Steven Ma, whose contract with TVB has just recently ended, is currently in Hengdian filming his new series, "Yuan Yang Pei"《鸳鸯佩》. In his column, Steven uses "New series, New knowledge, New Challenge" (新剧新知新挑战) as a topic sentence to succinctly describe this new series. Yesterday during Yuan Yang Pei's first day of filming, this reporter did an exclusive interview with Steven.
Both Good and Evil; Two Kinds of Characters Perfectly Interpreted
First time filming a pre-modern series in mainland and already Steven faces a new challenge that has him playing two characters with a completely different personality from each other, namely: Li Lai Fu and Tang Ting Xuan.
Steven expresses that he likes this challenge very much: "Li Lai Fu is a very simple, very honest person. My makeover right now is for his character. Very grassroot. His feelings for Yong En (female lead) is very pure, his love comes straight from the heart. And Tang Ting Xuan is the young master of the Tang family. Since young he has been greatly influenced by his father. His forte is doing business. Sometimes very ruthless can even say evil. And he also engages in an ongoing power struggle with his older brother, Tang Ting Liang. He is a very complex person but he wasn't born that way, the environment he is in has molded him to be that way. Later, like Lai Fu, he too, falls in love with Yong En. So, the entangled relationship of Lai Fu, Tang Ting Xuan, Yong En makes this series quite challenging."
Attentive to Details; Props and Make-up both very Important
"I consider myself an understanding person, but at the same time, also a person who adheres to his principles", this statement Steven once said in his column. And at Hengdian on-location filming, the reporter observed certain details that fully supported Steven's own self-evaluation.
Detail #1: Analyze the script, remember own props.
"Blooper" scenes often appeared in the series because of inappropriate usage of props. During the interview, Steven had just finished his first scene: Lai Fu, an outsider who just came into town, upon seeing the job hiring notice on the Golden Jade Restaurant happily tears it off and enters the restaurant. Prior to filming, the crew member handed Steven a bag imprinted with diagonal lines. When Steven saw it he laughed and said: "Isn't this the bag that Lai Fu would use in the later scenes when he delivers take-outs? My scene now is a job interview. So should be carrying my own luggage ba." Sure enough, checking against the props list, the crew immediately made the switch.
Detail #2: Portraying a grassroot, should have a grassroot look.
It is well known that Steven's skin is inordinately good. When filming in Hengdian, the make-up artists praised his good skin for making their work easier. But because Lai Fu is from the countryside his skin is naturally on the tan side. The troupe had already considered this aspect so the make-up artist dully applied the skin darkening power onto Steven's face for a tan look. Nevertheless, Steven still spotted a problem: For the scene, Lai Fu's clothes have both his sleeves and pants rolled up, thus, the exposed flesh contrasted starkly with his face. After communicating his observation to the make-up artist, two make-up artists simultaneously remedied the earlier oversight of exposed flesh with darkening powder. Steven said contritely: "Sorry to have troubled so many people to help with my make-up. Maybe for next time I should go get a natural tan under the sun." But in later scenes, Steven will portray a rich young master of a wealthy family so of course this sun tanning method will not work. So for now, Steven will just have to bear with an overall body make-up.
Detail #3 Understanding his co-star will promote more tacit collaborating
Steven, who has mostly filmed tv series in Hong Kong seldom collaborated with mainland actresses, so when he heard that this series required him to collaborate with mainland actress, Zhang Meng, he proceeded to understand who Zhang Meng (张檬) is. "I found out that this person, Zhang Meng, will be paired with me. So I checked. First, very young. Second, very pretty. Third, I heard that her performances are pretty good too." Although on the acting aspect both parties still have to adapt to each other, Steven is not worried about their collaboration: "Earlier in Beijing, we were already introduced to each other. With this initial acquaintance I believe we now have a better understanding of each other."
Temporary Leaving TVB; Look Forward to Having a Tailor-Made Role
March this year, Steven officially terminated his TVB contract, and left his 'maternal home' where he had worked for 18 years. Furthermore, his last TVB series, Daddy Good Deeds, has just finished broadcasting, with good ratings, to boot.
Talking about his future without TVB, Steven came across very mature:" For now, I've temporary left TVB. Also, recently, Hong Kong has just finished airing my series, Daddy Good Deeds. My jobs in mainland for the next two years are currently under negotiation. Conversely, on Hong Kong side, I'm still undecided because many of the tv stations in Hong Kong are all very good, including my own maternal home, TVB. For now, I welcome all kinds of collaborations. But mainly it will depend on fate and the script.
"As for the role, this Tang Ting Xuan though has deep sentiments can be considered an antagonist. For me, it has already realized my first challenge. In the future, there are still many more characters I would like to attempt. Actually, I really hope the scriptwriters would tailor-made a role for me that is challenging to me, that would be awesome."
Even though for various reasons Steven did not renew his TVB contract, toward his "maternal home" he has only gratitude, like what he once wrote: " Actually, worldly affairs change, human affairs may not necessarily change; the people and things in TVB, the gratitude and sentiment, I remember them all clearly."
Love Hengdian, Enjoying Life
Taiwan's Iset tv station once said this of Hengdian: "If you are an artist and have yet to visit Hengdian, then you must work even harder." Truly, since 1996 Hengdian constructed its first Guangzhou streets scene zone and Hong Kong streets zone until today with its many other scene zones, lots of artists from outside mainland have visited Hengdian and many have even become regulars here. Steven, who has trained his focus onto mainland, has also gradually become one of Hengdian's regulars. In his One Pen Ma column he has mentioned Hengdian numerous times: "Say Hengdian is very flourishing and prosperous? In film production aspect, definitely.""Food, drink, entertainment, Hengdian basically has them all. ""Looking at Hengdian's sky..this kind of chilly and gray atmosphere imbued in me a kind of solitary clear-headedness."
In this interview, Steven has obviously become familiar with us, as he spontaneously addressed us as "Little Heng Heng", (tn: Hengdian's affectionate nickname) and has even become a tour guide to his new colleagues."In my troupe, there are many who came here for the first time. Many of them came from Beijing so seldom came here. Anyway, I'm very familiar with this place. In Hengdian where to eat or whatnots, they all ask me. Especially that restaurant 状元烤蹄, I really like. "Beside dining, Steven, who greatly enjoys physical fitness and sports, even find such places in Hengdian. He says: "I love to go to the badminton court in Hengdian. Yesterday I just finished a set. And had even made many new friends there. Also the gym, I like it a lot too."
4th Brother is so called 4th Brother because besides being 4th in his family, it is even more so because many people consider him a friend they can interact socially and also view him as a big brother. I believe this attentive and earnest, considerate and kind-hearted 4th Brother will travel far on the road of success.
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