Article written by Lam Chiu Wing, photographs by uncredited Apple Daily staff. Transcribed and translated by Wolverine, and courteously posted on the HKSAR Top 10 site. Original article presumably online at Apple Daily (Chinese character decoder required), but since I can't read Chinese I've not yet found it. :P
For more details of CYF's inescapable genius, check out my Chow Yun-Fat: God of Actors site!
|
Hong Kong has many problems, but someone like Chow Yun Fat who flies to America for movies for several months a year won't know much about them. Life has even more problems, all kinds, but for someone like Chow Yun Fat who lives in recluse in Los Angeles and Sai Kung, a few kind words can't solve any problem for you. The only thing is, when it comes to problems of actors and stars today, Chow Yun Fat feels right at home and flows like a raging flood. With the wind brushing the sides of his face, this Lamma Island born international superstar absolutely is qualified to speak directly. STAR POWER"I have to mention (Patrick) Tse Yin. He is a real star, when he walks out he has a magnetism. On the silver screen, he only has to play himself for a bit." "I am not attractive. Chow Yun Fat is the most handsome guy. He is sloppy, very ordinary. Yet, I am popular because of my characters. Everyone remembers I was Hui Man Keung, I was Muk Jui Fai because these were good characters that helped me." "The stars now are just the opposite. In movies their characters don't seem to have any special attractiveness. No one remembers. On the other hand, their daily life is a big deal. They are really handsome, they cannot be a better match. Real life has already been packaged so nicely, on the silver screen they aren't attractive. A complete switch." HONG KONG MIRACLE"I have made 70 films in Hong Kong, only A Better Tomorrow (Ying Hung Boon Sik) I won't be able to run into again, a 1/70 chance. Now, in America, I make a movie a year. If I go on for another 20 years, there still will only be 20 films. I might have to wait for another 70 movies before running into a movie like A Better Tomorrow again." "One can say, today I am a miracle, a Hong Kong actor who can make movies in America. Chow Yun Fat has to make several dozen television series before getting ahead, during which I had such good scripts, such good roles, then such good directors. When I made out to make movies, I ran into a new wave in film, with a group of such good directors and again with such good scripts. Then I reached fame. When I reached a certain level, I could go to Hollywood and work overseas. I am a miracle. Look how much have to come together before I can achieve where I am today!" It took 20 years, a golden era of television and film before a Chow Yun Fat appeared. HOLLYWOOD ACTOR VS HONG KONG ACTOR"Hollywood actors are more professional. When they are acting, they only focus on one area. You are a character actor, then you only do character acting. If you are a comic actor then you do comedy. However, look at our Ng Man Tat, he does comedy, drama, and action. Foreign actors aren't as multidimensional as we are; they only have one specialty. That's the difference between Hong Kong actor and foreign actors. Actually we have more chances than they do." "When I make Hollywood movies, I have a stand-in. Do you know what is a stand-in? He is someone who matches my height and shape. After the completion of a scene, I rest and he starts working by taking my place for lighting. After all the technical stuff has been taken care off, then I come. He is 22 and was in college for 4 years, and he isn't even qualified to be a temporary actor. Do you know their temporary actors also have different classes. Level 1 has no lines, the next level there is one line, then the next 2, then several lines. When they hit level 4 they can join the union." "That's how they train. A stand-in after 4 years of professional college education has to toil for quite awhile before becoming an actor. That's their system. If you want that job, there is only one way. Follow the system." "It's different from Hong Kong. You might be discovered on the street by people, you might also be Miss Hong Kong, or compete once at a singing contest, you can then become famous on your way to stardom." STARS NO LONGER"Now Hong Kong has many 'jade girls' (girl next door) who are acting and singing but always say they are retiring and suddenly run off to marry someone. Even that (Charlie) Yeung Choi Nei is retiring, everyone is getting married. I then suspect whether they really like this business, being an actor. Many people uses stardom for a diving board, when they made enough money they go into business." "Working in this business, you should love this business. We really love acting, so we got into business. (Eric) Tsang Chi Wai now he is even doing television because he likes it." "The most important part about acting is 'life experience', without any understanding of life, acting is really hard. It's a shame they retire after such a short time in this business -- success has to accumulate." |
| |
| |
|
Here are more than 30 words. Fat Jai answered them one by one. Perhaps the answers will reflect Fat Jai's current/then inner state. If you are interested in organizing one by one, here are his words in the wind --
Lam Chiu Wing |
Chow Yun Fat |
| Place | |
| Hong Kong | Our root. |
| Hong Kong People | Mean, really mean, they can work and play, overcome hardships and endure. |
| Lamma Island | Home. What affects me is her simplicity. Food and material are all lost youth. When you want to eat you go to the sea to catch it, to raise it. If you don't have money to buy something you make it yourself. Everything is hand made, it's very natural. |
| China | Unfathomable Depth, Beautiful Rivers and Mountains. |
| Tsim Sha Tsui | Sprout dream, star dream. During my days of training class, I began to sprout dreams at the Peninsula Hotel. The Peninsula Hotel -- in the past it's a place to go, where my first job was. It was there I learned how to serve people, how to treat a customer with courtesy. | Central | Hong Kong Festival. During the Miss Hong Kong Festival contest when Dik Bo Lei won, it was 1971 and I was working as an office boy in Central. I didn't even have lunch and ran to see the Hong Kong Festival. At the time there were a lot of shows, full of singing and dancing. |
| Pier | A sad place, just like the airport. |
| PEOPLE | |
| English | There should be no difference between people. |
| American | When they are mean they are meaner than the Chinese. However, when they are polite, they are much more polite than our place of manners. They are very ruly, very systematic. |
| Singapore Women | Overcome Hardship and Endure, simple and pure. [Jasmine is from Singapore - WL] |
| Friend | Going through hell for you, but can also be as light as water. |
| Best Friend | Partner, a dance partner. Friend is different from a dance partner. A friend after going through hell once might not be heard from again. There might not be a second time, but a dance partner is life long. |
| Father | Someone I admire a lot. Someone who can do a lot of things you can even imagine. He can build a house by himself. He can do a lot of hand craft, he can weave a basket. Someone who is well rounded. What I regret the most is when I graduated, he passed away. |
| Mother | My partner for half my life. My idol. From childhood to now, she has been a great role model to me. Someone I went to sell stuff with. Someone I go over mountains and valleys with, carrying stuff to sell. I really miss those days. She is very capable. Without much education, she is very strong. Someone I really respect. As for other people's mothers, I feel they are great too. |
| Wife | I can say she is very troublesome, but, with a partner, sometimes she might miss a step. You then have to adjust. Wife represents understanding and tolerance. |
| Children | Other people's are better than my own. |
| THINGS | |
| Alcohol | To me it's poison. I feel beer is very bitter. |
| Smoking | I smoke less and less, gradually quitting. |
| Dinner | Light meal. |
| Car | I can live without one. |
| Bicycle | A necessity |
| Book | Now I begin to enjoy books, I am learning to read one book completely. I don't read much, when I do they are books that teaching film making, acting, or English. |
| English | My recent nightmare. |
| SCENERY | |
| White Cloud | Pretty. |
| Wind | Comfortable. |
| Rain | Sleep. |
| A Tree | Lord's Gift. |
| Mountain | Heaven's plant. |
| WORK | |
| Star | Mesmerizing, mad. |
| Actor | Hard labor. |
| Television Artist | Cheap labor. |
| Location shoot | An enjoyment. Working outside is a lot of fun. I like location shots and dislike studio shots. I am scared of being trapped in the studio, bored, locked in and not allowed to leave. With the air conditioning blowing back and forth, I got dizzy easily. Location shoot has a lot of trees, full of life. Location shoot has rice boxes. |
| Film | My spiritual nourishment. My everything, My work. |
| Show Business | Sigh, how can I say it? Depends on whether you are in or out. Sometimes you have to jump outside to look in. Sometimes you have to in to look out. That way it's more balanced. |
| Money | To some people, money is very important. To me, money is really troublesome. I can't be without money; having money sometimes is trouble. You can say, why don't you give me all the trouble, but having money clouds your judgment. Actually money sometime is pretty sinful. However, after working awhile, suffering through a job to pay for a house, meals and spending, I am very happy, especially when you are paying off a house, when it's over it's very happy. However, when you are done paying off one you start payment on another, like it never ends. Now all my houses are being paid. To me life is continuously paying off houses. |
| Name | In this business you have to have a name, but don't let name drag you down. If my name is worth 100 points, normally my name is zero. Name is only used in promotions, normally it would be best not to use the words Chow Yun Fat. |
You are probably the only person who has ever accessed this web page, while I myself have logged on 
times since October 26th, 2001.
This page last officially modified October 2001. I created this page in July 1998 with help from the NCSA's Beginner's Guide to HTML.
© 1998-2001 Winnifred Louis. I have a guestbook, which you are welcome to view or sign. You can also look at an archive of GB entries made prior to October 26th, 2001, here; why you would want to I am not sure.