Updated 4th segment with transcript: Steven's interview

Scroll down to 4th segment for transcript.

3th segment clip 馬浚偉白滑到曾經被抽水？
Steven Ma so fair and smooth (skin) he was being  'cao sui' ? (taken advantage of?) lol!
Interviewer: 陳小芝  Chan Siu Ji
credit video: SomethingGoodWor@ youtube

I: Among your series, I've 3 most favorite roles. The 1st one is Chow Yong Gong from A Watchdog's Tale. (3rd favorite not mentioned in the video).  Don't know if the character has your traits in him  - coarse and crude, permed hair, (Steven: foul mouth) and also stubbles.

S: Yeah, I purposely did not shave during that period.

I: Did you like the role?

S: Very much.

I: Does he (Gong) have your traits? And what? Are you that way at home?

S: His legs gestures are like mine when I'm at home. (1:10) Also I always wear shorts and t-shirt at home. And also clip my toe nails at home even when friends are there. But I don't talk as crudely as Chow Yong Gong.  As for temper, maybe a little. Even though I look mild outwardly but when I'm angry I can look quite scary.

I: My 2nd most favorite role will be unexpected. Steps! Sing Ka Chun

S: Ha? Ching Ka Tsun?

I: And also his co-star is Liu Bi Bi (rhyme with big)

S: and many hot Latin dancing

I: Among all your series, you look the most small size in here.

S: This Ching Ka-Tsun, I'd trepidation portraying this role. Learning to dance - that part I wasn't concern cos' I didn't know how to dance at all.  So had Teacher Chow teach dancing.  (2:16) He said to me that he had never met anybody like me whose limbs in the beginning were so uncoordinated and stiff but that in 2 weeks' time could move my hips so sensuously, and could do such soft and flexible movements. You know he said that in Latin dance, like Rhumba, the hips are very important. I thought to myself, what hips? I didn't even know at first where my hips were?

 I: Actually what so good (about his character) is the tight legs hugging black pants.

S: Also that transparent netted top.  

I: It was great.

S: When I first put on that pants, I was a little scared. Because I personally am not a very hip person.

I: You are hip (note: having awesome hips), but not that kind of hip.

S: But they look ok (pants) when I wore them.

I: And unexpectedly when attired in them (pants) you (body) were not straight down but actually had a fu..fu (hour-glass shape) figure.  haha! Had a waist.  And the female audiences could see the shape. Happy?  Didn't expect that?

S: Also had a bit of flesh too.  Attired in the outfit can actually slightly associate with the word 'sexy'.

I: Bone and flesh matching.

S: Thank you.

I: I'm so happy to be able to express this secret of mine.

S: Very few people told me they like Ching Ka-Tsun

I: Use this view point to appreciate that role of yours.

S: xxxx ??  (tn: wish Steven would not keep his hand off his mouth when talking)

I: Also the character expresses your sexiness.

S:Yeah, constantly exposure..

I: No, no exposure

S: Yes, there's the netted fabric (lace), what's the difference between wearing a lacy outfit with not any clothes?

I: (to viewers) Remember when re-watch, watch it in HD.

S: And that V open all the way down here. (4:04) Dai lo wah!

I: No, it looks good. Everybody, go watch it now.

S: What's more, I was so fair skin (white) and the outfit (exposing) Those women approached me and said to me (I: sai lo. You're so agitated) "Can you not be so fair skin and so smooth, too?"  I said there's nothing I can do about it.

I: See, the people here look so happy.

S: And some guys even constantly came over to poke at me when I was so attired.

LOL!




4th segment 馬浚偉點保養？花膠煲湯包你好樣
How does Steven maintain himself?
-- he has naturally good, fair skin from his late mother
-- Fa gao (fish maw) soup
-- regular, vigorous exercise (badminton for him)
-- no special skin care regimen just regular washing.

I: Chat with Stars, I'm Chan Siu Ji, Today sitting beside me is 'liang jai' (handsome) Steven Ma, who made the women irate. (tn: with his fair and smooth complexion. Look at Steven's face (wah!) at hearing that exaggerated intro. haha!) . Here I am at close contact scrutinizing his face- no blemish, beautiful fair and smooth skin, no spots. heehee! “让所有女人气死的靓仔马浚伟，零瑕疵，美肌白滑，没有斑。”(0:25 Steven - awkward laugh)How come? You're constantly exposed to all kinds of weather shooting ancient drama.  Even your bald head get expose to the sun. (Steven: yeah) So did your blemishes (pigmentation) all go to your scalp?

S: No. I'm very careful at protecting my scalp.

I: (scrutinizing) So how come your complexion is so good?

S: Actually, lots of people have asked me that (question) Not only women but also men.  And my response is always this - I truly did not purposefully maintain my skin. Because first of all, this is hereditary. Look at the skin on my arms.  (I: wow! So fair) I was born this way.  Inherited from my mom, because my mom had good skin.  For myself, because of make-up (series), I usually use - can I say it here? (brand name)  (I: doesn't matter)  Anyway, I use some common kind of cleanser, (I: any special brand?) none. (just stuff from Watson-general store) After that, just wash face clean, and that's it.  I don't apply any cream or anything else. 

I: Because the make-up for series can take a toll on the skin. Is there any effect? (on the skin)

S: None.  As to applying a mask on my face, I can say even less than once a month.  Truly, less than once a month.  As to why (skin) until now - (1:54) I'm no longer a young child (I: True, you're at least 28-29 years old already) wah! heehee! (I: You're not young anymore) Right, not young anymore. haha! I play badminton often.  Besides badminton, always do physical fitness (gym) (I: sweat profusely) I sweat tremendously,  even when filming sweat profusely, what's more playing badminton.  After badminton, I shower -  a regular showering, just drying the body your skin is all clean already. 

I: (2:24) Ok, acting like a "niu se mo" (men crazy) let me sniff you.  Not only does not have sweaty  odor but has a natural good smell.   (S: no bad odor ga!) haha! (lol!)

S: Also, drink soup. I truly believe in our Cantonese soups.  I like to make 'fa gao' (tn: fish maw is very expensive) soup.

I: Oh, fa gao. No wonder.

S: But I don't drink it everyday.  Drink it daily has no use.

I: True -- may even be too much for the body.  Now, for this upcoming months, you must drink more soup.  Next month, oh it is actually this month - it is May already.  You'll go back to TVB to shoot a series.  (S: mid-month) And you have to promo "心照" (new album). In mid-July, confirmed? (S: yes) you'll hold a concert.

S: Yes, a mini concert

I: So you've work piled up like a mountain. So you need to take out your fa gao? (S: yes)

S: Actually during shooting a series period, really need to drink fa-gao.

I: Can you do this? In the concert (S: make soup in the concert?) through lucky draws a person is picked from the audience to be so fortunate (play on song title: Fortunate to have met you) as to drink Steven's own homemade fa gao soup.

S: Oh, that's no problem at all.

I: Something worth thinking about.

S: (awkward) yeah, worth thinking over. But truly need to drink it. 

I: I know. I'll drink fa gao soup as I listen to you singing in the concert.  (S: ok) Your concert has your new songs?  Those songs you composed while drinking fa gao soup.

S: I'll sing all the songs from the new album in this upcoming min concert. Meanwhile, I plan to have a mini tour to different places besides HK

I: Tough work so you must drink more fa gao soup.

S: Right. Don't forget to make some. (reminding audience)

I: So everybody, go now to buy fa gao to make soup.  HK$500 for a big bag.  In Macao. 

S: A bargain.

A May interview by FoneTV娛樂台《星星友偈傾》hostess: 陳小芝 aired separately in segments. videos credit: SomethingGoodWor@ youtube upload 6-14-2013

Steven Ma teaches you latin dance

2002 Steven's dance pose











song: 最炫民族风 haha!
Fatt Gor, Ah Yap, Lam Shuk at 1:55 and 4:08 for Yu Bo scenes


Montage of cut video clips to the very popular mainland song. 

source:  浚家玲玲支持319当旺爸爸 weibo   

related 2003 dance moves with Joyce koi

Updated: weibo5/18/2014 Steven's latin dance moves

related post: Steven teaches you Latin Dance to the music of 最炫民族风 .

Steven reposting a video uploaded on Steven-ma.org weibo think it's tvb 2007 欢乐满东华

another source: youtube

6/12/2011 23:10 Hahahaha!  Interesting......but, my dance steps were off!  Should be on 2、3、4 and 1!  Heehee!   哈哈哈哈！有意思.....不過，我的舞步抓錯拍子了！應該是on 2、3、4 and 1才對！嘻嘻！

Applaud Steven as an artiste not afraid to try out new arts and stuff, and not bad at it too. Steven showing off the sinuous grace of a dancer in this unlikely crossover of East meets West.   Honestly, quite weird.  The couple were all angst when wailing out Dai Lui Fa but went all distant and cold when dancing their 'hot' salsa number.  Gotta say, Steven does have a lissome and lithe body like a willowy snake.  haha! 

****************************************
Comparatively, video below is Steven and Joyce singing the classic Cantonese opera song, Dai Lui Fa - (one of their numerous duet renditions on stage usually performed for a fundraising charity tv show.)

---see my comment on the latin combo dance when it first appeared online, + my much later conversation with an AF SM fan on Steven's different dances. ---

*****************************************************************

Steps - commentary on 1st dance

Steps: Episode 10
Posted 25 October 2007 - 06:08 PM
asianfanatics post 2

2011 youtube

"Steps" is the very first Steven's series that I posted commentary on in asianfanatics.net. Below are some of my postings.

The music starts, “I don’t know why you hesitate everytime you’re near me.” Sum Ying proffers her hand to Ka Tsun, and invites with her eyes and her smile; Ka Tsun, taken aback, hesitates, then accepts. Somehow, sometime, Sum Ying has shed her vest, and Ka Tsun, his jacket.   Hand reaching out, Sum Ying invites Ka Tsun to lead, but again he hesitates momentarily, then grabs her hand and pulls her towards him. Feeling conflicted, he immediately backs off again and let go of her. Confused, Sum Ying too backs away.  Awkwardness hangs over the space which quickly widens between them. Undeterred, Sum Ying once again invites with her hand; and once again, in spite of himself, Ka Tsun accepts, as if in a trance. But when Sum Ying gets too close, Ka Tsun immediately breaks off their hold and retreats.  He is being pulled from both sides: his attraction to her and his aversion to a love relationship.  Feeling his struggles, Sum Ying takes charge; if he won’t lead, she will. Holding his right hand, she firmly wraps his arm around her waist. With her face turns sideways to his, she gently cradles his face with her left arm which she then slowly let drop to caress the full length of his arm.

Judging from Ka Tsun’s glazed eyes, he is spellbound but not quite for when she tries to wrap his arm around her, he resists. However, that moment in time when place, time, and people are just too propitiously harmonized in Sum Ying’s favor for him to resist. He can only surrender, and surrendered he did to the moment. Until now, Sum Ying has initiated all the dance moves, while Ka Tsun is just a prop/prize. In the next stage of the dance, he becomes a full partner as Sum Ying relinquishes her lead to him. Cast in silhouettes, they dance in tune to each other’s vibes as they melded as one, ending their dance with a kiss.

What man can resist such enchantment cast by siren Sum Ying; the stillness of the night, the magic of the music, the intimacy of a dance, the gentleness of a touch, and the beating of two hearts, all spellbound into a moment.  Sum Yin has successfully snagged Ka Tsun with her web!

FIREFLIES by noella chan
I don't know why you hesitate
Everytime you are near me
It is that you fear
You might fall into something deep

Standing on the edge of the night
Feelings raging inside
But if you open your eyes

Can you see the fireflies dancing in the air
Like the stars up in the sky
Feel the gentle breeze caress the night
Oh, it's time to take to flight
Take my hand I'll lead you to the places where
I am sure you've never been
So just hold me close and we will go
This is how it all begins

**************************************************************

screencaps: Steven Ma's Warm House

E-buzz Interview of Steps’ Male Lead, Steven Ma.

posted 02 October 2007 

娱乐直播 专访 舞动全城 男主角程嘉俊
E-buzz Interview of Steps’ Male Lead, Steven Ma.

Host::Today at E-buzz, our featured guest, this person I feel though he’s busier than ever, but the busier he is, the fitter he gets, and the more vibrant and attractive he becomes. He is Ma Chun Wai. Ma Zai, how are you?

Steven: Thank you!

H: Yes, I truly feel that you may be extremely busy these days, but your hectic schedule seems to energize you.

S: It could be that.

H: Right. Let’s start with tonight’s premier of Steps. Would you mind telling us what it’s about?

S: Well, actually, Steps’ kind of story with dancing as a main theme is still relatively uncommon in TVB series. The plot centers on Dance International Standard (sic style) which includes both ballroom and Latin dances. The characters all have some connection with dancing. As for my family, my mom, Mannor jie is from a family of dancers. Bernice is a dance enthusiast. Our relationship came about because of dancing.

H: And sparks flew?

S: Yes. Because Dance International Standard (sic) is the main theme. And the dance has many moves, in fact, all its moves; maybe should say interactions, require a male and a female to form a partnership. And in it, the level of mutual trust, support, encouragement and understanding of each other depends greatly on the partners’ interrelationship.

H: Exactly. Which means you and Bernice must have good communicate in order to dance well for the public, is that right?

S: Yes. Actually our production supervisor and copy editor hoped to use dance to express a relationship from a different angle. I think dance itself is a kind of expression, especially Dance International Standard because it requires two people to meld into one, and how they go about it; having their moves, their spirit and their energy all fused into one. Which is why in this series, we dance in almost every episode, like dance while romancing, or maybe dance when unhappy, or yet again dance in some dance competitions.

H. Like channeling feelings into a different dimension. But what I’d like to ask you is, before you had said you feared dancing, felt you don’t dance well. When did you change from dancing badly to being able to perform in a series and, moreover, did it so well to boot?

S: I still wouldn’t dare say I dance well, because dancing is truly my Achilles’ heel. All these years as an artiste, dancing is my ultimate weakness. Before whenever I heard my work required some dancing, I would immediately plead with my manager, "I can’t. I’m not right for it, or I can’t do it."

H: So how did you overcome it? As you said, almost every episode has dancing in it. There’s at least one dance per day.

S: At first, I was actually afraid to accept this series. Because, on the positive side, it was a challenge, but conversely, the pressure was enormous. I thought to myself, how could I work under such pressure everyday? Moreover, my co-stars are Bernice, Fala, Kate and Mannor jie. They’re all talented dancers.

H: True. They all have dancing background and can dance very well.

S: Right. Even though they learned a different kind of dancing, still they have dancing talent. I was worried. “Will my poor dancing level and standard hinder the production progress? This was my main concern.

H: So how did you overcome it? What made you think you could do it?

S: Well, first of, despite my fear, my interest was high. It’s like if you are scared of a cockroach, but if you try to smack it; maybe you could overcome your fear of it.

H: Like watching a ghost movie; the scarier you are, the more you want to watch under covers.

S: I like to watch ghost movie so I’m not scared but I’m scared of roaches. So I would try to smack them. This is just an analogy. Luckily we had dance instructors as our dance directors. Moreover, I had brother Lingo, and also a group of professional dancers who were extremely patient with me. Besides them, I also have had outside tutoring before filming, a total of four lessons.

H: Prep work before filming?
S: A total of 8 hours, 4 lessons.
H: That’s not a lot.

S: Well, at least I’ve had some contact with it. At least, I knew what are the 10 dances included in Dance International Standard (sic Style) which I didn’t know before. I thought social dance was just social dance. I had no idea what constitute it.

H: So did the more you dance the greater your interest is?
S: Yes.
H: And now you love dancing?
S: Actually, even after the series was done, I continued to take dance lessons. And also danced in Steps’ promos and incorporated dancing into my stage shows.

H: Among the dances, which ones are the most challenging to do?

S: For me, it would be those that are fast-paced such as: Pasa Doblo or Samba or Cha Cha. Their rhythm is much faster. I‘m not very nimble, so I find it easier to learn slower dance. Much easier to catch on. But of course, whether I danced it well or not is another matter. But as far as catching on, slow dance is easier for me. But I, myself, enjoy quickstep, ballroom quickstep.

H: Actually, dancing can make one feel rather dense wo. I've danced before. Prior, I had never thought of myself could be this dense/slow but turn out (I) could be this uncoordinated) (as in having 2 left feet)."

S: It’s ok, you’ve me as company.

H: But after Steps, you’ve become an expert from what I could see from the promo. Also I know you have many dance scenes throughout Steps, and many of those with Bernice. Close bodily contact is inevitable. So were you concerned that people would say. "Wah, so bold, the dancing so risqué."

S: One has to be bold. Actually, during the shoots we weren’t worried at all. Because we did the shoots inside the studio, well, some were on site too. Anyway, since the shoots were done mainly in the studio, we were not worried, because we could completely focus without outside distractions. There’s one such scene where Bernice and I danced inside a dance studio. There was a power outage. Basked in the neon lights, she taught me how to dance rumba, very intimate. It was a moving scene, we both thought so. In the scene, I didn’t even dare to touch her; however, in the scene, she was very professional. She grabbed my hand, brushed her hand down my arm, and wrapped her leg around mine; all these minute details will be shown in the dance scene. As to your earlier question on intimacy, that also was a sticky situation for me. I can be shy too. Either a male or female could be shy. The intimacy..all that will be performed in the show.

H: Was it awkward? You did say the filming in the studio was ok.

S: Yeah. Because this was Bernice and my second time collaboration. Also Bernice, Fala and Kate, they’re all dancers so they understand that dancing, especially, Latin can get very intimate. The way I see it, it’s just a dance. I’ll treat it like an art or a sport.

H: Were you self-conscious wearing such revealing costumes? Also, you mentioned before that it was alright to expose the chest area, but not the belly button, why?

S: Haha, men seldom exposed their belly buttons. Not only the ladies are attired sexily, but in the Latin dance, the men’s costumes are also very snug, most are see-through, it’s just that they are in black. If one has a big belly, then that would present a problem.

H: Oh, it’s not the belly button then.

S: No, there’s problem with showing the belly button.

H: We’ve talked quite a bit about Steps. Now I’ve more practical questions to ask you. What do you think the rating would be for Steps? Do you feel the pressure for garnering high rating?

S: No. Because I’ve been in TVB for quite a while now. And I understand, in fact, all TVB employees understand that they just need to do their best during production, to fully exert their energy and time, their effort and their heart. As for the outcome, each one of us would respond: "Of course hope for the best." But the rating results are always beyond our control. Of course we hope the viewers will like it. And also hope the viewers will like each and every one of our series. Not just my own, but all of the company’s series, I hope the viewers will like them all. Even better, that the company’s series’ can continually maintain a high rating. Then everyone will be happy.

H: If the rating is good, have you thought about performing some difficult dance for the public?

S: I prefer doing that.
H: The reporters frequently ask the actors if they would don their swimwear if the rating is high.

S: I’ve not seen anyone done that yet. In fact, I much prefer your suggestion. If Steps’ rating is high, I would really consider your suggestion. I’ll do something that will challenge me, or maybe do it with my co-star, maybe Bernice or another lady, to perform something that would surprise people because they didn't think we would or could do it. You’ve given me a good idea. Now I know how to respond to my media friends.

H: That was a good idea?
S: Yes, a very good one.
H: To fit in with this series, maybe do a lyrical dance.
S: Or maybe ice dancing?
H: Not a bad idea. But ice dancing is quite difficult
S: Very. I can’t even keep my balance standing up.

H: I really hope the rating will be high so I can watch your lyrical dance. Let’s change the subject. We’ve chatted quite a bit about Steps. You’ve also written about it in your blog. You like to write, and to keep in touch with your fans. Busy filming, busy writing, how did you do it all?

S: First of, I don’t plan ahead on what to write. Often when I write my blog or journal, it’s not always done in the computer, but scribbled on a piece of paper. These are just random writing. Anybody can do it. There’s no pressure in it. There’s no special topic on what I plan to write, just whatever comes to mind. When I get online, I might then update my blog. I enjoy doodling too. I’m interested in many things.

H: What kind of books do you like? Or the kind of books that will inspire you.
S: I like all kinds of books.
H: Such as?

S: I prefer books that are profound. The thought provoking kind, maybe books by intellectuals or philosophers because different readers can acquire different insights from them. I seldom read novels. I also like comic books. There’re some series that I follow.

H: Guess you’re still a big boy yet.

S: Not really. There are some adult comics. Haha, not those kind; the kind that’s written with the adults in mind.

H: Books can be inspiring; filming can be, too, bringing in a different perspective. Recently, in your blog you wrote about meeting a young actor while shooting 金石良缘This young actor changed your outlook in life.

S: Wow! I just wrote that.
H: Why don’t you tell us what the outlook was…like embarking on a new phase in life…to be a father.

S: No. I’m not even married yet. There was this scene; it’s about my sister’s son. He’s around a year old or so, very cute and fun to play with. Sister Helen and sister Mary saw me holding him, and doing a pretty good job too. They taught me how to hold him properly and coax him to sleep; also how to spread his little legs to wrap around me and have his hands hugged me. And sure enough, before too long, like a koala bear hugging me, he fell asleep on me.

H: A very heartwarming sight.

S: Then his mother took out a camera and snapped our pictures. It left a big impression on me. They all quipped, “You are now qualified to be a father.� I think I am too. But this is just an experience. Very happy because if you had a child quietly fell asleep on your chest; that feeling was truly very sweet.

H: You know when you talk like that, you’ll make people think that Ma Zai will marry soon, or maybe wants to get marry, wants to be a father. Have you thought about that?

S: Of course, the thought has entered my mind. After all, I’m at that age already, but I’m not in a hurry.

H: Do you have someone in mind?

S:Haha! Let’s not go there. But if time, no, should say, if it’s so fated, if I married, I’d want to have kids because I love kids and love to watch them grow. Of course, (the young ones) that’s the fun stage, but as they grow older, problems will follow.

H: More difficult to teach.

S: Yes, to me it’s just a natural progression of life journey; to see your kids grow up, or to see other people’s kids grow up, you’re happy just seeing other kids grow, what’s more, your own.

H: You’ve a hectic career schedule, one series after another. Have you thought about maybe getting awards this year, maybe the most favorite male character award again? Would you like that?

S: Of course, I would. I look upon that as a motivation. When to get it, I don’t think about it, but it will be the direction I’m aiming for. Some people would say receiving awards is not that important; more important is making more series and money. True. But for me, receiving awards represents a different stratum, and provides a very good incentive and motivation. It’s my goal to achieve the best male actor award in TVB, or maybe from outside HK, in other places. That very thought drives me. When? This year? I don’t know. Maybe? Maybe next year? The year next? Don’t know. But that’s the direction I’m going.

H: I wish you the very best for your success. I thank Ma Zai today for his interview. Thank you!

S: You’re welcome.


credit to: baidu source & transcript

Video:tudou 娱乐直播专访
Translator: Tamaya

2007 Steven and Joyce Koi

vid source
Over Easter April 8th 2007, Steven and Joyce held a 2-show 《聲色藝情演唱會》concert at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut, USA. (playlist) Later on April 11 they flew over to Toronto for a charitable fund raising concert at Humming Bird Center for 《寶濟細胞治療基金會》Steven was quite emotional when he sang 《明日天涯》.  Both Steven and Joyce were very satisfied with their 10 day trip holding 3 showings. Prior to that, they had been diligently practicing their dance routines for almost a month. Their practices were filled with many mishaps and missteps. Joyce usually acted the 'male' role in opera so during their dance rehearsal, by habit she unconsciously 'danced' the man's part. When asked about their mishaps in partnering, Steven said first of, Joyce's gestures and posture need to soften up to look more feminine and second, so used to being the 'man', Joyce unconsciously did the man's dance moves.  Because of his role in Steps, Steven was quite adept at handling the dance moves. They choreographed a waltz and a Latin dance to 《梁祝》and《帝女花》.  Cantonese opera master, 林家聲, who resided in Toronto also attended their concert to show his support. He said they gave a brilliant performance on stage. source

news baidu

source 2007/03/24

2007/04/9  (The blog was managed by TVB ghostwriter so Steven did not personally write this entry.)

**********************************************************
In Toronto at autograph signing session.

youtube taken of them during their concert tour in Canada 2007.

pix source

********************************************************
recall 2002 pix - practises his moves to partner his hot Latin dance with Sonija.

*********************************************************
--- Chinese news ----

Steven Ma - Still Racing, Still Dancing

 reposted from AF

Posted 23 December 2006 - 09:34 PM

EmSpAcE SpEcIaL ToPiCs

Steven Ma - Still Racing, Still Dancing


When inviting Steven Ma for an interview, his manager insisted we had to interview him from a new perspective, but what is a 'new perspective'?

It appears that Steven has recently become fascinated by ballroom dancing, so it was suggested that the photoshoot and interview took place in a dance studio. Of course this was good and Steven even provided his own costumes, so less problems for this reporter.

Remembering Steven from a number of years ago, what did he feel his worst skill was? He said without a thought: "Dancing, my dance is very ugly."

So all along, we have never seen Steven dance, until March of this year when he marked his return to TVB by doing a dance with Rain Li on the Pok Oi Charity show, but when he accidentally touched Rain on a sensitive area, he was quickly labelled as a 'salted trotter' [Cantonese slang for a perv].

With such a setback, if it was the Steven of before, then he should have seen dancing as a poisonous snake or a terrible beast and evaded it as far as he can, but it was this accident that did not dispel him from learning to dance, but continued his desire to keep learning.

Steven says that after learning to dance and watching himself so much in the mirror, it has helped him to build up his confidence.

Maybe I think too much, but having matured in the midst of boos, Steven should know how to look failure in the face.

At least, he would be used to it.

Steven is a very careful person, when asked a question, he will think about it clearly before answering and you will never find any contradictory or rhetorical phrases such as "Oh, no..." or "I mean..." uttered from his lips.

So, when Steven announced he would be treading down the path towards the 'Best Actor' award, this is his motivation and I have reason to believe that he will not say this without a thought, or that he is being arrogant.

Although Steven is already the owner of his own publishing house, this 'horse' ['Ma' means horse in Chinese] is not happy to live an easy life, he is still racing and still dancing towards the limelight of stardom.




Returning to Drama Brings Rewards

Regarding dance, you can use the phrase 'not realising your talents until you try it' to describe Steven. Although he entered the industry as a singer, Steven has never spared a thought about learning to dance. The first time he took a dance lesson was to prepare for his performance in the Pok Oi charity show and depsite not having much time to rehearse, it gave a new feeling to Steven and the drive to continue learning, whilst preparing to film his new series "The Brink of Law". The result was the Steven fell in love with his new interest because he found that during his learning process, he has found a new confidence in everything he has done and just as when he left music for acting, he never imagined he would become a leading male.

Thinking back to 2004, Steven reached the dizzy heights of TVB's male leads and was even dubbed their 'lucky soldier' because even if the reviews were not very good for his series, the ratings were still pulling in highly. With his popularity and one series after another, Steven made the decision at this point to head into the mainland to make more money. His wallet became fuller, but his popularity in Hong Kong took a slippery slide downwards as he became known as TVB's 'abandoned soldier' instead. Just a difference of one word, but this one word made all the difference to his career.

A year later, Steven returned to TVB and signed a management contract with them, clearing his name from the word 'abandoned'. His first series after his return "Safe Guards" has also brought him the 'My Favourite Male Television Character' award at this year's TVB Anniversary Awards. To win this despite stiff competition from TVB's other leading men was a great surprise for Steven.

"That day when I won the award for my role in 'Safe Guards', I was very touched. When I was filming the series, I knew that it would do well, because the producer was Lee Tim Sing and there was a great cast that included Wayne Lai, Kwok Fung and Suet Nei, who are all very talented, so I felt that 'Safe Guards' would definitely win an award, but I never thought it would be me who won it."

In reality, before "Safe Guards" was aired, the expectation had been a small one from outside. The female leads for the show were criticised beyond belief, so for the series to find success, it was all down to the male cast and for Steven, there was quite a lot of pressure. "Once the producer saw me coming into TVB City and he tapped me on the shoulder and said: 'It's all down to you now!' and at that point, I did feel a lot of pressure.

"I remember on the Friday night when the finale was aired, I called into the company to ask about the ratings and they said that it peaked at 42 points, breaking all the recent Friday night records. I was so happy that I called out on the phone. I am not saying that I am really good, but I did have a feeling that this show would do well.

"It also brought me this award and at that point there was even more pressure on me, but to look at it positively, it made me focus towards winning the Best Actor award in the future. I like to prove people wrong and if you say this series will not do well, then I will make it do well to show you. Take for example 'Where the Legend Begins', people said that I can't do ancient costume series, so I worked very hard at it and the response was not bad. This feeling is very good."




Never Letting Go of Singing

With his career concentrating mainly on television in recent years, many people may have forgotten that Steven emerged from the music industry, where his slight resemblance on camera to Leon Lai earned him the nickname of 'Leon Lookalike' in the early days. Even his record company introduced the tagline 'He is not Leon, he is not Jacky' [Cheung] in his promotional material. There was a response, but it leant towards the negative and each time he appeared, it was to an audience of boos and jeers and this made Steven's musical career quite a difficult one.

TVB's current unwritten rule that most of their series theme songs will be sung by the male lead in the show has brought a new lease of life to singing stars who had left their musical roots to convert to television, giving them an opportunity to sing once again and re-live their former glory singing on the stage. For a top lead such as Steven, then singing theme songs has become an expectation, but for Steven as he faces the microphone again, he admits that there has been a change in his attitude from before.

"I have always still been able to sing as I often have stage performances to do and every time I do these, I will sing live to build the atmosphere. However, if you want me to spend six months or a year working on one album and then spend another few months promoting it. then I don't think I have this kind of time to spend on it any more. I just want to enjoy the experience of singing. For example, I worked with a Chinese Orchestra once in the past and although the time was short, the experience was very touching."

As well as singing, another recent passion of Steven's has been theatre and he hopes to be able to fulfil his ambition of treading the boards. "I have always been very interested in doing theatre and there should be an opening for me in 2007. However, I will have to put a lot of hard work into it because I want to do my very best if I am to do it at all. It is not because standing on a theatre stage makes me very suave that I want to do it, after all theatre is not like filming and if you do well on film, it is no indication that it will be the same on the stage."

Gossip Straight to the Heart

Whilst interviewing Steven, you cannot avoid talking about his gossip over the years, although Steven insists that there has only been three stories that he has been directly involved in. Even though he says he does not mind, but the usually calm and collected Steven will uncontrollably become rather agitated. At the very least, when I listen back to the interview tapes, I have to turn the volume down a little.

In thirteen years in the industry, he has been booed, he has been betrayed and having weathered the storms, he should be able to deal with gossip peacefully, but when his real emotions begin to show, he is still very angry.

"Since entering the industry, there have only been three pieces of gossip that were directly involving me - linking me with Astrid Chan in 'Healing Hands', then saying I had a crush on Ada Choi in 'Where the Legend Begins' and finally with Sonija Kwok. Anything after this has been proven to be unrelated to me, for example when filming 'Return of the Cuckoo', it was Michael Tong who tried to date Charmaine Sheh, and I had always suspected they wrote the wrong name down, but then the mistake becomes taken to be the truth.

"I don't have any feelings about rumours any more. You can't say I am accepting it, but how much gossip is actually true? A lot of it you forget as soon as you have read it. Since I found my freedom, I have not given a proper interview for two years, so when I see you [media] then I will say a few words. Each time I am interviewed though, they just ask me the same set of questions and talk about the same people and many reporters will not read the past reports about me and see that I have already responded no less than ten times, so they just keep on asking and I get very bored because it seems like I am purposely dragging out the incident to make publicity. In fact, I have done a lot of other things in the past few years and I have a lot of other things I want to share with people.

"Now I have a blog, it is quite good because I can share my things on my blog, such as the things I see and hear in the mainland and share my photographs by uploading them for my fans. What is recorded in there is the true Steven Ma.

"I do like to express myself in words and although I am only a F5 [high school] graduate, I have always had a love for reading and as well as novels, I will read anything else. In 2004, when I was working in the mainland, I did some self-study in the Open University's China Social Studies course and although I did not apply formally for the course or sit any exams, it still brought me a lot of knowledge.

"Although what I write does not have many layers of depth, at least I have started to gain a deeper understanding of language and set standards for my scripts. Whether it is my own or other people's writing, I can boldly criticise it and decide whether it is good or bad quality."

Maybe it is unintentional, but Steven seems to be showing an stamp of his authority through his words, but after all he is the owner of a publishing company and the person being interviewed, so he has the right to criticise this interview.





Trustworthy

After falling in love with ballroom dancing, the sense I get is that Steven has changed a lot and in every word and every action, he is full of confidence.

In the past, the thought of Steven twisting and turning pretending to dance, would not only give him, but also me goosebumps.

The Steven Ma of now though can spring into dance at any time and when he feels the urge, he will engage the make-up artist and show her a couple of moves, and seemingly knowing his stuff.

Despite the presence of the reporters, he forgets about this as he immerses himself into his dance and counts out so naturally the 1-2-3-4 of his dance steps with the make-up artist.

When I ask: "Are you not afraid of being reported as 'Salted Trotter' again?"

"No, I trust you."

However, I have reason to believe that he trusts himself more than he trusts me not to write something negative.

Whatever, I thank Mr Ma for his gracious words that has brought my own confidence back too.

http://www.3weekly.com/common/content.htm?...p;topic_id=0301
Stevens Blog: http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/stevenma_blog/