If, in the 25 years since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, Hong Kong dramas have been a window for mainland audiences to explore Hong Kong culture, And Hong Kong actors are the narrators at the window. In the play, they emotionally interpret the changes in Hong Kong with their roles, and tell the story of Hong Kong to the mainland; In life, they also personally feel the rapid changes of the country and embrace the mainland with their hearts.
The vicissitudes of the sea float and sink with the waves, and the drama is exhausted; Today, Shaohua enjoys it together, and this sentiment is still the same. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the Beijing News exclusively planned an interview with 14 Hong Kong actors, some of whom are still sticking to the front line of the television industry, and some of whom have lived a low-key and ordinary life. But they are all important witnesses to Hong Kong's return to the motherland. Through their moving stories, we try to relive the most precious golden age of Hong Kong TV dramas and evoke the emotional resonance of the blood between the two places.
Ouyang Zhenhua has a fixed self-introduction: "I have filmed many TV series, and you may have seen a lot." Whenever he said this, he was a little shy, and there was a hint of pride. Shy is that he does not think how good it is to achieve the "best actor" in the audience's mind; Proud of the fact that acting is his most passionate career, he is always grateful that he has walked this trip and met so many good roles.
After many years of debut, Ouyang Zhenhua is one of the most familiar Male Protagonists of Hong Kong dramas by mainland audiences. Courtesy of respondents
As the star of many classic dramas at the peak of Hong Kong drama, "Imperial Court No. 1", "Wash of Grievances", "Sister of the Gun", "Forensic Pioneer", "A House of Friends"... As long as Ouyang Zhenhua is there, the audience will sit in front of the TV on time. "Why do Hong Kong people love Ouyang Zhenhua" "Why can this 'fat' who is not tall and fat become an evergreen tree of Hong Kong opera", when talking about performance, Ouyang Zhenhua said the most is "love, persistence, and pondering": "The script is only written about the role, the actor plays the character, and it is necessary to integrate into the life of the character in order to create a classic." ”
Asked how to characterize his acting path, Ouyang Zhenhua thought about it and said: "The difference between the strength faction and the idol faction may be that the idol faction is usually praised when they are relatively young, but the strength faction is often over 30 years old before 'coming out', and I am also in my 30s to have the opportunity to become the protagonist, which should be regarded as a strong faction." I am not to be praised, nor is it a late completion of the big instrument, and the general late success of the big instrument is to describe the (person) who came out at the age of forty or fifty. But in any case, I am lucky to be the protagonist on this road, and the blessing I have is to be able to slowly integrate into the hearts of the audience and make them like me. ”
Mistakenly hit the line by mistake
Everything in front of you, everyone is new
Many people like to share Ouyang Zhenhua's experience as an inspirational case. In the 1990s, during the golden heyday of Hong Kong dramas, he was known as the "Ratings Lucky General", even if the showbiz competition was fierce and handsome men gathered, he always had a large number of loyal audiences. The works he starred in will basically get super high ratings, and even add sequels because the series is too popular, such as "Top Gun Sister", "Wash of Grievances", "Forensic Pioneer", all of which are classic Hong Kong drama IP.
In the Hong Kong drama "The Record of Washing Injustices", Ouyang Zhenhua plays Song Ci, a forensic doctor of the Song Dynasty (left: Lin Wenlong, right: Ouyang Zhenhua).
When he was a child, Ouyang Zhenhua did not find that he had any acting talent in him, nor did he think that being an actor would become his lifelong career.
After graduation, Ouyang Zhenhua found a job, met a friend who wanted to go to the TVB artist training class, and asked him to go with him. This time, my friend did not get in, but he was admitted. Thinking that the training class was not easy to enter, Ouyang Zhenhua simply quit his job and entered the full-time TVB eleventh artist training class, and became classmates with Liang Chaowei, Zhou Xingchi and Wu Zhenyu, and began to study hard to study the actor course.
He believes that he is not a type of man, nor does he have any talent, and can only rely on hard work and strength to prove that he is "OK". Although the same window has become the leader in the industry in the near future, Ouyang Zhenhua said that there was no pressure at all, so he did what he should do in peace: "When I first read the training class, the mentality was relatively peaceful, and the students would not compare each other, nor would they feel that who was better than whom. Every day is to complete the performance exercises left by the teacher. At that time, I was very happy and excited every day, because everything in front of me, everyone was very new to me, how to say dialogue, how to do expressions, singing, dancing, practicing martial arts, and of course learning a lot of performance technology things, such as how to move, how to cooperate with the camera, understand the angle of lighting, and so on. He said that it was a new self, facing a world that was very fresh, "We didn't know that our class 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' was all summed up by everyone after graduating many years later. ”
Ten years of "dragon set" encountered a turnaround
Chen Xiaosheng is me, optimistic, attentive and single-minded
In Ouyang Zhenhua's view, the rapid growth period of performance occurred after graduation from the training class. It was the heyday of Hong Kong dramas, and he began to run dragon sets and play supporting roles in TV dramas large and small, which made him grow up rapidly. But this dragon set "runs" for ten years. However, performance is an extremely important thing for Ouyang Zhenhua, even if the role is small, even if it is used as a background board for others, he still has to go through his own design and release all the performance energy in a limited space to be satisfied. He remembers a play in which the male and female protagonists sat behind him and talked, and he wanted to give the two characters a foreground without a single line. In order to make the picture look natural, he played with almost everything on the table.
During that time, he played any role, bad guy, robber, passerby, little monk without a name. Seeing the old classmates become famous one by one, they are still doing A and B and D on the set. He said that he was not without anxiety and doubt, and once saw a clothing store recruiting clerks on the street, guaranteeing a monthly income of more than 10,000 yuan, he almost moved his mind. But if you think about it today and don't know what to shoot tomorrow, it is better to give yourself two more years, and then "rush out" to change careers as soon as possible. Finally, in 1992, he waited for the opportunity to play the protagonist for the first time in his life - starring in the Hong Kong drama "No. 1 Royal Court".
The Hong Kong drama "Imperial Court No. 1" is a turning point in Ouyang Zhenhua's career (left: Ouyang Zhenhua, right: Chen Xiuwen).
Ouyang Zhenhua said that if it were not for "The Imperial Court of One", he might have changed his career and changed his appearance, and he would not have been interviewed here.
This was the first time he had been a leading actor in more than a decade, and it was a huge hit after it was broadcast, not only gaining recognition, but also realizing that he could play some comedic roles. After finding the correct positioning, Ouyang Zhenhua's films continued to be contracted, and all of them were male protagonists. After turning to the field of costume dramas, he and Kwan Wing Ho partnered to shoot the Hong Kong drama "Drunken Golden Branch", and the two also won the TVB Ten Thousand Stars Hui He Taiqing Best Laughing Enemy Award that year with this drama; Later, in "Wash of Grievances", he won tvb's 33rd anniversary of the 33rd anniversary of TVB with the role of Song Ci. In addition to costume dramas, in fashion professional dramas, all departments of the Hong Kong Police Force, from the Serious Crimes Unit to the Public Relations Bureau, from the Forensics Department to the Crime Investigation Unit, have the figure of Ouyang Zhenhua, these characters are wise, erudite, funny and humorous. After the broadcast of "Sister of the Top Gun Master" starring him, many men would "scold" Ouyang Zhenhua because their wives and mothers chattered all day long, asking them every day "why don't they learn from Chen Xiaosheng (the role he plays in the play)".
In the Hong Kong drama "Sister of the Gun Master", Ouyang Zhenhua plays Chen Xiaosheng (from left: Ouyang Zhenhua, Kwan Wing Ho, Teng Liming).
"In my opinion, the most similar to me among so many characters is Chen Xiaosheng (laughs), who is optimistic, attentive and single-minded in love. Most of the roles I play are like this, guiding people to be good and not to do bad things, such as Song Ci, Zhong Kui, Gao Yanbo are teaching everyone to be good people and do good things, which is the meaning and charm of Hong Kong opera, and it is also my proudest part. ”
The "container" that can't be emptied
I can shoot 20 hours a day just because I like it
Tao Dayu and Su Yongkang like to use "containers" to describe this old friend who has known each other for many years. This means that Ouyang Zhenhua has too much drama, and when he encounters a role, he can "pull out" a lot of things, so much that he can't even fit the container.
As an actor, Ouyang Zhenhua has never lacked efforts, he even filmed 120 episodes of THE TV series a year, did not go home for a week, and practiced the life credo of "being the protagonist in TVB, busy is no time to sleep": "At that time, it really needed strong perseverance to complete the work, we took a bath in the company, slept in the bag." For a while, I also slept on the bench in the company restroom. When it was cold, he put his hand in the sleeve of his long shirt and held himself for countless nights. When I started shooting, it was about 20 hours a day, but my only thought was to 'get through it', hoping that every time I appeared on camera, I could let the audience see the best performance. ”
"Isn't there a time when you can't stand it?" The reporter asked. "The answer is just two words ,like,' and I love acting. If you don't like it, it is difficult to stick to it physically and mentally. I also have times when I am very tired and tired of shooting, and I will also complain and cry bitterly. I remember my senior Sister Bo (Feng Subo) asked me a question, 'Don't you want to be the protagonist?' 'Yeah, I'm already lucky, I have to get through it.' Along the way, I have received a lot of encouragement and suggestions from my predecessors, which is also the spirit that TV people should inherit. ”
Ouyang Zhenhua said that the most important thing in filming is to be happy. Courtesy of respondents
In recent years, the entertainment market has moved north, actors have gone north, and Ouyang Zhenhua has also come to the mainland to participate in film and television dramas and variety shows. He still retains the diligent and down-to-earth fireworks of Hong Kong actors, and he feels more and more that the most important thing in filming is to be happy. And what he cherishes most is his audience, "Although I am an actor, I am also an ordinary person, and I face ordinary people every day. He thought about it for a moment and then added: "My affinity is not made, just like I like to take photos with people, sometimes when I see them afraid to open their mouths, I will take the initiative to ask them 'do you want to take pictures'." It is because of them that I can continue to persevere. ”
There are two things wrong in front of and behind the scenes
I deliberately try to create works that have a strong sense of humanity
In life, Ouyang Zhenhua likes to ask others what is his "image", and without waiting for the other party to give an answer, he will ask, "Is it round and cute?" "He often puts a smile on his face, and his super good popularity has also made him the favorite actor in the hearts of the audience and his peers." In 2007, he was nominated for the International Emmy Award for Best Actor with the Hong Kong drama "Casino Storm", and his brother Chow Yun-fat called him and praised him as "the first person in Hong Kong, China", but these honors never seemed to make him feel different, he said, to judge whether he is popular, you can only look at the performance and workload of the series: "Now that there are social platforms to spread information, we used to shoot dramas. Only when I went to do the publicity did I know that there were so many enthusiastic audiences. Since I didn't know I was red at the time, I never fluttered. ”
However, in recent years, Ouyang Zhenhua decided to slow down the pace of work, stay more time with his family, and add value for himself: "In the past two years, I suddenly feel that the front of the curtain and behind the scenes can be carried out simultaneously, because of the epidemic, many jobs have been affected, since there is more time at home, it is better to try more and learn more." For example, when filming "The Royal Court of No. 1", many of the dialogue needs to be enriched by itself, so that it is the second-hand material. If you can write dialogue, it is first-hand material, and it will be easier to act. He thought about it and said that he also hopes to do some creations now: "I like works with warm themes such as "A House of Friends", and I pay attention to the people around me and the things around me, which is a TV series with a strong sense of humanity. ”
This year is the 25th year of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, and Ouyang Zhenhua can't help but sigh that he has been lucky in the past 25 years: "I am grateful for my acting career, and I am very happy to play different roles in the play and experience the lives of different roles." In the past 25 years, because of the relationship between filming, I have met many colleagues in front of and behind the scenes. Some people may have worked together many years ago and never had a chance to see each other again; Some people can cooperate again after many years apart, and then have the opportunity to meet again, and that mood is very wonderful, and it is very happy..."
Same question and answer
Beijing News: As a Hong Kong actor, what kind of Hong Kong drama is in your heart?
Ouyang Zhenhua: Struggle, hard work, work together to do one thing, and finally be happy to finish. I think most Hong Kong dramas teach people to pursue success and are educational.
Beijing News: In your opinion, which role best represents the spirit of Hong Kong people?
Ouyang Zhenhua: Gao Yanbo in Forensic Pioneers, Chen Xiaosheng in "Sister of the Gun Master", and Bao Huan in "A House of Friends".
In the Hong Kong drama "Sister of the Gun" cooperated with Kwan Wing Ho (left), Ouyang Zhenhua (right) played the role of Chen Xiaosheng.
Beijing News; This year marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, what are the most obvious changes in your life and career?
Ouyang Zhenhua: There hasn't been much change in life, but as an actor, I have more opportunities to cooperate with mainland actors at work. Everyone comes from all over the world, has different ways of performing, and more cooperation and exchange will enrich my acting career.
Beijing News: What do you think is the most profound experience of living in the mainland (or traveling between Hong Kong and the mainland)?
Ouyang Zhenhua: At the beginning, I thought that when I went to the mainland to shoot a drama, without food at home and no wife to take care of, I would be very hard and thin (laughs), but the fact is that I will get fat after every filming (laughs). In fact, shooting in the mainland is not so tense, the time will not be so urgent, and it will not start work day and night, which is relatively relaxed. The crew is very good to me, and the living and eating, big and small things will be properly arranged for me. Sometimes when I start work in different cities in the mainland and attend events, I can feel everyone's enthusiasm, and the working experience in the mainland is very happy and enjoyable.
Beijing News: In the process of learning to speak Mandarin, are there any words that impress you the most?
Ouyang Zhenhua: The pronunciation of some words in Mandarin is very difficult for Cantonese speakers. Some sounds are also more similar and difficult to distinguish, such as: tense, private, shi, silk, four, ten, death this group of close-syllable characters, and such as mountain, good, scattered, shan, sheng such close-syllable words, in addition to the difficulty of pronunciation and biting words, the use of vocabulary is also very difficult. For example, Cantonese can say "quality", and Mandarin uses "quality", but the meaning is the same, so I still need to work hard to learn Mandarin.
Beijing News: After coming to the mainland to develop, what new skills have you mastered?
Ouyang Zhenhua: In the past, information technology was not so developed, unlike today, there are so many social platforms, which is the trend of the times and a good thing. We can use social platforms to promote ourselves, share some news about our positive energy, and know more things through the platform.
Beijing News: As a "memory killing" for many people, what do you most want to say to the fans of the year?
Ouyang Zhenhua: I would like to say thank you to my fans and fans, thank you for your support, I will continue to work hard. I hope to bring you good memories and continue to shoot good works for you to enjoy.
Beijing News: In one sentence to describe your current state of life?
Ouyang Zhenhua: If you can do it, you will definitely do it, but now you will slow down a little, hoping to achieve excellence.
Beijing News reporter Zhou Huixiaowan
Chief Editor Wu Dongni
Proofread by Zhao Lin