays the ‘kid’ version of Deric’s character…I guess you could say that he has a cameo in this series because he’s only in the first episode and only in a few scenes. As usual though, he does a great job with those crying scenes!

Lam Yien Ming (Lo Yuet Ngor) – She plays Chan Guan Yat (Nixon Pang)’s precocious, outspoken cousin who at first is ‘smitten’ with Kathy (when she was pretending to be a guy), but then when she finds out Kathy’s true identity, she supports her cousin’s efforts to court her. Her character is actually quite funny because of all the ‘messy’ situations that she gets herself into – especially near the end when she ‘re-appears’ after being gone for a number of episodes and almost messes up all of Deric and Kathy’s plans (another funny moment)! An interesting fact about Lam Yien Ming (the actress) – for those who may not know, she is actor Kent Cheng’s wife in real life…of course, she retired from the industry long ago and nowadays, is a housewife taking care of her children with Kent.

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I definitely recommend this series for many reasons. First of all, if time is of the essence, this series is only 20 episodes, so it won’t take too long to get through (plus the storyline is quite fast-paced, so that adds to the overall ‘quickness’ of it). Also, the fact that this is a comedy is another advantage, as you will probably spend most of your time laughing, which will help you forget some of the flaws in the series (which is pretty much what happened in my case). The biggest reason why I recommend this series though – obviously – is the CAST….this series has an absolutely great cast (with a few exceptions), so definitely it is high on the ‘recommend’ list for me!

From the 2010 Time Vault: Margie Tsang Interviews Carina Lau

Back in December 2010, a 'historic' moment occurred -- Tony Leung's ‘first love’ Margie Tsang sat down with his current wife Carina Lau and spoke candidly about life, career, and, yes, Tony! Why is this considered 'historic'? Well, of course, one reason is because of the 'ex' factor -- namely, Margie being Tony's former girlfriend throughout most of the 1980s (they famously broke up and got back together 3 times throughout that period) plus the fact that the two of them were a popular and endearing couple both on and off-screen at the time. But in my opinion, the reason why this interview is so significant is because of the fact that all these years (more than 20 years now), Margie has rarely talked about Tony in public (except for a radio show interview she did with Carina in the 90s – more on that below) – of course, other people always try to mention his name in interviews with her and such since they were such a famous couple, but the 'mention' is almost always very brief (it's almost as though Margie just 'glosses' over it) and almost every time, Margie usually changes the subject to steer away from having to talk about him. So for Margie to be willing to sit down with Carina and talk so candidly about Tony -- in a public forum no less – is definitely a rare and significant event!

This interview is actually a television interview that Margie had face to face with Carina -- it was a special program that aired on TVB’s Entertainment News Channel on January 2, 2011 (the actual interview took place in December but the program aired in January). The interview was arranged by Carina’s management company and the purpose was to promote her latest film – they invited Margie to be the ‘special guest host’ for the program.

I actually have the DVD version of the program, but to be honest, I have not had a chance to watch it yet (unfortunately, I'm a bit behind on my DVD watching) -- however, I was able to track down the 'written' version of the interview that was printed in Mingpao Weekly Magazine back in January (Issue # 2199, dated 01/01/2011). Of course, until I watch the 'real thing', there's no way for me to know how closely the 'written' version mirrors the original -- but from a translation standpoint, it's much easier (and quicker) for me to translate the written interview than it is for me to translate the actual television one. Plus who knows when I'll have time to watch the TV interview -- I didn't want to hold off on this post any longer, so I figured I'd go ahead and post the translation for the written interview first, then when I actually get around to watching the original TV interview, I will definitely do a follow up post at that time to clear up any discrepancies (to be honest, the written interview seems way too short to me, so I can’t help but think it might not be the complete interview).

One clarification that I do have to make though – this is NOT the first time that Margie has interviewed Carina and talked about Tony. Back in the mid-90s, when Margie was host of a radio show, Carina was a guest on her show then as well – at that time, they had also talked candidly about Tony (of course, Carina was his ‘girlfriend’ back then and not yet his wife) and they also refuted reports in the Media that they didn’t get along by clarifying that they are still good friends.

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So here is the ‘written’ version of the TV interview....hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Source: Mingpao Weekly
Translated by: llwy12

**Note: Only the actual interview part was translated – in the magazine, there are additional pages of commentary by Mingpao that I will not be translating here. **


MT = Margie Tsang
CL = Carina Lau

MT: We’ve known each other for 28 years and were classmates in the same Acting Class, yet very seldom have we talked candidly in front of a camera about our ‘grudges’….

CL (couldn’t help interrupting): What ‘grudges’?

MT: Just kidding! Anyway, even though your main purpose this time is to promote your movie, I still should ‘formally’ welcome you. Welcome, Carina!

CL: Wah! What’s with the formalities!?

(The two ladies embrace cheek to cheek and excitedly greet each other)

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MT: If you were to film another movie, who would you want to collaborate with the most? Tony Leung?

CL: No, no!

MT: Haha! Either Tony Leung or Margie Tsang (points to herself) is fine! Hahahaha!

CL: Ha! Hey, with these types of things, never say never! No one knows what may happen in the future, but for now, it’s not a good idea for me to shoot a movie with him [Tony] because I prefer that my personal life be separate from my work, otherwise, it can get quite awkward.

MT: Plus if you guys had just gotten into an argument that day, then to have to shoot scenes together, it’s a bit…..

CL: Hahaha! Actually, we rarely argue nowadays! Not like back when you two were together, arguing all the time – we hardly argue now.

MT: You know, back then when we [Tony and I] were together, it definitely wasn’t the same. At the time, we were truly very young and both of us had fiery tempers!

CL: Well, did you ever do some self-reflecting?

MT: I did not.

CL: You never reflected on it inwardly?

MT: What is there to reflect upon? Everyone was like that in their youth! At the time you were…..(quickly changes the subject). Hey, I gave you a ‘good card’! [referring to Tony]

(The two women laugh loudly together).

MT: The issues that we [Tony and I] had, I’m sure he wouldn’t repeat them with you.

CL: No, but I still feel there is a need to reflect and understand what happened in the relationship. Perhaps changing a little bit will help a relationship.

MT: No, I’ve always felt that different things will happen at different stages in life. You say that there may be self-reflection or regret….true, self-reflection may occur, but not regret – I feel that once a situation has passed, let it be.

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MT: In terms of male artists, who do you want to collaborate with the most?

CL: Male artists, it doesn’t matter, as long as their acting is good.

MT: How about female artists?

CL: Actually, doesn’t matter either. Of course, I would prefer to collaborate with someone who acts well.

MT: Then would you mind if, let’s say, someone were to ask you and Maggie Cheung [Man Yuk] to collaborate on a movie together? [TN:Throughout the years, there have been many 'rumors' of Tony and Maggie being an 'item' due to their many collaborations and on-screen chemistry]

CL: Of course yes! A movie with her and me – don’t know if there would be an appropriate script or such an opportunity. I feel that if the 2 of us were to collaborate in a movie, just the poster itself would be very pretty!

MT (laughs): How would you arrange the standing positions in the poster?

CL: Have you seen Tony and Andy’s poster for “Infernal Affairs”? Nothing needed to be said and already, you felt like you wanted to go into the theater and watch that movie. If one day, there’s a good director, a good script, and Maggie and I are invited to collaborate, I feel that the movie will be a very good one!

MT: If you and Maggie were to collaborate in a movie, what do you think the theme should be?

CL: I was just thinking about that.

MT: How about adding Tony Leung to the movie? Hahahaha!

CL: Haha! Of course! I feel that he is a great candidate for the male lead role!

MT (playfully): Maybe I’ll do a cameo and be the one…. (laughs heartily)….I mean the flashback....(at this moment, Carina can’t help laughing as well) of Tony Leung’s ‘puppy love’ [first love].

CL: Let us think about it more….definitely continue to think about it more! Haha!

.**.

MT: Based on the Tony that I know, he gets jealous sometimes – for instance if you were to have overly intimate scenes in a movie, are you afraid that he may feel jealous?

CL: Oh, I don’t know! Haha!

MT: So that means ‘No’?

CL: Actually, no, he wouldn’t be jealous. It’s possible that if he were to watch those scenes, he may feel uncomfortable, but that’s very normal. In reality, the ‘discomfort’ will pass very quickly because at the end of the day, we both understand that it is only a scene in a movie.

MT: When he [Tony] filmed “Lust, Caution” (can’t help laughing again), did he let you know ahead of time that there would be such a ‘daring’ scene and get your permission first?

CL: Yes, he did.

MT: Did he really?

CL: Yes, he really did. I also felt that he absolutely should have filmed that sequence….

MT (interrupting): …So is this the way he would say it – ‘Carina, honey! I have an intimate scene with Tang Wei that may involve skin to skin contact’?

CL: Actually, what we audiences end up seeing is very ‘basic’ stuff on the surface. I understand that when director Ang Lee wanted to film this scene at first, there was a lot of thought that went into it. What Tony needed the most was my support – it’s actually not that big of a deal – we should look at it ‘professionally’ rather than apply a ‘gossip’ attitude toward it.

MT: I’m sure he [Tony] probably struggled with it though.

CL: Sure! For an actor to have to do those types of scenes with a ‘stranger’ pretty much, no matter what, there will be some pressure. It’s the same as when he filmed that intimate scene with Leslie Cheung in the movie “Happy Together” back in the day – he was so scared, he called me from the set…he was definitely scared….(when recalling the moment, she smiles tenderly and sweetly).

MT: So it was more like ‘Carina, you film it! I don’t want to film it with Leslie!’

CL: It’s because he ‘couldn’t’ film it – he had to calm himself for a long time.

MT: How about you? If you were to come across such a role, would you ‘go all out’ like that? If it was necessary to further the plot, that is?

CL: At my age now, I wouldn’t think about this type of thing. A sexual relationship is a normal part of life, there is no way to avoid it. A movie is just a way to express what happens in real life. I feel that we should take a mature and professional approach to the matter.

.**.

MT: Carina, in all seriousness, we honestly have known each other for 28 years already.

CL: Yes, with the blink of an eye, 28 years have passed already.

MT: We’ve known each other for so long – at one time, honestly, you, me, and Sandra [Ng] used to be known as the ‘Three Musketeers’.

CL: Yes.

MT: There was a period of time when we were very close, yet to sit down together and chat in front of the camera like this, it was very rare.

CL: Very rare.

MT: While chatting with you today, the feeling that I get is that both of us have matured greatly.

CL: Of course! It should be that way!

MT: I feel that, it seems, I used to know you really well, then later on not so well, but now after seeing each other again…

MT and CL (in unison): …feels like we know each other really well again!

MT: The feeling is very interesting….when the names ‘Margie Tsang’ and ‘Carina Lau’ are placed side by side, many people tend to ‘add’ a lot of ‘things’ in between. I want to take this opportunity to clarify once and for all – a lot of people feel that there is a certain ‘subtleness’ to our relationship, all because of one Tony Leung – some of them think that back then, something must have happened….actually, I’m telling you guys [the audience] right now – it is not the truth! Nothing happened!

CL: Hahahaha!

MT: I really….you understand, right? To this day, there are still people who think that way.

CL: Yes.

MT: That’s why I truly want to clarify at this point in time….it truly had NOTHING to do with Carina Lau! (laughs loudly) [TN: Margie is referring to her breakup with Tony Leung – some people believe that Carina was the ‘third wheel’ in the relationship and that she ‘stole’ Tony from Margie]

CL: With this matter, when the time comes, the truth will come out.

(The two ladies laugh together heartily).

MT: Really though, it has always been a mystery to me why people would think that. Plus I feel that the Media divided us a little and caused our relationship [referring to her relationship with Carina] to be a bit distant.

CL: Hm…I didn’t!

MT: It’s true, because there was always the feeling that something was between us….but in reality, there is nothing between us! Sometimes, friends may not see each other all the time, but the friendship is still there.

CL: Yes!

MT: That’s why I’m very happy today, to truly be able to chat with you like this!

CL: Thank you, thank you to you!

.**********.

Book Review: 從零開始 (Now and Then II) -- post #2…Tony Leung 梁朝偉

It's time for another post about the book I'm currently reading, Cong Ling Kai Shi (for an introduction on the book, refer to this link).

One of the things that I actually forgot to mention in the introductory post to this book review series: one reason why I decided to write about the Cong Ling Kai Shi books is because many of the interviewed artists are 'big names' from the 80s and 90s (many of whom are still active in the industry today) and with me being an 80s/90s girl, I have a lot of nostalgia for the HK entertainment industry from that era (the "golden era" of HK entertainment). But it's not just about the nostalgia....I also wanted to provide some insight into how the HK entertainment industry has evolved (or, more fittingly, how the industry has 'deteriorated') and also highlight some of the struggles that those artists -- most of whom are still famous even now, 20+ years later -- went through on their paths to stardom. I guess you could say that this is my way of showing support for the artists from my generation and also sending a message to today’s generation of artists and fans on how ‘good’ they actually have it right now compared to before (so some of them can stop being so arrogant or have a false sense that fame and fortune come easily).

Ok, so moving on to the featured artist in this post: Tony Leung Chiu Wai (梁朝偉).

Tony is undoubtedly one of the most well-known and naturally talented actors on the planet (and yes, I mean ‘on the planet’ because Tony is definitely an international star now). He is also one of the most well-respected actors in the industry as well as one of the most ‘decorated’ (in terms of awards). However his road to fame was definitely not easy and after reading his interview in this book, I have so much more respect for him (he has always been one of my favorite actors, even from back in his television days).

Below are a few highlights from the interview (again, my disclaimer – this post does not cover everything that was talked about in the book – to find out more, I suggest that ‘Tony fans’ actually read the book!):


CHILDHOOD

Tony grew up in a single parent family, which is no surprise, since he has talked about this in past interviews. It’s also ‘public knowledge’ that he has a very introverted personality and doesn’t like to talk much or socialize much with people (which I also already knew about him). But what I didn’t know was the reason why he became so introverted – his father was a prolific gambler who left his wife and kids and never returned. So at the young age of 9 years old, Tony had to ‘grow up fast’ and become the ‘man of the house’, taking care of his little sister (who was only 1 year younger than him) and helping out around the house, since they didn’t have much money and his mom had to work all day in order to put food on the table.

Every day, Tony would get up early, make a simple breakfast for himself and his sister, then, holding his sister’s hand, the two would leave for school. In the afternoons, for lunch, he would go buy bbq pork rice bowl (which only cost a few dollars) for his sister (and himself), then after school, they would go home and do homework – he would always help his sister with her homework first and make sure she understood it and finished it before sitting down to do his own homework. In the evenings, when his mom got off work, though tired, she would cook a nice dinner for them to eat. This pretty much happened day in and day out through Tony’s childhood up until he graduated from high school.


CAREER: the TVB days

The story of how Tony entered TVB’s 11th year acting class is actually quite humorous – pretty much it was because of $10HKD!

As the story goes, Tony actually was friends with Stephen Chow – who at that time, had not yet entered the industry – and together, the 2 of them decided to apply to TVB’s 11th Acting Class in 1981 (Tony was 19 years old at the time). At that time, trying to get into acting class was a huge affair – hundreds of people would apply, but only a few were accepted. Tony was called in for an interview and when he reached the location, there were hundreds of people already in line – when he saw how many people there were, he wanted to give up and go back home, since he also wasn’t too confident that he would be able to pass the interview and exams anyway (silly him..LOL!). But then, he thought about how he had paid $10 HKD for the application fee and that money would be wasted – so he decided to be patient and wait it out. (Luckily for us because if the application was free, Tony probably would have left and the HK entertainment industry would not have the big star that it has today!!)

Tony was accepted to the 11th Acting Class at TVB. I guess we could say that this class was the one that produced the most talents, as 3 Best Actors in Film (Tony Leung, Francis Ng, Stephen Chow) and 1 Best Actor in Television (Bobby AuYeung) came out of this class!

As most of us know, Tony started his career hosting children’s programs (along with his classmate Stephen Chow), but it was obvious from the beginning that he had talent (the book goes into great detail about the scene that he did for his graduation exams – from seeing how that scene played out, it’s quite obvious Tony was born for this industry!). Not too long after that – in 1982 – he was recruited to the drama department and participated in his first series, “Soldier of Fortune” (he played Kent Tong’s younger brother). In comparisons…Stephen Chow remained in the variety programs department and continued hosting children’s programs for another 4 years.

When asked why he decided to go into acting, Tony replied: “It’s fun! I really like acting – even during the acting class days, I never feared getting up in front of a lot of people and performing. A lot of people had told me that whenever they film with Chow Yun Fat, they are afraid to look straight into his eyes…but I am not afraid!”

One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing artists who have no respect for the industry or their own jobs and instead let fame and fortune get to their heads as soon as they achieve just an ‘inkling’ of success. This is why I like most of the 80s artists so much – partly because they were truly talented, but mostly because they don’t have the ‘problem’ I described above – most of them had to go through a lot to get to where they are at today and so they don’t exhibit those ‘arrogant’-type attitudes that a lot of the younger people nowadays (who pretty much got stuff ‘handed’ to them and so didn’t have to suffer like their predecessors did) are notorious for exhibiting.

To illustrate my point above (this is also one of the reasons why I admire Tony and have so much respect for him as an actor and person), I would like to quote one section from the book:

People around him feel that he is lucky, but he [Tony] feels that one cannot rely on ‘luck’ alone: “Nowadays, whether I’m walking or sitting down, I’m constantly thinking about things related to acting. I like to observe people’s day to day actions and from there, derive inspiration to help me with my own acting – for instance, when I see someone drinking water, I think to myself ‘why is it that the person holds the cup in that manner?’ -- even the writers and producers say that I’m over-thinking things. But I can’t help it, as I love ‘thinking’ about things too much – sometimes, when I’m not able to think things through and there is no one to talk to or my friends aren’t available…during those tough times, I just feel like crying.”

Some people may say that Tony naturally had acting talent in him and I definitely agree with this to some extent – but I also feel (based on the above quote) that part of his success was due to his hard work…I mean, even during his own personal time, Tony would constantly be thinking about how he could better his acting and derive inspiration from even the simplest of things. (In comparison, many artists nowadays don’t even bother to practice their lines or even study their scripts for that matter, let alone use their ‘personal’ time to further develop themselves!)

.--.

A lot of us view the 1984 version of “The Duke of Mount Deer” as one of Tony’s best works and even now – more than 20 years and a plethora of remakes later – it is still a classic and considered the best version ever made. Tony definitely agrees that this series was his best ‘representative work’ (though I actually think he has too many great series to only consider this one as his best) and was pretty much the series that boosted him to stardom….BUT, what a lot of us don’t realize is this series was also the most ‘draining’ for him – both physically and mentally. And yes, the popularity that he gained from this series was the ‘turning point’ of his career, but he had to pay a price for it – after this series, he had to film series after series, one after another, with little to no rest – not too long afterwards, he started suffering from lack of sleep (he would go days without sleeping) and chronic headaches…some days, he would even have to take pain medication (for the headaches) in order to function properly! During that time, Tony would describe himself as “a dead fish on the beach.”

Of course, any discussion of Tony’s career at TVB would not be complete without mentioning the contract issue between TVB and the 5 Tigers that occurred in 1984 (TVB wanted to ‘keep’ the 5 Tigers and prevent them from venturing out by telling them to sign a 5 year long-term contract). In the interview, Tony goes into great detail about that particular issue and gives his ‘reasoning’ for signing the contract: he needed to provide for his family (he was only making about 4000HKD at that time) and TVB offered to double his salary. His first thought was that at least he would not have to ‘worry’ about being able to put food on the table for the next 5 years.

I honestly don’t blame Tony for signing, as he had a family (his mom and sister) to take care of. And to be honest, the situation with Tony and the other 4 Tigers was a little different – by the time Tony started to become popular in 1984, the other 4 Tigers were pretty much already established actors who had been in the industry for several years and were already doing lead roles – plus they already had quite a few “hit series” under their belts (i.e.: Kent had “The Demi-gods and Semi-devils”, Felix and Michael had “Legend of the Condor Heroes” plus a few other series, and Andy had “Return of the Condor Heroes”). Tony’s series “The Duke of Mount Deer” had not aired yet when the contract issue occurred. In the end, Felix also signed the 5 year contract, so both he and Tony stayed behind while the other 3 (Kent, Michael, and Andy) left TVB.

Note: Tony is well known for his illustrious film career, which is also detailed in the book…however, due to this post already being quite long, I decided to leave that part out (sorry if I disappointed anyone)…

RELATIONSHIPS

In addition to his acting talent, Tony was also know for his 3 famous romantic relationships with Margie Tsang, Kitty Lai, and Carina Lau. In this section, I will attempt to recap how each of the relationships started and – with 2 of them – how the relationships ended.

Margie Tsang: Broke up 3 times, reconciled 3 times

Margie entered TVB’s acting class 1 year after Tony – even though (ironically) both ended up hosting the same children’s program in the beginning, they actually met at a classmate’s birthday party. Tony was smitten by Margie’s sincere personality and they started dating not too long after that (this was in 1983).

Even though Margie was not Tony’s first love (he had other girlfriends prior to her), he does admit that he “loved her the most….even if I’m talking to someone, I would be thinking about her in my mind, worrying about her…the weather is cold – did she have enough to wear?”

Margie and Tony broke up for the 1st time in October 1984 – the reason? Tony’s career started to take off and he got busier and busier – to the point that he barely had any time to sleep, let alone go out on dates. Margie describes their breakup as follows: “We did not have an argument, did not have a misunderstanding – we very calmly and peacefully separated. Even if you love someone, does not necessarily mean that you will marry that person in the future. I would much rather my [future] husband love me more than I love him.”

One thing that not a lot of people knew is that Margie had a really good relationship with Tony’s mother and sister, so even after they broke up, she continued to maintain a close relationship with them. Indeed, Mrs. Leung liked Margie a lot and actually felt sorry for Margie because Tony couldn’t spend much time with her. She actually expressed that she did hope that Margie and Tony would reconcile…well, 3 months after they broke up, Mrs. Leung got her wish, as the two reconciled and got back together (early 1985). Unfortunately though, it was not meant to be, as the two broke up again later that same year.

The 3rd time that Margie and Tony reconciled was in April 1988 (he had just broken up with Kitty Lai earlier that year) – the press found out about them reconciling when Margie was spotted at the airport with Tony’s mother (both were there to pick Tony up from the airport). At the end of that year (November 1988), Margie and Tony broke up once again – this time, for good. During that time, Tony explained the break up this way: “Margie is still the woman I love most, but because both of us have grown up now and matured, it is no longer possible to capture the feelings that we once had.”


Kitty Lai: From dislike to love

Tony’s relationship with Kitty actually started in 1986 when they were filming “The New Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre” together. At first, Kitty did not have a good impression of Tony at all, but after getting to know him better during their few months of filming together, they eventually fell in love and started going out.

Unfortunately, the public never really gave these 2 a chance, as everyone had already accepted Tony and Margie as a couple and felt that only they matched each other the best (the book described Tony and Margie’s pairing as 金童玉女)….so from the beginning, there was already a strain on the relationship.

In November 1987, Kitty participated in the filming of the series “The Book and the Sword" and rumors started to fly, linking her to the series’ other co-stars, including Simon Yam, Shek Shau, and Lawrence Ng. Around the same time, Tony was rumored to have been seen with newcomer Fiona Leung (Kitty’s co-star in “The Book and the Sword”) at a disco. Despite the rumors, Kitty insisted that her relationship with Tony had not changed.

Not too long after that (in early 1988), Kitty and Tony were slated to star in the series “The Two Most Honorable Knights” (aka “Chuet Toi Sheung Kui”) – at the costume fitting for the series, it was obvious that something was wrong, as Tony and Kitty seemed very ‘cold’ toward each other and did not come across like a couple at all. Shortly afterwards, Tony and Kitty officially broke up and not too long after that, he and Margie got back together.


Carina Lau: the woman who changed Tony’s life forever

Even though Tony already met Carina back in 1983 and the 2 collaborated on a few series throughout the next couple years (most notably, the series “The Clones” in 1984, “The Duke of Mount Deer” in 1984, and the “Police Cadet” trilogies in 1984, 85, and 88), their relationship was only one of friendship, as Tony was dating Margie at the time and Carina was just getting her career started in HK. It wasn’t until the two of them collaborated in a charity stage performance for the HK Artiste Training Alumni Association (which they were both members of) that they actually fell in love. However, their relationship was not made public until May of 1989, when they were spotted at the airport together.

As many of us know, Tony and Carina have very opposite personalities – Tony is very introverted, doesn’t like to talk much, and is constantly thinking about his work. Carina, on the other hand, is very extroverted, optimistic, and pretty much was a social butterfly. I guess this was the ultimate case of ‘opposites attract’, as these two seemingly incompatible people ended up finding each other. Over the years, Tony and Carina have had their fair share of ups and downs – and just like any other couple, they had arguments and disagreements on things….but at the end of the day, they continued to remain together because of one thing – Love!

Back in 1986, after 2 years of suffering from sleep deprivation due to filming series back to back without rest, Tony had made a commitment to himself that he would end his career and leave the industry in 5 years. This continued to be a major goal of Tony’s throughout the rest of the 1980s…until he started dating Carina – indeed, it is Carina who is credited with helping Tony turn his life around and caused him to make the decision to stay in the industry. Tony states: “Since we [Carina and I] started dating, we saw each other almost every day. Whenever she would see me with a ‘black face’ , she would automatically know that I was upset about my performance [in acting] again – she would reprimand me and tell me that if I continued on like this, I will go crazy someday. I thought to myself – ‘in this world, there isn’t another person who understands me as well as she does and who cares so much about me.’ From that moment on, I set a rule for myself – every day, I would completely relax for at least 5 hours a day and not think about work or acting at all. As a result, I became a much happier person.”

Despite the various rumors that were rampant throughout their 20 year relationship, Tony and Carina pretty much ignored what others would say and continued to live their lives together the way they wanted to. This well-known celebrity couple finally tied the knot on July 21, 2008 in a brilliantly (and smartly) arranged wedding ceremony in Bhutan.

Of course, there is much more to Tony and Carina’s relationship than just what I described above (they’ve been together for 20 years, after all) and there were plenty of ‘sweet’ moments described in the book, but in the interests of time, I only chose a few highlights to include here.

CONCLUSION

Hopefully, after reading this LONG post, you have better insight into Tony as a person – and also have a better understanding of why he has long been one of my favorite HK entertainers!

EDIT...

I am curious to know who you guys (everyone reading this post) would be interested in reading about next...therefore, I added below the list of celebrities featured in this particular book:

*Tony Leung 梁朝偉
*Maggie Cheung (Man Yuk)張曼玉
*Andy Lau 劉德華
*Cherie Chung 鍾楚紅
*Chow Yun Fat 周潤發
*Faye Wong 王菲
*Danny Chan 陳百強
*Shu Qi 舒淇
*Stephen Chow 周星馳
*Anita Mui 梅艷芳

Oriental Daily Interview Series -- Part 4: Lawrence Ng

Part 4: Interview with Lawrence Ng

Original article published 2/27/2011
Source: Oriental Daily

Translated by: llwy12

Picture credits as listed

Lawrence Ng reveals that Tony Leung is good at ‘stealing hearts’

Nicknamed ‘young master’ by his former classmates, actor Lawrence Ng reveals that 28 years ago, while studying in TVB’s 12th Acting Class, he had a crush on Margie Tsang (nicknamed ‘little miss’ by her classmates). In terms of ‘background’, it’s logical to think that ‘young master’ and ‘little miss’ would be a ‘perfect match’— but it was not meant to be, since ‘young master’ encountered too strong of a rival. During a recent interview with ‘woman of his dreams’ Margie Tsang, Lawrence takes the opportunity to ‘reveal’ that back during their Acting Class days, Margie was already dating senior acting class ‘brother’ Tony Leung!

M = Margie Tsang
L = Lawrence Ng


M: Brother Lawrence…..how are you! (shakes his hand)

L: Wow, shaking hands!? You just wanted to seize the opportunity to touch my hand, huh?

M: Haha…I haven’t ‘touched’ your hand in 28 years…feels a little bit ‘rough’ if you ask me! My deepest impression of you is that you’re such a ‘cool’ actor. I still remember one of the performances you did during class – you walked in, dug a piece of paper out of your pants pocket, ripped the paper to shreds, threw the pieces down, and left – wow, you performed so fast that I didn’t even know what that scene was supposed to be about! It was probably less than a minute. At that time, I felt that you were so cool (and also a bit arrogant), but a lot of girls liked you. In fact, you were very popular among our female classmates – even I admired you a lot!

L: Well, if you talk about ‘handsome’, I can’t compare to the others – at the time, there was Wong Wai Leung [did not enter the industry] and also Michael [Tao] – plus I was too skinny! Even though I never had much to say, I got along quite well with the other classmates – I remember how all the male classmates would get together and talk about pursuing the female classmates…not only that, but we would help each other lie…a few of the guys were ‘players’ – they would have one girlfriend in the morning and by afternoon, they already had a different one…of course I am not going to reveal any names…..

M: It was very strict at that time – students from the same class were not allowed to date.

L: You had nothing to worry about, since you were already dating one of the senior apprentice brothers from the previous class [takes the opportunity to reveal that Margie and Tony were dating at that time]

M: That’s why we had to be so secretive about it [a bit embarrassed]

L: You thought that it was a secret, but actually everyone knew about it.

M: You didn’t ‘eye’ other female classmates?

L: At that time, you were the prettiest one in the class, but already ‘belonged’ to our senior brother [Tony Leung]. In terms of the others….well, Sandra [Ng] was a bit crazy, so definitely was not the type I would pursue…as for Carina [Lau] – she was also one of the prettier girls and definitely had the best figure, but I felt that she had too much of the ‘China girl’ feel (perhaps not too intelligent)….and Kiki [Sheung] – well, she was the ‘big sister’!

M: Really? [surprised at ‘discovering’ such a big secret, but happy at the same time] It took me 28 years to find out this secret!

.—

M: You must be in the happiest phase of your life right now, with a wife and a daughter? See, look at you – as soon as I mention your daughter, your ‘benevolent father’ look comes out!

L: I admit that this is definitely the happiest stage of my life right now! But I wouldn’t really consider myself a ‘benevolent father’ – I sometimes take on both the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ role and discipline my daughter when I need to. To tell you the truth, I’ve always desired a warm, loving family ever since I was little, so when my daughter was born, my mentality definitely changed – now, before I do anything, I think about my daughter first and put her needs in front of all else. I’ve heard people say that having children is a burden for life, but I have to disagree – I actually feel that it’s very sweet!

M: Do you plan on going for a son?

L: Thinking about it. As parents, it’s necessary to take the time to be with our children…my wife is considering it as well…it’s definitely a possibility.

M: Do you want your daughter to enter the [entertainment] industry in the future? You and your wife met on the set while filming, so if your daughter is in the industry as well, then your whole family would be ‘fated’ for the industry.

L: I actually wouldn’t want my daughter to enter the industry, but I will leave it up to her to decide in the future.

M: Were you the one who pursued your wife? The reason I ask is because you give me that ‘big man’ [male chauvinist] feeling?

L: Of course I was the one who pursued her! But I’m really not a ‘male chauvinist’ – in fact, I’m the one accommodating others a lot of the time! In the past, I did have a bad temper, but as I grew older, my temper has gotten much better – perhaps because I matured, I changed….in life, it’s impossible for a person to not change even a little bit!

M: Those who are by your side right now are the most fortunate, since they don’t have to endure your temper…hahaha!

L: Not entirely! Hahaha…I hope that everyone [all his classmates] has a pleasant life right now and I hope that we are able to get together even more. It would be great if all of us had the opportunity to collaborate, as each of us has box office value – I don’t mind playing the villain if necessary – hopefully there’s a ‘boss’ out there who would support us!

M: We don’t collaborate very often – I remember we only collaborated one time, on Taiwan series "俠義見青天" [TN: not 100% sure on the English name of this series, but I’ve seen it translated as "The Bold and The Chivalrous"]….I played the role of a blind girl and you were the guy who raped me!

L: After graduating from acting class, I was an ‘extra’ for 2 years but didn’t have many other opportunities, so I thought about going back to England to continue my studies. At that time, I didn’t even get to play villain roles – it was basically just bit parts…it was definitely discouraging. Later on, I get the chance to film the series "The Other Side of the Horizon" -- I played a villain, but at least I was the second male lead and therefore had a lot of lines…it was a pretty good opportunity! Of course, afterwards I started getting better opportunities, such as the "Healing Hands" trilogy, "Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre 2000", etc. The "Healing Hands" series was definitely my representative work!

M: "Healing Hands" was definitely your ‘turning point’! A lot of people still think of you as a doctor and you definitely look like one (my entire family consists of doctors) – with such a good image, there must have been a lot of girls who fell for you! Haha!

L: Yes, there were some people who really thought I was a doctor! I was filming a commercial for a particular hospital in mainland China and the boss told me that someone actually called asking for ‘Dr Paul Ching (Tsi-Mei)’ [Lawrence’s character in the "Healing Hands" series]! This proves that the character had a deep impression in the hearts of the audiences.

To be honest, in the past, I played villain roles for many years and never once was I happy. Throughout all the years I’ve been in the industry, I feel that I had more low points in my career than high points – I was pretty much doing things for money rather than going by my own will. For instance, when we filmed that Taiwan series and had to do that rape scene – I really didn’t want to do it. The director who asked me to film the series told me at first that the role would not be a villain, but then when I was in the make-up room putting on the costume and he gave me the script, I realized the character was actually a villain that does bad things to you [Margie] – plus the rape scene was in there. At the time, I told the director that I didn’t want to film it and wanted to leave, but he kept on insisting that they were in a hurry to wrap filming….not sure why I always encounter those types of situations.

M: You would always easily agree to things in the past?

L: When I collaborated with that particular director and crew on a movie, it was actually a good experience. After that, he asked if I would film a romantic movie that he was working on – of course I said yes, since we had a good collaboration before….but then I discovered that it was actually an ‘adult’ movie – I told him that I refuse to film those types of movies, but then I was threatened with ‘If you don’t want to film it, then pay 20 million HKD in compensation!’

M: Oh, I didn’t know about all that behind-the-scenes stuff….when I was filming that series with you, all I knew was that you were not very happy.

L: When I watch any type of performance, I’m often very engrossed in it – for instance, I was watching my idol Chow Yun Fat’s movie and absolutely hated the guy that kept doing bad things to him, even though I didn’t even know the guy’s name (and don’t need to know) – that’s how fans are and I understand it. But when I’m in that same position and become the ‘no-name’ villain, of course I’m not happy! In the past, I really did not put much heart into doing those villain roles, plus there would be people who would curse at me in the street. Obviously, things are different now – just look at Nick Cheung – he won 7 Best Actor awards for his villain role!

.---

Lawrence lives with his family in Beijing now, but since he promised his good friend Margie that he would do this interview, he especially arranged to fly to Hong Kong to sit with her for the interview, which moved Margie greatly. It’s no wonder that Margie had such a deep impression of Lawrence and the fun they had together.

During the interview, Margie also reveals why Lawrence is truly fitting of his ‘young master’ nickname….

M: I remember one situation back in the day when you wore a pair of contact lenses to class, but when one of the lenses fell out, you asked all of us to help look for it. Honestly, how do you expect us to find it? They’re contact lenses after all, and are meant to be ‘invisible’! Of course, we weren’t able to find it, so you got upset and left without even going to class! The next day, when you came to class, you told us that the ‘missing’ lense was actually in your eye the entire time (it had slipped up into your eyeball)!

There was another situation when all of us were going to take the bus across the harbor, but you said to take a taxi instead…of course we didn’t want to, since it’s so expensive. The entire trip, you kept nagging about it and finally when the bus reached Lockhart Street, you pressed the bell to get off the bus…we were all shocked! From that time on, we gave you the nickname ‘Stop at Lockhart please’!

Laughing, Lawrence replied to Margie’s ‘accusations’: By saying that, are you trying to say that I have a bad temper? When I was young, it’s quite true that I had a bad temper, but doesn’t have anything to do with having a ‘young master’ temper. When I was studying in England, it was a difficult period and I got taken advantage of a lot – definitely not the easy overseas student life!

.***.

Chinese version:

吳啟華踢爆偉仔偷心賊

被形容為「大少爺」的吳啟華，原來在廿多年前讀無綫藝員訓練班已暗戀有「千金小姐」之稱的曾華倩，二人「身份」上雖算絕配，但少爺啟華當年卻遇上勁敵，在最近二人首次聚頭的訪問中，他不惜自爆「夢中情人」曾華倩早在訓練班時，已被大師兄（梁朝偉）溝了，一洩心頭之憤！

曾：曾華倩 吳：吳啟華

曾：啟華哥……你好！

吳：嘩，使唔使握手呀！乘機想摸吓我隻手？

曾：廿八年嚟都未摸過……不過「鞋」咗啲！我最深印象係你做戲好型。訓練班有次個人表演，你行出嚟，跟住喺褲袋摷張紙出嚟，然後搣爛丟咗就行開，嘩，演得好快，我都唔知你嗰場戲係做咩？唔夠一分鐘。嗰時我覺得呢個人好型，又好寸，但又好多女生鍾意，你喺我哋女生中好受歡迎，我都成日mark你o架！

吳：講靚仔邊輪到我呀，嗰時有黃偉良（沒有在這行發展）、大宇喺度，我又瘦蜢蜢！雖然我冇乜嘢講，但訓練班時我好合群，跟男同學一齊溝女，又互相幫對方講大話，有啲男同學好花心，早餐一個（女友），午餐又另一個，我唔講邊個啦……

全班最索

曾：我哋嗰時好嚴，同班嘅唔可以拍拖。

吳：你又唔同，你同高一班嘅師兄拍拖（乘機爆華倩、朝偉拍拖）。

曾：所以我哋要偷偷摸摸（好尷尬）。

吳：你以為偷摸啫，其實全部人都知。

曾：冇(目及)其他女同學咩？

吳：嗰時你係全班最索，但一早畀師兄搞掂咗，其他嗰啲……好似君如就癲癲哋，肯定唔係我追求對象，而劉嘉玲，佢都係其中一個索，身材係最好，但又覺得佢大陸味重咗啲……好似蠢蠢哋咁，而娥姐（商天娥）就大家姐咁啦！

曾：係咩？（大發現但又好冧）我廿八年後今日先知呢個秘密！

有女萬事足唔係大男人

曾：最開心階段係咪依家呢？又有老婆又有女？睇你吖，一講個女成個慈父樣出晒嚟！

吳：呢個階段係最開心，但我唔係做慈父，我忠、奸都做，都會打囡囡屁股！其實我由細到大都想有個溫暖家庭，所以有囡囡後心態好唔同，做乜嘢都會為囡囡着想多啲，有人話仔、女係成世包袱，我反而覺得好甜！

曾：再追多個仔仔？

吳：考慮緊，做父母都要花時間陪仔、女，我太太都有考慮，都有可能嘅。

曾：你想囡囡入行嗎？好似你跟太太都係合作拍戲而認識，你一家跟演藝事業很有緣？

吳：我就唔會想個女入行，不過都會等佢自己決定，因為我同太太都係一齊演《俠》而認識。

曾：係你追太太嗎？因為我覺得你有啲「大男人」feel？

吳：梗係我追啦！但我真係唔係「大男人」喎，係我遷就人多，以前的確係脾氣差，不過老咗反而脾氣好咗，可能人成長就會改進，做人唔可以一成不變嘅！

曾：依家喺你身邊嘅人就最舒服，（唔使受氣）哈哈。

吳：都係架！哈哈，希望大家（成班同學）生活愉快啦，更希望多啲一齊，以及希望一齊拍戲，我哋個個都有票房，我咪做奸角囉，希望有老闆支持我哋！

為錢做壞蛋妙手回春

曾：我哋好少拍檔，只係喺台灣拍過一個單元《俠義見青天》，我做個盲妹，你要強姦我！

吳：訓練班出嚟，做咗兩年茄哩啡冇表現，有諗過返英國讀書，嗰時連奸角都未有得做，茶客甲咋，都幾受打擊，後來接演《魔域桃源》，係奸角但都係第二男主角，好多戲，都算係一個機會，之後有《妙手仁心》、《倚天屠龍記》，其中《妙手》都係代表作。

曾：《妙手》直情係你嘅轉捩點！你真係成個醫生咁，我全家都係做醫生（意思係好有權威去評價），形象咁好，咁有冇女仔借啲意要你打針？又有冇女仔同你講唔舒服要你幫佢聽吓個心？哈哈，講笑啫！

低潮多過高潮

吳：有人真係以為我係醫生，我幫內地一個醫院做代言人，老闆話真係有人打嚟搵「程至美」呢個人，證明角色好深入民心。

其實我做咗奸角都好多年，一路都唔開心，咁多年嚟，我覺得自己低潮多過高潮，成日都要為錢而做，好似嗰次喺台灣拍《俠義見青天》，要強姦曾華倩，唉，要我做啲咁嘅嘢。當時搵我拍嗰個導演，原本話唔係奸角，到我化妝嗰刻畀個劇本我，先知要強姦華倩，我同導演講唔拍要走，佢死話好趕，唔知點解我成日都遇到呢啲嘢。

曾：你之前咁易應承人？

吳：我同呢個導演成組人合作電影《跛豪》時好開心，之後佢同我講，話要拍套浪漫愛情片，嘩，我梗係制啦，點知嗰套係《肉蒲團》，我話唔拍啲咁嘅嘢，就即刻畀人兇：「唔拍咪賠二千萬囉！」

曾：我都唔知呢啲背後嘢，我同你拍《俠》劇時，只係知唔開心。

吳：我睇戲好投入，好似睇偶像發仔啲戲，我都好憎成日害佢嗰個「四眼仔」，佢叫乜名我唔知亦唔使知，總之影迷個心態就係咁，依家情況換喺我身上，要我做嗰個「四眼仔」，我梗係唔開心啦！我以前冇用心做嘅（奸角），仲試過畀啲貨車佬用粗口鬧。不過，依家就唔同，張家輝做奸角都攞七料影帝啦！

唔認有少爺脾氣

已定居北京的吳啟華認真有心，應承老同學曾華倩做訪問，當日特別坐飛機來港，令華倩相當感動，難怪訪問時華倩坦言對啟華的軼事印象深刻，但其實源自其少爺脾氣引發的兩宗罪。

華倩說：「當年你戴隱形眼鏡，點知跌咗一隻，叫我哋幫手搵，點搵啫！話明係隱形，梗係搵唔到，你跟住發脾氣唔上堂走咗！第二日返嚟先話畀我哋知，原來眼鏡攝咗喺眼球上面。另一件事，有次我哋（包括娥姐）搭巴士過海，你話要搭的士，咁貴梗係唔搭啦，咁你就一路哦，點知去到駱克道就自己按鐘要落車，我哋都愕然，所以你有個綽號叫『駱克道停一停』！」

華倩說來氣沖沖，但淡定的啟華笑問：「你咁講想表達我脾氣差？我年輕時係幾差，不過，唔係你哋講嘅少爺脾氣，我喺英國讀書都捱得好辛苦，成日畀人蝦，絕對唔係你哋諗嘅『番書仔』！」

文：影視組

攝：黃叔榮

場地：the mira HONGKONG

Oriental Daily Interview Series -- Part 3: Michael Tao

Part 3: Interview with Michael Tao

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 <> as well as beauty pageants and also the ‘lang mo’ path.

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

Oriental Daily Interview Series -- Part 2: Sean Lau

Part 2: Interview with Sean Lau

Original article published 2/13/2011
Source: Oriental Daily

Translated by: llwy12

Pictures credit as listed

Sean Lau clarifies Margie Tsang’s 28 year ‘misunderstanding’
Many of HK’S best actors and actresses graduated from TVB’s 12th Acting Class – for years, these artists have been able to shine on the acting stage. One of these ‘shining stars’ is HKFA Best Actor Sean Lau – even his former classmate, actress Margie Tsang, looks up to him with a sense of reverence and awe. So this time, as Margie bravely invites Sean for an interview, she is surprisingly able to ‘melt’ Sean’s usual ‘coolness’ and get him to talk candidly about certain ‘chapters’ of his life. In the process, Margie is able to ‘dissolve’ a misunderstanding that has lasted 28 years!

M = Margie Tsang
S = Sean Lau

Acting Class: Denies being ‘cool’, sits in a corner and laughs with others

In 1982, a group of youth applied to study in the 12th Acting Class at TVB – with a little bit of that childish innocence still in them, these young potential actors love to play but also love to laugh. Throughout the years, they’ve had their fair share of funny situations as well as misunderstandings….

M: I’ve always felt that you have a very ‘cool’ personality and immersed in your own world. Our group – including Sandra [Ng], Michael [Tao], myself, and a few others – would play around and get pretty wild, but yet you would always sit in a corner.

S: Huh? I don’t feel it’s that way! Perhaps it’s because I’m afraid to be around a lot of people – but I actually do laugh with you guys while sitting in my corner! Actually, in the past, I’ve had doubts about whether I’m a good fit with this industry. Back during the acting class days when I was poorest, I only had a dollar on me, yet I didn’t want to ask my family for money, so I had no choice but to walk to and from school and live off of cup of noodles. You’ve seen for yourself how I didn’t participate in a lot of the activities back during that time.

M: Oh, no wonder! Back in the day, we had a ‘rumor’ that circulated amongst our group that you only had 1 pair of jeans that you only washed once a week, so that’s why you were embarrassed to be around us!

S: No! I actually had 3 pairs – it’s just that they were all the same style!

M: The holes were in all the same places?

S: Yes, the same! Actually, all these years, I still like the same things – even right now, most of my jeans have holes in them!

M: Hahahaha! So we ‘misunderstood’ you for 28 years then! We didn’t know you were that loyal! Back in those days, we were a pretty harmonious group and hung out together from morning till night. There were definitely a lot of happy situations!

S: Yes! Actually, I feel that I was quite playful during that time – especially when we would get together to rehearse for the anniversary galas, it was a lot of fun!

M: So back then, which of the male artists did you feel would succeed?

S: Michael [Tao] was the most carefree, plus his acting was good – if you told him to cry, he could do so immediately! Lawrence [Ng] was the good-looking one, definitely perfect for the ‘melancholy scholar’ type roles.


Opportunities: Success in television and movie based on taking the initiative

Sean has a very low-key personality, yet it’s because of the 2 times when he took the initiative and was proactive that he gained unexpected results. The first time landed him in the television industry, and the second time allowed him to break into movies.

M: Back in the days, why did you decide to enter the acting class?

S: Actually, my dad was the one who told me to apply. After the interview, I didn’t hear back for a long time – I thought to myself that there’s no reason why I wouldn’t be accepted into the class, so I bravely called to ask about it. That’s when I found out that they lost my application – plus that day was the deadline, so I rushed over there with my dad and we made it just in time.

M: Wow, luckily you made that phone call – sometimes, things are just meant to be! So later on, how did you end up entering the film industry?

S: There wasn’t a particular reason, I just felt that it was the right time, but unfortunately, I didn’t have any connections in the film industry at the time. Later on, I met director Derek Yee and he told me about the script that he wrote for the movie "C’est La Vie, Mon Cheri". I immediately recommended myself for the movie, but he didn’t promise me anything – shortly after that, TV series "The Greed of Man" aired on TVB and when Derek saw it, he felt that I had potential, so he sought me out to collaborate in his movie.

M: Oh, so it sounds like you got pretty lucky…as soon as you open your mouth, you get good opportunities! So what is your opinion on the TV series made nowadays?

S: Primarily, technique and equipment has advanced a lot. Actually, I’ve been ‘chasing’ "No Regrets" recently, as I am a fan of Wayne Lai!

M: Back in our time, we actually collaborated in quite a few series. I remember when we were filming <>, there was one scene where you were trying to make me leave you because you didn’t want me to die with you – so manly!

S: You still feel so touched even now? You’re so silly!

M: Well, the character was likable, as it gave audiences the impression that you are a good man. By the way, I know a lot of people who really like you – since you’re not good-looking, perhaps they are attracted to your personality?

S: They probably just like the characters I play! Luckily, most of my roles have been favorable with audiences. Several years ago, the night I won the Best Actor award at HKFA, I heard a lot of applause from the audience, which surprised me a bit. I’ve ‘pretended’ to receive awards in movies, but when it’s the real thing, it’s definitely different! I was very touched! Afterwards, I was at the market and a husband/wife couple came up to me – they were crying and told me how happy they were for me. I was very surprised and moved!


Relationship: Tries to surprise his wife, but she always sees through it

Sean is rarely associated with any rumors or gossip – in fact, he and his wife Amy Kwok are known as a model couple in the entertainment industry. Sean admits that he is not romantic and on the occasion when he tries to ‘surprise’ his wife, she always manages to see through it.

M: That night, at Kiki’s wedding banquet, I saw the expression in Amy’s eyes when she looked at you – I could tell that she is so in love with you! Are you her idol?

S: (Laughing) Hahaha! Her eyes are like that, it always looks like she’s smiling! As for me, I have that mean look…but honestly, since I see her every day, I don’t notice anything special.

M: Have there been times when the two of you would get together and it seems like there is nothing to talk about?

S: Occasionally, but we’ve been married for more than 10 years already – after such a long time, it’s normal!

M: Have you ever wished that your wife wasn’t part of the industry?

S: Never thought about it. It’s her personal decision…to be honest though, she really has sacrificed a lot because of me.

M: How do you two celebrate during the holidays and such?

S: We don’t celebrate any holidays. Occasionally, on our wedding anniversary, we may have a little bit of celebration – I usually give her flowers.

M: What was your most romantic move?

S: None really, since it’s very hard to give Amy a surprise. I remember one time, the day before our wedding anniversary, right when I was about to go out, she asked me if I remembered to take the address with me. I asked her what address? She immediately handed me the business card to a flower shop – obviously, she saw right through it already. I guess the ‘biggest’ surprise would be giving her a ring or some jewelry for our anniversary.

M: Do you give all the money you earn to your wife?

S: I give it all to her to manage for me. I’m too lazy to read all those letters written in English – it’s too much hassle to look up each word in the dictionary.

M: You two have decided not to have any children?

S: Pretty much. Haven’t really thought about it much.

M: I agree. Pregnancy is already not an easy feat, but having to raise a child is even more difficult…it’s a lifetime commitment.

S: That’s why I just play with other people’s babies. Those parents actually envy how we still have our freedom!


Epilogue: Afraid of being tortured, so not used to granting interviews
Generally speaking, Sean Lau is a man of few words, yet this time around, when he recounts the ‘old days’, he talks non-stop. He explains the reason why he rarely accepts interviews: “It’s difficult to talk about the same feelings over and over again.” Upon hearing this, Margie felt so honored and excited that Sean decided to let her interview him, she kept ‘teasing’ him playfully, causing Sean to laugh and say to her: “I grant an interview and you torture me like this! Now you know why I don’t like to do interviews!” Old friends getting together to reminisce about the past, of course there will be endless topics to talk – and laugh – about!

.***.

Chinese Version:

劉青雲釋曾華倩28年誤會

無綫第十二期藝員訓練班造就一班好戲之人，他們在這個演藝舞台上發光發熱，當中表表者包括金像影帝劉青雲，連同期同學曾華倩對他也有一種敬畏感，不過華倩今次大膽相約談心，沒料能將cool爆的青雲「溶掉」，華倩把冰山劈開同時，從中更「化解」了一場28年的誤會！

曾：曾華倩　劉：劉青雲

訓練班篇：唔認cool 坐埋一邊陪笑

82年，一班年輕人報讀「第十二期藝員訓練班」，童心未泯的他們愛玩愛笑，鬧出不少笑話，當中又有很多誤會……

曾：我成日覺得你好cool，沉醉喺自己個世界，我同吳君如、陶大宇成班人玩到好癲，你就坐埋一角！

劉：吓？我唔覺得係咁架喎！可能我怕多人，但我有陪笑架！我都有懷疑過自己適唔適合做呢行，訓練班最窮嗰時，身上得一蚊，但又唔想問屋企攞錢，惟有行路返學放學，又捱杯麵，你見我當年好多活動都冇去架。

曾：唔怪得！我哋當年流傳你得一條牛仔褲，一星期先洗一次咋！

劉：唔係喎！我有三條，不過一樣款之嘛！

曾：穿窿位都一樣？

劉：都一樣呀，其實我咁多年鍾意嘅嘢都差唔多，依家條牛仔褲都有窿嘅！

曾：哈哈哈！咁我哋誤會咗你廿八年呀！原來你真係咁專一！當年我哋算係團結，由朝對到黑，有好多開心事！

劉：係，其實我覺得自己好貪玩，當年一齊排台慶就好好玩喇。

曾：當時你睇好邊個男仔跑出？

劉：大宇就好開朗，做戲又好，話喊就喊！吳啟華就靚仔，係憂鬱小生型格。

際遇篇：勇闖影視 全靠主動

青雲個性低調，卻因為兩次做主動換來意想不到的收穫，第一次令他有機會踩入公仔箱，第二次則讓他闖進影壇。

曾：當年點解會報讀訓練班？

劉：其實係我爹哋叫我報，面試之後好耐都冇通知，我覺得冇理由唔得，於是膽粗粗打電話問，原來封信寄失咗，嗰日仲係截止，我即刻同爹哋飛的士去報名！

曾：好在你打電話咋，有時啲嘢真係整定，咁之後點解去拍戲？

劉：冇架，覺得係時候，但係一個電影人都唔識架。之後遇到爾冬陞（小寶），佢同我講《新不了情》嘅劇本，我即刻自薦，佢冇應承我，冇幾耐，電視劇《大時代》就出街，小寶覺得我得，先搵我。

曾：咁你都幾開口中！一係唔出聲，一出聲就有得着！係喇，咁你點睇依家啲電視劇？

劉：主要係技術、器材進步咗。我有睇《義海豪情》架，我係祥仔（黎耀祥）fans！

曾：我哋當時拍劇合作都算多，記得同你拍《大運河》，有句對白你要趕我走，因為你唔想我陪你死，好man！

劉：你依家仲好touching？你咪傻囉！

曾：個角色令人覺得你係好男人，話時話，我識好多人都好鍾意你，你又唔係靚仔，可能覺得你有性格。

劉：鍾意我啲角色啫！好在我多數角色都係討好嘅。前幾年我攞影帝嗰晚聽到好多掌聲，嚇咗一跳！拍戲攞獎我有試過，但真嘅又唔同，好感動！之後我去街市，有兩公婆喊晒話好戥我開心，好surprise！

感情篇：製造驚喜 老婆玩踢爆

向來甚少緋聞的青雲，與太太郭藹明堪稱圈中模範夫婦，不過他自嘲不浪漫，偶爾想搞驚喜都會被老婆識穿！

曾：嗰晚娥姐（商天娥）餐喜酒，見到你老婆望住你嘅眼神，愛到不得了！佢當你係偶像？

劉：（笑晒）哈哈！佢對眼係咁，生成一個笑樣啫，我就惡樣，日日對住真係唔覺喎。

曾：會唔會坐埋一齊成日冇嘢講？

劉：都會架，結咗婚超過十年，有時耐咗，好正常啫！

曾：唔想太太係圈中人？

劉：冇咁諗，係個人嘅選擇，不過佢真係為咗我放棄咗好多。

曾：過時過節點慶祝？

劉：我就唔慶祝節日嘅，結婚周年紀念就有慶祝吓，送吓花咁。

曾：最勁係咩浪漫招？

劉：好難畀驚喜，有次周年紀念前一日我落街，佢問我有冇帶地址，我問咩地址呀？佢即刻遞張花店嘅卡片畀我，佢識穿晒我啲嘢啦，最大驚喜都係送戒指同飾物咁囉。

曾：賺錢係咪畀晒太太？

劉：都係交畀佢管理啦，費事睇啲英文信，要逐個字查字典。

曾：決定唔生小朋友？

劉：唔喇！冇諗呢樣。

曾：我都贊成，懷胎十月好似好辛苦，但之後養仲難，係成世人嘅包袱。

劉：所以會玩吓朋友個BB，佢哋都羨慕我好free架！

後記：怕糟質唔慣受訪

平日寡言的劉青雲談起往事即滔滔不絕，他解釋甚少接受訪問的原因：「一段感受點可以講咁多次？」令華倩大感榮幸，high爆的她影合照時更不停在青雲身後整古做怪，青雲即笑說：「一出嚟就畀你糟質，知我點解唔出嚟啦？」老朋友敍舊，有說不完的話題，也令餐廳充滿歡笑聲！

採訪：立影

攝影：黎志輝

場地：Grand Central