news 2012 April: Steven Ma talked about his 6 "Bo Lok"

On.cc video clip link 

4th installment to Steven Ma's 5-piece interview with oriental daily 4/12/2012

无名小卒到一线小生 马浚伟谈6位伯乐助成功
马浚伟：珍姐见我就闹，好hurt!

Steven Ma: Whenever Zhan Jie Saw Me, She would Scold Me, I was Hurt!
Steven Ma, from a nameless nobody to today's first line siu sang, the whole process with its twists and turns has been most arduous.  However, among those six mentors or bo lok he spoke of, who at different phase  had given him much help, Catherine Tsang who loved (sek) him was actually also the one who scolded him the harshest!

The first person who turned  my life around was a singing teacher, Leung Yue Ling. In 1993 I competed in the 3rd Pioneer Laser Karaoke Singing Competition; Tai Si Chung was the chief judge. When I won the competition, Teacher Tai arranged for me to join a record company. During that time, I truly transformed from a housing estate resident to a singer.  After entering the industry, I was most grateful to have met Paco Wong (黄柏高), but I feel that I had let him down because at the time I had had the opportunity to sing a duet with Sally Yip, and Paco had secured Mark Lui as the producer for my albums, but unfortunately at that time I was still 'unformed'  therefore did not handle it well. Earlier, I partook a meal with Paco and the past was brought up, he said:"Those days you did not fully release your latent potential! But nowadays you are a first line siu sang leading in many series, so that's good!" I was moved by his words.

Record Company Wouldn't Renew Contract
My 3rd record released in 1995 did not generate a good result so the record company would not renew my contract. I was prepared to leave the music industry and resumed my past job as a 'plastic' salesman. But then at the pivotal point, Zhan Jie (TVB Director of Production, Catherine Tsang) told me to go for a screen test that landed me the role of Emperor Kangxi in the series, Duke of Mt. Deer 1998, which successfully transformed me into a TV actor. Though many people knew Zhan Jie loved (sek) me but unknown to them, whenever she saw me she would scold me. I was quite hurt inside, actually! When I was a youngster I accidentally chipped the front tooth and it was not untilI became a singer when Teacher Dai suggested to get it fixed. Although the outward appearance had improved it inadvertently affected my speech making me speak quite unnaturally.  Watching my series performance, Zhan Jie noticed that. She dragged me to face a mirror, all the time scolding me: "If you can't change that then quit la!" I knew it was because she cared about me so wanted me to improve; this indebtedness (恩情) is indelibly imprinted in my heart!

And there are two more to thank: Stephan Chan (TVB former General Manager) and Tsui Jie (Tsui Rong Rong, a former news journalist) . These two have also played a pivotal part in my acting career.

*note: Bo Le (horse connoisseur during Spring and Autumn Period) / a good judge of talent / talent scout
--more-- original article

Steven made up with ex-girlfriend

read ensuing discussion on AF1843 Posted 21 October 2009 - 09:13 AM
Steven made up with ex-gf, Vivian!!

Tamaya: Steven met with ex-gf, Vivian while filming Temptation in Macao. Pix surreptitiously taken by the omnipresent press. Steven openly picked up Vivian at the harbor to Venice Hotel in the company van. Catherine Tsang, another passenger in the van, was seen getting off the van with Vivian, chatting amiably on the way to the hotel lobby. Steven strode hurriedly from the van into the hotel to avoid pix taken with Vivian, but of course to no avail. During her stay, Steven seemed to be in a very happy mood. 

Honeydaisy: I wonder why he tried to walk away quickly to prevent his picture being taken (with Vivian, that is). Is it because their public lives are so strictly managed that they are not allowed to be seen with someone who could be a girlfriend? Maybe he hasn't had time to report to the higher-ups in TVB about his reunion with Vivian, and has to still keep it a secret! Haha. :)

I think Steven was just being discreet so that his private life would not become fodder to feed the hungry press. In the past, HK paparazzi had stealthily snapped pix of him at take-outs eatery, at a doctor's office, and even at a gas station among others. This reporter, probably just hoping for some candid pix of Steven dining with colleagues and Zhan Jie to boot, truly luck out when Steven picked up Vivian at the harbor. Also the readers only have this reporter's words that Steven has reconciled with ex-gf. Don't know about other higher-ups, but since Zhan Jie, among others, was in the van when Steven picked up Vivian, she should be well aware of this alleged reconciliation. But according to a HK fan, this newspaper's credibility is questionable as it is free, and easily available on the streets, moreover, no other tabloids or newspapers have reported on this at all.

Excerpt of the news report:

That night Ma Zai and his senior colleagues went to 黑沙环 restaurant for dinner. He seemed to be in a high spirit throughout the whole time, yakking away like a bird just been newly released from its cage. Besides talking up a storm with Zhan Jie, he was also extremely talkative with the restaurant owner, too. After dinner, around 10 pm, he and his dinning partners got into in a 7-seater van which he then drove to a “gwai lin gou” place for desserts. When they left the place later, while holding on to his take-out, he courteously assisted Helen Ma and the others into the van, and then drove straight to the harbor. As soon as he arrived, he immediately got off the van and helped Vivian, who had waited for him at the spot, into the van. When they arrived at Venice Hotel, Ma Zai, who got off the van first, deliberately ignored Vivian. But the latter and Zhang Jie chatted amiably. To avoid the exposure if he were to accompany his girlfriend to her room through the casino, Ma Zai told his female assistant and girlfriend to take another route to the room. He thought that would be a surefire circumvention, but sorry to say, his old flame reconciliation was still been exposed.