In the interview, WQQ and Steven elaborated on how essential it is to immediately establish a rapport among troupe colleagues (often strangers collaborating for the 1st time) for the good of the series and their own performances. Unlike TVB, whereby even if Steven had not collaborated with some new cast members in the past at least he knows them and moreover they all live in Hong Kong unlike the cast of his mainland series, who came from all parts of China and from Taiwan.
Spontaneity
The scene rehearsal: WQQ, brokenhearted, decides to leave the family she has served and loved for so long and Steven runs after her to persuade her not leave. Steven pleads with her saying his scripted line in the beginning but finishes it with his own improvised line:
"But before you go you should at least give me your QQ number ba?. "(China cyber chat line)
Without missing beat, WQQ tearfully said: "I've already left it under your pillow."
Watch the video below.
Insights gathered from Steven's YYP various interviews in Shanghai TV Festival.
Steven is a people's person:-
Has a gift of gab. Easy manner, outgoing, gregarious, talkative.
Zhang Meng: He's loquacious
HSQ: We're of the same age. I feel that he is very lively, get to know people easily. ...If the troupe is a spectrum then he is responsible for action, I'm responsible for quietness, quiet as in slow to become familiar with other people. In filming, besides the script, don't know what else to talk about but he can...like even the sweeper, he would say to him, "I say, you know.."
HSQ: You don't have to think of a topic to talk about cos' he has plenty to talk to you.
HSQ: You don't have to think of a topic to talk about cos' he has plenty to talk to you.
Tamaya: Actually Steven's articulation and intelligence in his interviews are some of the reasons why I noticed him in the first place. Words, be it spoken or printed, come easily and volubly to him aided by his quick wit and his grasp of Chinese vocabulary, and of course, his general knowledge.
2010 Fantasia mag interview: Naturally, those who like him see him as interesting and witty; whereas, those who don’t, a frivolous show-off.
Warm, empathetic and generous
TL: Because I'm a newbie and slow to warm up to strangers, so at the beginning I was quite worried.... But in the beginning I would be quite cold. (aloof) ... at the actual filming I worried I couldn't modulate my emotions well enough because at school I did mostly comedies. So I was quite nervous. But I found out that once I started filming even now, just having filmed a few days someone asked if I was nervous to collaborate with big shots, I said no, not at all. Didn't have that feeling at all. What's the reason? It's because when collaborating with Steven, he is the kind that on his own volition will help you out. I didn't feel any pressure at all. Anyway, whether I did well or not, he would tell me and that made me relax....
pptv:TL: When I looked at the script my tears just spontaneously came pouring out but I worried that once filming started I wouldn't be able to cry so copiously. But that wasn't the case. He said to me your crying was ok wo. I said my crying ok?( happy to be unexpectedly praised).
pptv WQQ: There is one incident I must share about Steven, something worth learning from him. Concerning that person acting his biological mother - actually an extra/background actress. - doesn't really how to act because does not have much experience ma. He (Steven), without seeing it as being troublesome, would patiently and meticulously study her scene with her. Here you do this, there you do like this. Here you speak like this, there you speak like that. And how you speak, and facial expression. Aiyo,
Steven: Because she is acting my...Lai Fu's mother.
WQQ: Very few actors would do that.
TL reveals that Steven hearing she likes to experience stage play will introduce her to relevant people in that circle.
Ease at establishing close rapport with fellow colleagues.
Steven: Ok, let me clearly clarify on why I'm so willing to take the initiative to communicate with other people because I believe this can truly benefit filming 100%. If off screen we interact with one and another I feel that our scenes would be even better. If everybody, like aiya, don't communicate, don't chat with each other, and everybody keeping to themselves~~(shrug) because in the scenes we are not strangers to each other ma. So I will of my own volition get to know them. And hope that the result would be better.
WQQ: I joined the troupe much later. So that day I entered the makeup room, still groggy, it's early in the morning. So was inside the room, and he jumped up. "Ma!" "I portray your oldest son, Tang Ting Xuan." So warm.
H: Just like that, closed the distance. (tn:rapport)
WQQ: Yes very quickly. There and then I didn't feel any distance between us. Conversing with him, I felt a warm familiarity. And I recall that day our scene was very weighty, all emotional scene, on the first day of filming. On our first day of collaboration there was no sense of unfamiliarity at all.
WQQ: And also the first time I got there he got this big pot of chicken soup for everybody.
Steven: Just looking her eyes cos' her eyes speak volume I would instantly get into character. And even when the shot did not require my tearing up, I felt like it because we were so into our roles.
WQQ: I joined the troupe much later. So that day I entered the makeup room, still groggy, it's early in the morning. So was inside the room, and he jumped up. "Ma!" "I portray your oldest son, Tang Ting Xuan." So warm.
H: Just like that, closed the distance. (tn:rapport)
WQQ: Yes very quickly. There and then I didn't feel any distance between us. Conversing with him, I felt a warm familiarity. And I recall that day our scene was very weighty, all emotional scene, on the first day of filming. On our first day of collaboration there was no sense of unfamiliarity at all.
WQQ: And also the first time I got there he got this big pot of chicken soup for everybody.
Steven: Just looking her eyes cos' her eyes speak volume I would instantly get into character. And even when the shot did not require my tearing up, I felt like it because we were so into our roles.
Steven and WQQ had instant rapport and connection with each other whether in real or in tv characters. In their scenes, they instinctively understood tacitly how they would act with each other.
WQQ is a former Chiung Yao's leading lady so of course expert in crying scenes and can cry beautifully.
WQQ and Steven again elaborated on how essential it is to immediately establish rapport among troupe colleagues for the good of the series and their own performances. Unlike TVB, whereby even if Steven has not collaborate with some new cast members in the past at least he knows them and moreover all reside in Hong Kong unlike his mainland series.
Spontaneity
The scene rehearsal: WQQ brokenhearted at her cold treatment at home, decides to leave the family she has served and loved for so long and Steven runs after her to persuade her not leave. Steven pleads with her his scripted line at the start but finishes it with his own improvised line:
"But before you go you should at least give me your QQ number ba?. " (China cyber chat line)
Without missing beat, WQQ tearfully said: "I've already left it under your pillow."
youku interview
pptv interview
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