16 April 2005 - Issue 3
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NEWS ROUNDUP - 09/04/05-16/04/05
Scavengers Paradise Promo
A promotional event for "Scavengers Paradise" was attended by cast members including Roger Kwok, Myolie Wu and Kenneth Ma and Roger was asked about an earlier report that suggested he had been on a gambling trip to Macau and was sighted with girlfriend Cindy Au studying a racing paper on the boat. In response to this, Roger laughs: "Of course I didn't go gambling, they didn't even print a photo, so how can you believe that? I don't have any money to gamble." He explains that he did go to Macau earlier to see a friend who lives there and there are many things to see there apart from the casinos.
Roger admits that he did do some gambling in the past, but it was just a little flutter. "Leisure activities in Hong Kong are limited, so I will place a small bet once in a while, but when I am working, I do not gamble. I have not played mah jong for around four years now because it is very tiring."
More Hostility at The Academy
Ron Ng, Fiona Sit, Deep Ng and Tavia Yeung were among the cast members at a promotional event for new series "The Academy", where a slip of the tongue from Ron provoked a new set of rumours about the relationship between Fiona and her co-stars. As Fiona described the hardship they went through during filming, Ron commented: "You are the fragile and precious one!". However, she insisted that he was just joking and there was no malice intended.
Despite strong denials that Fiona has had a poor rapport with her co-stars, in particular with Sammul Chan, she seemed to make little interaction with the other artistes at the event, only making conversation with the show's producer, but once again, she defended herself, saying: "There is no animoscity between us and I invited the other cast members for dinner earlier, but Ron and Sammul were busy and could not attend." When asked about this, Ron confirmed that there was a meal held by the cast and crew, but it was not Fiona who had invited him. Fiona has pledged that if the show reaches 38 points, then she will model a swimsuit, but not a bikini because she is afraid that her figure is not good enough.
Cutie at a Charity Event
Building on the current hype of "Dae Jang Geum", a shopping mall held an event where Cutie Mui was joined by some little girls dressed in traditional Korean costume to receive a cheque from a fundraiser on behalf of a children's charity. Cutie hopes that the event will help to educate children about how fortunate they are.
Cutie is currently working on new ideas for her slimming promotions and says with a sigh: "Even my friends like Louis Yuen and Alvina Kong are doing slimming ads. With Alvina being suspended on wires and Lee San San working with a snake, I can't do either of those things because I am scared of heights and snakes. I hope you can all help me with new ideas."
Winnie Takes Early Maternity Leave
Despite being seven months pregnant, Winnie Young was insistent on taking a part in new series "Legend of Ah Wong", but after just a day on set, there were concerns about her health and producer Wong Wai Sing urged her to stop filming and rest until after the birth of her baby. The role will be filled by Selena Li instead. A disappointed Winnie said: "I feel really bad for making Producer Wong worry. (Is your husband glad you are stopping?) He doesn't mind, now I just have to find something to pass the time. (How is the baby?) The doctor says that the baby girl is a large size."
Producer Wong says that originally Winnie was to film for eight days, but on the first day, they were worried that there was a chance that the baby may be born prematurely, so on the doctor's advice, she was persuaded to abandon filming until after the birth.
TVB's Homegrown Singers
A press event was attended by TVB's Production Resource Deputy Chief Lok Yee Ling to mark a collaboration between TVB and Universal Records to release a collection of songs from TVB's singers and artistes. Asked about the royalties paid to the singing stars for this work, Ms Lok said that this was down to the company to arrange. A total of forty-four songs have been chosen for their own staff to sing by TVB and there will be further collaborations with the music companies in the future. Ms Lok announced: "This is a trial run, so we are not looking for profit. It costs money to release an album and there will also be ten music videos to accompany the songs, so we are simply hoping to push the artistes up in their careers and not looking at the cost."
With Hacken Lee taking centre stage at the photocall, Ms Lok was asked if this indicated his top position at TVB. Laughingly, she replied: "He is handsome! (But there are many handsome men here today!) Yes, I was a little faint when I went onto the stage!" She explained that the arrangement had been thought out before, but admitted that Hacken has a special place in the eyes of the company because he has the looks, can sing, act and host. Asked about the criticisms against Moses's singing, Ms Lok says that we should give the artistes a chance because they are actors and not really singers.
Ron Ng was asked how he felt about the theme song for forthcoming series "Revolving Doors of Vengeance" being awarded to Hacken Lee, but he says he does not mind because to be able to sing is good enough. Kevin Cheng will be singing the theme song for "Yummy Yummy" and after seven years away from the recording studio, Kevin feels very relaxed about this venture because there is no pressure and he has already profited from this experience.
Myolie in Japan filming "Oh-Oku" Clips
With plans to follow the success of "Dae Jang Geum" (Jewel in the Palace) with Japanese blockbuster "Oh-Oku", TVB arranged for Myolie to head to Japan to film some short introductory clips about Japanese culture, showing how much importance the company is placing on her. Myolie says: "If the company arranges work for me, then I have to do it, even if it means I have to go without sleep. On the day I headed out to Japan, I had just returned from working in Canada and after heading home to pack some clothes, I had to fly out again."
In order to maximise the time in Japan, Myolie has had to film non-stop for six days and the most memorable time was wearing a princess kimono and wearing geisha make-up: "There are twelve layers to the kimono and I had to have a lot of help to put it on. As for the geisha look, it is quite interesting." Shopping time for Myolie in Japan was limited to just one hour: "After finishing work, all the department stores had closed, but I made the most of the pharmacy in the hotel and picked up a lot of cosmetics."
As for the current political tension between the Chinese and Japanese, there have been criticisms at the decision to air a Japanese series at this time. Myolie says: "This is just work, I hope that the viewers will see the distinction." Myolie can speak a little Japanese, so she had originally planned to put it to good use, but she says that she could understand it, but found it difficult to speak herself, so she hopes to take a few more lessons to improve.
Deep in The Zone
Deep Ng filmed a guest part in TVB's fantasy series "The Zone" earlier in a story telling of a university student who meets horrible experiences after playing the "New Life" ritual. Deep says that he is rather cowardly, so he is rather afraid of filming in the run-down building in the middle of the night. Asked if he has any scary experiences, he says: "No, and I don't wish to have any either because I get frightened by watching horror movies. (You have filmed ghost stories before though.) Yes, and every time I have to burn incense to the gods first." The crew had asked him to lie on the ground so that they could draw a chalk body outline around him, but he refused on the grounds that it was a bad omen.
Matt Yeung in Trouble
Last month, Matt Yeung was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and was released on bail for $5000. He reported to the Yaumatei police station this week and pleaded guilty to the charges. The case will be heard on the 18th of this month at Kowloon Magistrates Court. Matt was full of regret as he said: "I have admitted my crime and I hope that the judge will be lenient with me. I will never drink and drive again. I had never done it before, but on that day I was rushing to return the car to my friend but he stood me up and this happened. Since the incident, many friends have been very caring towards me and I am very touched."
"Barber" Filming Attracts Complaints
Kevin Cheng and Sharon Chan have been filming for TVB new series "Barber Father Stylist Son" in Central, but there have been complaints of this affecting business for some of the local designer boutiques, leading to the security guards calling the police. However, after investigation, all the correct permits were produced and filming was allowed to continue. In a telephone interview, Kevin says that there was a scuffle, but he was too busy filming to notice whether there was any violence. The filming schedule was not affected and he continued to shoot for several hours before completing the scene and heading back to TVB for the music promo.
Selena Steps into Winnie's Shoes
TVB's "Legend of Ah Wong" continued filming with Selena Li taking the place of Winnie Young after her departure from the set. Wearing her fake 'bump' for her costume fitting, Selena says she does not mind taking over from Winnie, remarking happily: "I am so pleased to work with Roger Kwok. The character has pre-natal depression, so she has to cry and shout a lot and is quite challenging. I will be guest starring in six episodes, so I am thankful to Winnie for giving me this opportunity."
Filming for Ah Wong at Digiport
Roger Kwok, Jessica Hsuan and Leila Tong were filming for "Legend of Ah Wong" at Digiport with Roger wearing a shaped foam 'Earth suit' and Jessica and Leila looking very professional in their power suits. Roger found his costume very amusing and explained that his character is wearing this suit to do a promotion for a telecommunications company and he meets Jessica, but when he chases after her, he falls over causing a very funny scene. Asked if the suit is hard work to wear, Roger says that it is not very heavy and there is plenty of room inside, where he can keep a stash of food, but as he has to keep shaking his head to move his hat, it is quite tiring.
Talking of the departure of Winnie Young from the show, Roger explained that because her bump was so big, it put a lot of pressure on the cast and crew because they were afraid of knocking into her and causing an injury, so they joined together to urge her to take a break. Jessica says that there are pros and cons of Winnie leaving as they are good friends, but she was worried that with all the action for Winnie's character, there was danger of her working too hard. Jessica says that although she has never had a baby before, she knows it is hard work, so she is glad that Winnie can take it easy and relax. Leila plays Jessica's relative in the show and she has the ambition to marry into a rich family, but she is wary about Jessica joining the company, afraid that she will be an obstacle to her promotion. To tie in with her professional role, Leila wore a pair of diamond earrings, but she explains that they are fakes because she would never wear the real things for work.
Carol's new Legal Quiz
Filming began earlier for Carol Cheng's new legal matters quiz show, with guest stars Ron Ng, Frankie Lam and Olivia Cheng. A blessing ceremony was held before filming began and future guests will include Eric Tsang and Non-Drama Assistant Chief Ho Lai Chuen. Carol says that there will be 25 episodes and a grand final and the show is split into two sections. The first is where a hundred members of the public are asked to interpret a legal situation to enter the second section where they have a chance to win a place at the grand final and play for prizes and cash to the value of nearly $200,000. "The show will feature two lawyers and three special guests in each episode and some of the questions in the first episode include whether a mother taking a seven year old boy into the toilets is illegal and whether one can ride on the bus if the Octopus machine is faulty, but the passenger does not have any change."
Ron admitted that when he was about three or four years old, he looked like a little girl and his mother made him wear a dress so that he could follow her into the toilet and that is how he knows there are no urinals but they have dustbins there.
Bobby Films for Sze Kung
Working on new series "Mysteries of Sze Kung", Bobby Au Yeung was wearing a set of Chinese style wedding clothes in a scene where he has to welcome the bridal chair carrying Kenix Kwok, but as she has been kidnapped, there is just a rock inside. Bobby says that he and his wife are rather low profile, so his real life wedding was a quiet affair.
No Japanese Shows Please, We're Chinese
TVB had originally planned to follow the airing of "Dae Jang Geum" with the Japanese series "Oh-Oku", but due to the recent tension between the Chinese and Japanese government and people, TVB General Manager Stephen Chan announced that the show would be replaced by another Korean drama "Hur-jun".
After receiving over ten complaints from members of the public about the decision to air the show, TVB have felt that it would be distasteful to air "Oh-Oku" in the primetime slot, so despite sending Myolie Wu to Japan to film a set of short introductory clips especially for the show, the decision was made to re-schedule the series for the weekend instead.
"Hur-Jun" has been dubbed the story of the 'male Jang Geum' and when it was aired in its native Korea, attracted ratings far exceeding that of "Dae Jang Geum". Mr Chan indicated that the decision to change the schedules was not purely based on public opinion, as they had been negotiating the rights to the show for a while and at the time that "Oh-Oku" was announced, they were unsure as to whether they had secured "Hur-Jun". As a commercial organisation, Mr Chan feels that TVB should not become too entangled in the political scene.
Ada takes on TVB Grand Production
Featuring the majority of the stars from last year's hit "War and Beauty", TVB Grand Production "Yellow Earth Great Plains" has been renamed with working title "Flames Dance in Golden Sands" and is planned to begin filming at the end of next month. Cast members have now been confirmed, with 'gossip queens' Sheren Tang and Maggie Cheung omitted and producer Chik Kei Yi bringing back two of his favourite leading ladies - Ada Choi and Maggie Siu to form the familiar four female headline together with Gigi Lai and Charmaine Sheh.
Currently filming in Hangzhou, Ada was asked if she knew she would be taking over from Sheren and she says: "TVB approached me a few months ago and asked me to make some time to do a show, but I did not know it was this one. I always do my best to perform in any show I accept." As for whether there will be as much gossip as "War", Ada laughs that she is not worried at all: "I worked with Gigi on 'Fate Twisters' and did not have any problems, so I am not afraid of any rumours."
Disappearance Filming Ends
Filming for TVB new series "Disappearance" ends soon and leading stars Bernice Liu, Melissa Ng, Michael Miu and Akina Hong chipped in to take the cast and crew out for a celebratory dinner, with Michael paying the balance and Melissa buying a few bottles of red wine. The meal coincided with the premiere of Michael's new series "The Academy", so everyone grouped around the TV to support him, with Melissa exclaiming: "He is getting more and more stylish with time!" In response, Michael laughed: "My partners are getting younger and younger - next time I will be working opposite Tavia!"
Asked about recent photos revealing a rather flabby Moses Chan out jogging, Bernice couldn't stop laughing as she asked the press in return: "Is he really that fat? Of course he is not as fit as me and I am not that slim. For men, they look better if they are not too skinny because it makes them look weak."
Ron on Music and Japanese Goods
A TVB soundtrack album entitled "The Attraction of a Man" and featuring songs from 9 TVB artistes including Ron Ng, Hacken Lee and Bowie Lam will go on sale next Wednesday and at a radio interview, Ron revealed that he will be buying himself a copy for good luck and asking the other nine men to autograph it for him. Asked which of the nine he felt had the most masculinity, Ron laughed that he would choose Frankie Lam because he is the hairiest. As for whether he would like to be as hairy as Frankie, he says: "I would, some girls like this type!"
With the recent anti-Japanese wave hitting Hong Kong and demonstrations planned for this weekend, Ron feels that people in Hong Kong will not be too charged and will just protest peacefully and not attack Japanese businesses. As for boycotting Japanese goods, Ron says this is quite difficult: "Many of my daily items are from Japan, as are some of my clothes. I heard Sandra Ng say on the radio once that many Japanese brands are made in China anyway, so by boycotting Japanese goods, we are doing ourselves no favours."
Fiona Yuen to Launch Another Cookbook
Fiona Yuen was invited to attend a promotion for a steam and having previously written a cookery book, Fiona has a lot of culinary knowledge and she endorses this particular oven because the food cooked in it can be very healthy. Asked if she would be offering her services to the popular cookery programmes, she says she will give it a try if she has the chance. After her last cook book, Fiona received a five figure sum from royalties alone. She laughs: "I love writing cook books because apart from it being my hobby, the money I make is a great incentive." She says that for her next book, she will be writing many of her own recipes and she plans to spend three months on preparation for it. Fiona is currently filming for TVB series "Always on Standby" and she had the chance earlier to visit the headquarters of the Government Flying Services and board a helicopter worth $500million. She says that she went hill walking with a friend earlier, but they had problems and had to be rescued by the Flying Services, so this was not the best time to admire the helicopter.
Maria Chan to Launch Book
After raising her profile in "War and Beauty" as Bo Sim, Maria Chan has been invited to promote many products and at an advertising shoot earlier, she was asked to combine her beauty and intelligence in a stylish and sophisticated look. Maria says that her fee is reasonable and she has also received a five figure sponsorship package. She says: "I am happy that I have had so many opportunities this year to try so many different jobs. My love is still for acting though and I do not mind playing evil or ugly characters because every role is a challenge for me." She adds that as well as some voluntary work, she has also written some columns for magazines and is writing an English book that introduces some Hong Kong common phrases.
New TVB Lawyer Series
TVB held a costume tryout for producer Lau Ka Ho's new lawyer series that is yet to be titled and cast members present included Marco Ngai, Myolie Wu, Sammul Chan and Wayne Lai. One of the other main leads Liza Wang was absent from the event. To be able to work with Liza again so soon after finishing on "My Sassy Mother-in-Law", Myolie is very happy, especially as this time she will not be against Liza because she plays her daughter.
The show seems to be rather similar to Myolie's earlier series "Survivor's Law", but Myolie points out the differences, saying that the storyline this time is not about four fresh lawyers and is a little unusual. She explains that the story tells of her being dumped at university, then she suffers from anorexia and then fails her degree, but thanks to the help of her mother in the show, played by Liza, she manages to progress from being an aide to a lawyer. Although Myolie is quite thin, she is not thin enough to portray an anorexic convincingly, but Myolie says that they will use make-up or a doctored photograph to put forward the point.
Myolie breathes a sigh of relief that she is not playing a lawyer in the show because she has less complicated lines to learn. Marco on the other hand was worried that he did not have enough lines to present in the show. "When I saw the script was only about three or four pages long, it felt like it was too short, so I have asked the scriptwriters to pad it out a bit more for me." He also says proudly that no matter how long the lines are, they will not prove difficult for him because when he played Wu Sangui and had to speak six pages of lines, he was still fine. "I don't remember when my last NG (outtake) was, so I have asked for a ten page dialogue. If I can challenge the dialogue used in 'Justice Sung', then that would be the best." Asked what his secret was, Marco smiles: "You do not just memorise and recite your lines, you speak them from the heart. If you imagine it as a 3-dimensional image, then you will not cause NG's." He also indicates that he has signed for a further three years with TVB and the pay negotiation has been satisfactory.
Sammul admitted that he was rather nervous about working with Liza. "I have asked seventeen people about it and they all say that Liza is very conscious about punctuality and preparation, so I am a little afraid." As for his character being rather effeminate, he does not mind and says: "Apart from revealing my flesh or committing murderous crimes, then I don't mind anything else. This is something I should do as an artiste and I am so skinny anyway." Myolie laughs that she and Sammul will not be mistaken for living together again this time because he has moved away and they are no longer neighbours now.
Sheren to Guest Star at Adam's Concert
After five or six years away from the concert stage, Adam Cheng will be holding two gigs at the Hong Kong Coliseum on 12th and 13th May and guests at the concerts will include Angie Chiu, Sheren Tang, Kwan Kuk Ying and Flora Cheung. Asked why his good partner Liza Wang and daughter Joyce Cheng are not taking part, Adam explained that the dates clashed with Liza's filming and his daughter is currently taking exams abroad, so she cannot attend. However, he is bracing himself for any 'surprise appearances' from them, which will make him very happy indeed.
Sheren has agreed to be his guest at the shows and if there are additional shows planned, then she will be there too. This is because as well as singing and dancing, she will also be doing a short sketch with Adam and she loves her beautiful costumes. Asked if her fee was also very attractive, she insists that it is not all about money as she sees this as a chance to challenge her creativity and the chance to perform on one of Hong Kong's greatest stages makes her both excited and nervous.
Melissa and Michael Cause a Stir
Filming for "Disappearance" earlier, Melissa Ng and Michael Miu attracted a group of men to watch them whilst filmed at a pier, all eager to catch a glimpse of the beautiful 'Yu Gei' Melissa. However, the sounds of their mobile phones was very obstructive to filming and after several NG's and running up and down the steps, Melissa and Michael were rather tired out. Melissa laughed: "They are here to see Michael, nothing to do with me! It was worse before because they even walked into shot and they could be heard on film! (Are you tired out?) I'll just treat it as exercise." Asked about her thoughts about partnering Michael, Melissa says: "I have always admired Michael because I think he is very stylish and charming. To be able to play his darling on our first co-operation makes me the envy of many! (Are you afraid of rumours?) How could that be? We both have our respective partners."
Academy Basketball
The cast members from "The Academy" joined together to play a friendly game of basketball against the Police team and Fiona Sit's 'best friend' Sammul Chan was ready with the jibes towards her unwillingness to wear a bikini if the show does well. Sammul seemed rather clumsy as he did his best to evade the ball during the game, giving a childhood accident as the reason for his fear. He friends have laughed at his romance scenes with Fiona in the show, saying how unbelievably disgusting it is and commenting at how they could be rumoured to be at odds and yet get so close on the screen. Even Sammul laughed that he felt sick after watching himself on the screen!
As for Ron's earlier comments about Fiona being 'precious', Sammul started by supporting her, but then went on to joke about her. He indicates that their roles are different and Fiona is a singer, so she has different pressures from artistes. "Fiona is just a little girl and I am her 'best friend', so of course I support her. (Are you her friend? You didn't attend her dinner party earlier though!) When? She didn't invite me, that's bad! I'll have to call her and tell her off. (Will you wear your trunks to celebrate good ratings?) I am afraid of scaring everyone off - tell Tavia to wear it instead. Fiona won't do it."
The Sun 16/04/05
Carol Cheng's Quiz Continues
Carol Cheng continued filming for her new legal matters quiz show earlier, inviting guests Carolayne Lo and Sunny Chan to join her. Carol had previously announced that unlike her previous quiz "The Weakest Link", she would not be scolding the contestants on this show, but she says that she got so frustrated with some of the contestants on the last two episodes who just talked rubbish that she couldn't help telling them off. This was Carolayne's first visit to TKO TVB City and asked whether she would return to acting, she says that she has no plans to because her children are just seven and eight years old and need her to spend time with them. Also, her husband opposes this because he is worried she will not have enough time at home, so now she is no longer on her own, then the family will always come first.
Charmaine Li Shoots Tampon Ad
"Sunshine Heartbeat" second sister Charmaine Li shot a tampon ad at a studio earlier. Wearing just a swimsuit and a towel, she was not embarrassed at all as she says: "When you go swimming during a period, then wearing a tampon is a very normal thing. This swimsuit is very healthy, so it's fine."
Charmaine says that many girls are afraid of using tampons and she reveals that the first time she used one, it was rather awkward: "I remember the first time I used a tampon, I did not know how to put it in and I broke out into a sweat because I still could not put it in after an hour. In the end, my friend told me to relax and just ease it in slowly." Asked about her fee, she says that for a newcomer it was very reasonable, receiving a five-figure sum for a set of still photos.
The Sun 16/04/05
Miss Hong Kong Promotion Continues
Kate Tsui, Queenie Chu and Fu Sze Sze continued the promotional trail for this year's Miss Hong Kong pageant by taking part in a radio interview. The girls told of how they have been telling all their friends to apply, but many of them are already too old. Kate says: "One of my friends asked me for some tips, but I didn't tell her anything to be fair." Sze Sze added that her seven year old sister has vowed to take part in the contest in 2015. Asked if they have any advice for potential contestants, Queenie says: "When I had my interview with Ho Lai Chuen, we talked about politics and current affairs, so you need to read more, otherwise you may not be able to show your ability. At the very least, you need to read more papers and watch the news."
The Sun 16/04/05
main pageScavengers Paradise Promo
A promotional event for "Scavengers Paradise" was attended by cast members including Roger Kwok, Myolie Wu and Kenneth Ma and Roger was asked about an earlier report that suggested he had been on a gambling trip to Macau and was sighted with girlfriend Cindy Au studying a racing paper on the boat. In response to this, Roger laughs: "Of course I didn't go gambling, they didn't even print a photo, so how can you believe that? I don't have any money to gamble." He explains that he did go to Macau earlier to see a friend who lives there and there are many things to see there apart from the casinos.
Roger admits that he did do some gambling in the past, but it was just a little flutter. "Leisure activities in Hong Kong are limited, so I will place a small bet once in a while, but when I am working, I do not gamble. I have not played mah jong for around four years now because it is very tiring."
More Hostility at The Academy
Ron Ng, Fiona Sit, Deep Ng and Tavia Yeung were among the cast members at a promotional event for new series "The Academy", where a slip of the tongue from Ron provoked a new set of rumours about the relationship between Fiona and her co-stars. As Fiona described the hardship they went through during filming, Ron commented: "You are the fragile and precious one!". However, she insisted that he was just joking and there was no malice intended.
Despite strong denials that Fiona has had a poor rapport with her co-stars, in particular with Sammul Chan, she seemed to make little interaction with the other artistes at the event, only making conversation with the show's producer, but once again, she defended herself, saying: "There is no animoscity between us and I invited the other cast members for dinner earlier, but Ron and Sammul were busy and could not attend." When asked about this, Ron confirmed that there was a meal held by the cast and crew, but it was not Fiona who had invited him. Fiona has pledged that if the show reaches 38 points, then she will model a swimsuit, but not a bikini because she is afraid that her figure is not good enough.
Cutie at a Charity Event
Building on the current hype of "Dae Jang Geum", a shopping mall held an event where Cutie Mui was joined by some little girls dressed in traditional Korean costume to receive a cheque from a fundraiser on behalf of a children's charity. Cutie hopes that the event will help to educate children about how fortunate they are.
Cutie is currently working on new ideas for her slimming promotions and says with a sigh: "Even my friends like Louis Yuen and Alvina Kong are doing slimming ads. With Alvina being suspended on wires and Lee San San working with a snake, I can't do either of those things because I am scared of heights and snakes. I hope you can all help me with new ideas."
Winnie Takes Early Maternity Leave
Despite being seven months pregnant, Winnie Young was insistent on taking a part in new series "Legend of Ah Wong", but after just a day on set, there were concerns about her health and producer Wong Wai Sing urged her to stop filming and rest until after the birth of her baby. The role will be filled by Selena Li instead. A disappointed Winnie said: "I feel really bad for making Producer Wong worry. (Is your husband glad you are stopping?) He doesn't mind, now I just have to find something to pass the time. (How is the baby?) The doctor says that the baby girl is a large size."
Producer Wong says that originally Winnie was to film for eight days, but on the first day, they were worried that there was a chance that the baby may be born prematurely, so on the doctor's advice, she was persuaded to abandon filming until after the birth.
TVB's Homegrown Singers
A press event was attended by TVB's Production Resource Deputy Chief Lok Yee Ling to mark a collaboration between TVB and Universal Records to release a collection of songs from TVB's singers and artistes. Asked about the royalties paid to the singing stars for this work, Ms Lok said that this was down to the company to arrange. A total of forty-four songs have been chosen for their own staff to sing by TVB and there will be further collaborations with the music companies in the future. Ms Lok announced: "This is a trial run, so we are not looking for profit. It costs money to release an album and there will also be ten music videos to accompany the songs, so we are simply hoping to push the artistes up in their careers and not looking at the cost."
With Hacken Lee taking centre stage at the photocall, Ms Lok was asked if this indicated his top position at TVB. Laughingly, she replied: "He is handsome! (But there are many handsome men here today!) Yes, I was a little faint when I went onto the stage!" She explained that the arrangement had been thought out before, but admitted that Hacken has a special place in the eyes of the company because he has the looks, can sing, act and host. Asked about the criticisms against Moses's singing, Ms Lok says that we should give the artistes a chance because they are actors and not really singers.
Ron Ng was asked how he felt about the theme song for forthcoming series "Revolving Doors of Vengeance" being awarded to Hacken Lee, but he says he does not mind because to be able to sing is good enough. Kevin Cheng will be singing the theme song for "Yummy Yummy" and after seven years away from the recording studio, Kevin feels very relaxed about this venture because there is no pressure and he has already profited from this experience.
Myolie in Japan filming "Oh-Oku" Clips
With plans to follow the success of "Dae Jang Geum" (Jewel in the Palace) with Japanese blockbuster "Oh-Oku", TVB arranged for Myolie to head to Japan to film some short introductory clips about Japanese culture, showing how much importance the company is placing on her. Myolie says: "If the company arranges work for me, then I have to do it, even if it means I have to go without sleep. On the day I headed out to Japan, I had just returned from working in Canada and after heading home to pack some clothes, I had to fly out again."
In order to maximise the time in Japan, Myolie has had to film non-stop for six days and the most memorable time was wearing a princess kimono and wearing geisha make-up: "There are twelve layers to the kimono and I had to have a lot of help to put it on. As for the geisha look, it is quite interesting." Shopping time for Myolie in Japan was limited to just one hour: "After finishing work, all the department stores had closed, but I made the most of the pharmacy in the hotel and picked up a lot of cosmetics."
As for the current political tension between the Chinese and Japanese, there have been criticisms at the decision to air a Japanese series at this time. Myolie says: "This is just work, I hope that the viewers will see the distinction." Myolie can speak a little Japanese, so she had originally planned to put it to good use, but she says that she could understand it, but found it difficult to speak herself, so she hopes to take a few more lessons to improve.
Deep in The Zone
Deep Ng filmed a guest part in TVB's fantasy series "The Zone" earlier in a story telling of a university student who meets horrible experiences after playing the "New Life" ritual. Deep says that he is rather cowardly, so he is rather afraid of filming in the run-down building in the middle of the night. Asked if he has any scary experiences, he says: "No, and I don't wish to have any either because I get frightened by watching horror movies. (You have filmed ghost stories before though.) Yes, and every time I have to burn incense to the gods first." The crew had asked him to lie on the ground so that they could draw a chalk body outline around him, but he refused on the grounds that it was a bad omen.
Matt Yeung in Trouble
Last month, Matt Yeung was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and was released on bail for $5000. He reported to the Yaumatei police station this week and pleaded guilty to the charges. The case will be heard on the 18th of this month at Kowloon Magistrates Court. Matt was full of regret as he said: "I have admitted my crime and I hope that the judge will be lenient with me. I will never drink and drive again. I had never done it before, but on that day I was rushing to return the car to my friend but he stood me up and this happened. Since the incident, many friends have been very caring towards me and I am very touched."
"Barber" Filming Attracts Complaints
Kevin Cheng and Sharon Chan have been filming for TVB new series "Barber Father Stylist Son" in Central, but there have been complaints of this affecting business for some of the local designer boutiques, leading to the security guards calling the police. However, after investigation, all the correct permits were produced and filming was allowed to continue. In a telephone interview, Kevin says that there was a scuffle, but he was too busy filming to notice whether there was any violence. The filming schedule was not affected and he continued to shoot for several hours before completing the scene and heading back to TVB for the music promo.
Selena Steps into Winnie's Shoes
TVB's "Legend of Ah Wong" continued filming with Selena Li taking the place of Winnie Young after her departure from the set. Wearing her fake 'bump' for her costume fitting, Selena says she does not mind taking over from Winnie, remarking happily: "I am so pleased to work with Roger Kwok. The character has pre-natal depression, so she has to cry and shout a lot and is quite challenging. I will be guest starring in six episodes, so I am thankful to Winnie for giving me this opportunity."
Filming for Ah Wong at Digiport
Roger Kwok, Jessica Hsuan and Leila Tong were filming for "Legend of Ah Wong" at Digiport with Roger wearing a shaped foam 'Earth suit' and Jessica and Leila looking very professional in their power suits. Roger found his costume very amusing and explained that his character is wearing this suit to do a promotion for a telecommunications company and he meets Jessica, but when he chases after her, he falls over causing a very funny scene. Asked if the suit is hard work to wear, Roger says that it is not very heavy and there is plenty of room inside, where he can keep a stash of food, but as he has to keep shaking his head to move his hat, it is quite tiring.
Talking of the departure of Winnie Young from the show, Roger explained that because her bump was so big, it put a lot of pressure on the cast and crew because they were afraid of knocking into her and causing an injury, so they joined together to urge her to take a break. Jessica says that there are pros and cons of Winnie leaving as they are good friends, but she was worried that with all the action for Winnie's character, there was danger of her working too hard. Jessica says that although she has never had a baby before, she knows it is hard work, so she is glad that Winnie can take it easy and relax. Leila plays Jessica's relative in the show and she has the ambition to marry into a rich family, but she is wary about Jessica joining the company, afraid that she will be an obstacle to her promotion. To tie in with her professional role, Leila wore a pair of diamond earrings, but she explains that they are fakes because she would never wear the real things for work.
Carol's new Legal Quiz
Filming began earlier for Carol Cheng's new legal matters quiz show, with guest stars Ron Ng, Frankie Lam and Olivia Cheng. A blessing ceremony was held before filming began and future guests will include Eric Tsang and Non-Drama Assistant Chief Ho Lai Chuen. Carol says that there will be 25 episodes and a grand final and the show is split into two sections. The first is where a hundred members of the public are asked to interpret a legal situation to enter the second section where they have a chance to win a place at the grand final and play for prizes and cash to the value of nearly $200,000. "The show will feature two lawyers and three special guests in each episode and some of the questions in the first episode include whether a mother taking a seven year old boy into the toilets is illegal and whether one can ride on the bus if the Octopus machine is faulty, but the passenger does not have any change."
Ron admitted that when he was about three or four years old, he looked like a little girl and his mother made him wear a dress so that he could follow her into the toilet and that is how he knows there are no urinals but they have dustbins there.
Bobby Films for Sze Kung
Working on new series "Mysteries of Sze Kung", Bobby Au Yeung was wearing a set of Chinese style wedding clothes in a scene where he has to welcome the bridal chair carrying Kenix Kwok, but as she has been kidnapped, there is just a rock inside. Bobby says that he and his wife are rather low profile, so his real life wedding was a quiet affair.
No Japanese Shows Please, We're Chinese
TVB had originally planned to follow the airing of "Dae Jang Geum" with the Japanese series "Oh-Oku", but due to the recent tension between the Chinese and Japanese government and people, TVB General Manager Stephen Chan announced that the show would be replaced by another Korean drama "Hur-jun".
After receiving over ten complaints from members of the public about the decision to air the show, TVB have felt that it would be distasteful to air "Oh-Oku" in the primetime slot, so despite sending Myolie Wu to Japan to film a set of short introductory clips especially for the show, the decision was made to re-schedule the series for the weekend instead.
"Hur-Jun" has been dubbed the story of the 'male Jang Geum' and when it was aired in its native Korea, attracted ratings far exceeding that of "Dae Jang Geum". Mr Chan indicated that the decision to change the schedules was not purely based on public opinion, as they had been negotiating the rights to the show for a while and at the time that "Oh-Oku" was announced, they were unsure as to whether they had secured "Hur-Jun". As a commercial organisation, Mr Chan feels that TVB should not become too entangled in the political scene.
Ada takes on TVB Grand Production
Featuring the majority of the stars from last year's hit "War and Beauty", TVB Grand Production "Yellow Earth Great Plains" has been renamed with working title "Flames Dance in Golden Sands" and is planned to begin filming at the end of next month. Cast members have now been confirmed, with 'gossip queens' Sheren Tang and Maggie Cheung omitted and producer Chik Kei Yi bringing back two of his favourite leading ladies - Ada Choi and Maggie Siu to form the familiar four female headline together with Gigi Lai and Charmaine Sheh.
Currently filming in Hangzhou, Ada was asked if she knew she would be taking over from Sheren and she says: "TVB approached me a few months ago and asked me to make some time to do a show, but I did not know it was this one. I always do my best to perform in any show I accept." As for whether there will be as much gossip as "War", Ada laughs that she is not worried at all: "I worked with Gigi on 'Fate Twisters' and did not have any problems, so I am not afraid of any rumours."
Disappearance Filming Ends
Filming for TVB new series "Disappearance" ends soon and leading stars Bernice Liu, Melissa Ng, Michael Miu and Akina Hong chipped in to take the cast and crew out for a celebratory dinner, with Michael paying the balance and Melissa buying a few bottles of red wine. The meal coincided with the premiere of Michael's new series "The Academy", so everyone grouped around the TV to support him, with Melissa exclaiming: "He is getting more and more stylish with time!" In response, Michael laughed: "My partners are getting younger and younger - next time I will be working opposite Tavia!"
Asked about recent photos revealing a rather flabby Moses Chan out jogging, Bernice couldn't stop laughing as she asked the press in return: "Is he really that fat? Of course he is not as fit as me and I am not that slim. For men, they look better if they are not too skinny because it makes them look weak."
Ron on Music and Japanese Goods
A TVB soundtrack album entitled "The Attraction of a Man" and featuring songs from 9 TVB artistes including Ron Ng, Hacken Lee and Bowie Lam will go on sale next Wednesday and at a radio interview, Ron revealed that he will be buying himself a copy for good luck and asking the other nine men to autograph it for him. Asked which of the nine he felt had the most masculinity, Ron laughed that he would choose Frankie Lam because he is the hairiest. As for whether he would like to be as hairy as Frankie, he says: "I would, some girls like this type!"
With the recent anti-Japanese wave hitting Hong Kong and demonstrations planned for this weekend, Ron feels that people in Hong Kong will not be too charged and will just protest peacefully and not attack Japanese businesses. As for boycotting Japanese goods, Ron says this is quite difficult: "Many of my daily items are from Japan, as are some of my clothes. I heard Sandra Ng say on the radio once that many Japanese brands are made in China anyway, so by boycotting Japanese goods, we are doing ourselves no favours."
Fiona Yuen to Launch Another Cookbook
Fiona Yuen was invited to attend a promotion for a steam and having previously written a cookery book, Fiona has a lot of culinary knowledge and she endorses this particular oven because the food cooked in it can be very healthy. Asked if she would be offering her services to the popular cookery programmes, she says she will give it a try if she has the chance. After her last cook book, Fiona received a five figure sum from royalties alone. She laughs: "I love writing cook books because apart from it being my hobby, the money I make is a great incentive." She says that for her next book, she will be writing many of her own recipes and she plans to spend three months on preparation for it. Fiona is currently filming for TVB series "Always on Standby" and she had the chance earlier to visit the headquarters of the Government Flying Services and board a helicopter worth $500million. She says that she went hill walking with a friend earlier, but they had problems and had to be rescued by the Flying Services, so this was not the best time to admire the helicopter.
Maria Chan to Launch Book
After raising her profile in "War and Beauty" as Bo Sim, Maria Chan has been invited to promote many products and at an advertising shoot earlier, she was asked to combine her beauty and intelligence in a stylish and sophisticated look. Maria says that her fee is reasonable and she has also received a five figure sponsorship package. She says: "I am happy that I have had so many opportunities this year to try so many different jobs. My love is still for acting though and I do not mind playing evil or ugly characters because every role is a challenge for me." She adds that as well as some voluntary work, she has also written some columns for magazines and is writing an English book that introduces some Hong Kong common phrases.
New TVB Lawyer Series
TVB held a costume tryout for producer Lau Ka Ho's new lawyer series that is yet to be titled and cast members present included Marco Ngai, Myolie Wu, Sammul Chan and Wayne Lai. One of the other main leads Liza Wang was absent from the event. To be able to work with Liza again so soon after finishing on "My Sassy Mother-in-Law", Myolie is very happy, especially as this time she will not be against Liza because she plays her daughter.
The show seems to be rather similar to Myolie's earlier series "Survivor's Law", but Myolie points out the differences, saying that the storyline this time is not about four fresh lawyers and is a little unusual. She explains that the story tells of her being dumped at university, then she suffers from anorexia and then fails her degree, but thanks to the help of her mother in the show, played by Liza, she manages to progress from being an aide to a lawyer. Although Myolie is quite thin, she is not thin enough to portray an anorexic convincingly, but Myolie says that they will use make-up or a doctored photograph to put forward the point.
Myolie breathes a sigh of relief that she is not playing a lawyer in the show because she has less complicated lines to learn. Marco on the other hand was worried that he did not have enough lines to present in the show. "When I saw the script was only about three or four pages long, it felt like it was too short, so I have asked the scriptwriters to pad it out a bit more for me." He also says proudly that no matter how long the lines are, they will not prove difficult for him because when he played Wu Sangui and had to speak six pages of lines, he was still fine. "I don't remember when my last NG (outtake) was, so I have asked for a ten page dialogue. If I can challenge the dialogue used in 'Justice Sung', then that would be the best." Asked what his secret was, Marco smiles: "You do not just memorise and recite your lines, you speak them from the heart. If you imagine it as a 3-dimensional image, then you will not cause NG's." He also indicates that he has signed for a further three years with TVB and the pay negotiation has been satisfactory.
Sammul admitted that he was rather nervous about working with Liza. "I have asked seventeen people about it and they all say that Liza is very conscious about punctuality and preparation, so I am a little afraid." As for his character being rather effeminate, he does not mind and says: "Apart from revealing my flesh or committing murderous crimes, then I don't mind anything else. This is something I should do as an artiste and I am so skinny anyway." Myolie laughs that she and Sammul will not be mistaken for living together again this time because he has moved away and they are no longer neighbours now.
Sheren to Guest Star at Adam's Concert
After five or six years away from the concert stage, Adam Cheng will be holding two gigs at the Hong Kong Coliseum on 12th and 13th May and guests at the concerts will include Angie Chiu, Sheren Tang, Kwan Kuk Ying and Flora Cheung. Asked why his good partner Liza Wang and daughter Joyce Cheng are not taking part, Adam explained that the dates clashed with Liza's filming and his daughter is currently taking exams abroad, so she cannot attend. However, he is bracing himself for any 'surprise appearances' from them, which will make him very happy indeed.
Sheren has agreed to be his guest at the shows and if there are additional shows planned, then she will be there too. This is because as well as singing and dancing, she will also be doing a short sketch with Adam and she loves her beautiful costumes. Asked if her fee was also very attractive, she insists that it is not all about money as she sees this as a chance to challenge her creativity and the chance to perform on one of Hong Kong's greatest stages makes her both excited and nervous.
Melissa and Michael Cause a Stir
Filming for "Disappearance" earlier, Melissa Ng and Michael Miu attracted a group of men to watch them whilst filmed at a pier, all eager to catch a glimpse of the beautiful 'Yu Gei' Melissa. However, the sounds of their mobile phones was very obstructive to filming and after several NG's and running up and down the steps, Melissa and Michael were rather tired out. Melissa laughed: "They are here to see Michael, nothing to do with me! It was worse before because they even walked into shot and they could be heard on film! (Are you tired out?) I'll just treat it as exercise." Asked about her thoughts about partnering Michael, Melissa says: "I have always admired Michael because I think he is very stylish and charming. To be able to play his darling on our first co-operation makes me the envy of many! (Are you afraid of rumours?) How could that be? We both have our respective partners."
Academy Basketball
The cast members from "The Academy" joined together to play a friendly game of basketball against the Police team and Fiona Sit's 'best friend' Sammul Chan was ready with the jibes towards her unwillingness to wear a bikini if the show does well. Sammul seemed rather clumsy as he did his best to evade the ball during the game, giving a childhood accident as the reason for his fear. He friends have laughed at his romance scenes with Fiona in the show, saying how unbelievably disgusting it is and commenting at how they could be rumoured to be at odds and yet get so close on the screen. Even Sammul laughed that he felt sick after watching himself on the screen!
As for Ron's earlier comments about Fiona being 'precious', Sammul started by supporting her, but then went on to joke about her. He indicates that their roles are different and Fiona is a singer, so she has different pressures from artistes. "Fiona is just a little girl and I am her 'best friend', so of course I support her. (Are you her friend? You didn't attend her dinner party earlier though!) When? She didn't invite me, that's bad! I'll have to call her and tell her off. (Will you wear your trunks to celebrate good ratings?) I am afraid of scaring everyone off - tell Tavia to wear it instead. Fiona won't do it."
The Sun 16/04/05
Carol Cheng's Quiz Continues
Carol Cheng continued filming for her new legal matters quiz show earlier, inviting guests Carolayne Lo and Sunny Chan to join her. Carol had previously announced that unlike her previous quiz "The Weakest Link", she would not be scolding the contestants on this show, but she says that she got so frustrated with some of the contestants on the last two episodes who just talked rubbish that she couldn't help telling them off. This was Carolayne's first visit to TKO TVB City and asked whether she would return to acting, she says that she has no plans to because her children are just seven and eight years old and need her to spend time with them. Also, her husband opposes this because he is worried she will not have enough time at home, so now she is no longer on her own, then the family will always come first.
Charmaine Li Shoots Tampon Ad
"Sunshine Heartbeat" second sister Charmaine Li shot a tampon ad at a studio earlier. Wearing just a swimsuit and a towel, she was not embarrassed at all as she says: "When you go swimming during a period, then wearing a tampon is a very normal thing. This swimsuit is very healthy, so it's fine."
Charmaine says that many girls are afraid of using tampons and she reveals that the first time she used one, it was rather awkward: "I remember the first time I used a tampon, I did not know how to put it in and I broke out into a sweat because I still could not put it in after an hour. In the end, my friend told me to relax and just ease it in slowly." Asked about her fee, she says that for a newcomer it was very reasonable, receiving a five-figure sum for a set of still photos.
The Sun 16/04/05
Miss Hong Kong Promotion Continues
Kate Tsui, Queenie Chu and Fu Sze Sze continued the promotional trail for this year's Miss Hong Kong pageant by taking part in a radio interview. The girls told of how they have been telling all their friends to apply, but many of them are already too old. Kate says: "One of my friends asked me for some tips, but I didn't tell her anything to be fair." Sze Sze added that her seven year old sister has vowed to take part in the contest in 2015. Asked if they have any advice for potential contestants, Queenie says: "When I had my interview with Ho Lai Chuen, we talked about politics and current affairs, so you need to read more, otherwise you may not be able to show your ability. At the very least, you need to read more papers and watch the news."
The Sun 16/04/05
News sources: The Sun, Ta Kung Pao, Sing Pao, Oriental Daily, TVB Weekly & Hong Kong Yahoo News