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.
The Beijing News Cultural and Entertainment × the Beijing News News jointly produced
At the node of the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, Deng Cuiwen looked back on the past and sighed with emotion. Over the years, the topic of "returning to feelings", as long as she talks about it, it is difficult for her to fight, and she can't suppress the joy in her heart. It was difficult for her to say exactly how she felt in three words, but there was always an inexhaustible amount of gratitude in her heart. Compared with the past few decades of running back and forth between the mainland and Hong Kong, she has now become a "drifter" for a year.
Before, she never thought that she would settle in the mainland, "I was born, raised, educated, and worked in Hong Kong, and everything about the mainland used to be just seen and heard, and now I have the opportunity to experience it firsthand, to witness such a rapid and prosperous development here, and to integrate into the life here, I feel particularly lucky." She laughed and said that not only Hong Kong had returned, but she had also completely returned and become a part of Beijing.
A year ago, Deng Cuiwen moved her family to Beijing. Beijing News reporter Guo Yanbing photographed
Deng Cuiwen has never been a person who is content with the status quo, as a participant and witness of the golden age of Hong Kong drama, no one knows better than her how she survived, what she lost, and what she gained.
Get acquainted with performance
Love fantasy, performance is a window of escapism
Each actor has his own style and personality. People who know Deng Cuiwen know that she enjoys the dullness of life, and these days of settling in the mainland have added a lot of fun to her life. She would "show off" to reporters what she had recently learned about short videos and how to become an e-commerce shopping platform user. She remembers traveling to the mainland with her grandfather when she was a child, "My grandfather and I went to the dock to take a river boat, and I could see fish jumping around in the river; There are also hot springs that are not available in Hong Kong, and as soon as I enter the bath, I have to soak until my whole body is red before I am willing to leave; Grandpa also took me to see the model dramas "White Haired Girl", "Red Girl Scout Army", "Wise Tiger Mountain"; My favorite kung fu movie when I was a child was Jet Li's "Shaolin Temple"..." Today, she lives in the mainland, as if in line with her childhood.
Deng Cuiwen as a teenager. Image from its Weibo
Deng Cuiwen is a sensual person. The separation of acting from her relationship began as a child, probably dissatisfied with the environment in which she lived, and acting became a window for her to escape from reality. She grew up with her grandparents, her parents worked outside all year round, and there was little intimate parent-child time: "When I was a child, I was a little adult, and the average child watched cartoons and played at home, which had nothing to do with me. Other people play cooking games, I am really cooking, but also to take care of grandparents, accompany them to watch TV series. This also became her biggest hobby of the year. She loves fantasies and fantasizes about jumping into the story of the play. "If you think about it, being an actor is probably the fastest way to change your destiny."
In her self-perception, on appearance, she belongs to the level of facial integrity, and cannot reach the level of a peerless beauty; On the performance, you can act, but not how good you can act, after all, your own confidence is "easy to invest, but all by imagination." After graduating from middle school, she met the TVB artist training class to recruit actors, not only can study but also give a salary, "Exam, what pressure is this", "Since I was a child, I went to girls' school, and I didn't wear makeup, and when I applied for the exam, I needed to provide a photo of makeup, and my classmates and I scribbled a pass." Maybe it was really lucky to pass. She was indeed lucky, and the first work she starred in became the heroine, and her partner Wan Ziliang starred in the Hong Kong drama "Xue Rengui Zhengdong", "Maybe she was too young at the time, and she didn't know what pressure was." You gave me the role, I tried my best to play it, and I thought I was doing a good job, and when I looked back years later, I found it very average (laughs). ”
The first work of Deng Cuiwen's debut was that her partner Wan Ziliang (left) starred in liu jinhua, the heroine of the Hong Kong drama "Xue Rengui Zhengdong".
That lesson in life
At the peak, I chose to leave, and I didn't want to choose for a lifetime
Compared with other TVB actors, Deng Cuiwen has not experienced a long career in dragon sets. In his first year as an actor, he was awarded the TVB Top Ten Artists (along with Wang Mingquan, Zhou Runfa, etc.). Fame and honor come too quickly, she will feel that her mentality is a little fluttery, and even ask herself "what is so outstanding about me". But fortunately, Deng Cuiwen has always been objective and does not focus on appearances, "Honor, fame, are all external, and have nothing to do with me." Whether the company will praise you is the focus. In 1985, Weng Meiling died unexpectedly, and TVB urgently needed an actress to take over from her in a costume drama. Because Deng Cuiwen looks classical, she has naturally become the best candidate for shooting similar subjects.
"Acting in costume plays is really hard, makeup is long, and it is also removed for a long time. At that time, the producer would encourage me to say, 'How beautiful is the costume, and not everyone can act, you are the most suitable', I silently encouraged myself 'then act well', so I was willing to work hard. "In the 1980s, Hong Kong opera was at its peak and classics were frequent. On average, she only has three to four hours of sleep time a day, so tired that she doesn't even want to take off her headdress, "I take home the costume style every day, and slowly practice a good technique: the road is bumpy, no matter how sleepy, no matter how sleepy, the hair will not be messy." 」 More than ten years ago, when I came to the mainland to shoot the TV series "New Zhu Gege", the makeup team praised her and Liu Xuehua, "Others often come to the scene and their hair is messed up, but our style can be maintained all day." At that time, I was smiling in my heart, this is a past exercise! ”
Since entering the industry, Deng Cuiwen has been accustomed to doing many things by herself, from driving to run notices, as small as preparing for the line before acting, and she has also developed the habit of "not bothering others when there is something, try to solve it by yourself". Actors need to have unlimited endurance and adaptability, more than three hundred days a year on the set to live, "at that time I didn't know anything, there were roles, opportunities, when I came, I would act, and I tried my best to do whatever you gave me." The audience is not very critical of your performance, but I always think I can act better, so I rely on accumulation to correct the performance. For example, where this play is not done well, the next play is changed, but this method of progress is a bit slow, and it must be broadcast to see their own performance. ”
In the 1986 Hong Kong drama "The Dragon Slayer in the Heavens", Tang Cuiwen played the role of Chow Chi-ruo, partnered with Leung Chao-wai (as Zhang Wuji).
In the Hong Kong drama "Decisive Battle of the Imperial City", Deng Cuiwen played Yan Lengyue.
At that time, the popularity of Hong Kong dramas such as "The Dragon Slayer in the Sky" and "Decisive Battle of the Imperial City" made her a guarantee of ratings, and also became the most beautiful costume actress in the hearts of the audience. But she was full of doubts about the future: "I'm a bit empty, and I keep taking things out of my body, and there's nothing left." I've been living in TV City, filming non-stop, and if I keep acting like this, there's nothing I can come up with anymore. She made a bold decision to leave the entertainment industry for the time being and study abroad. Deng Cuiwen felt that it was an important lesson in her life. As soon as she debuted, she became the heroine, she is a person who thinks of danger in times of peace, hoping to find room for progress: "What if others don't praise me?" If my whole life is arranged, then my life is too unreliable. When I was born, I didn't have to choose, and I didn't want to be without a choice for the rest of my life. ”
Most enjoyed time
Throw away the impetuousness, find yourself, find the original heart
So far, you asked Deng Cuiwen if she would regret her decision to study abroad at the peak of her career, and she said that it was her most "scratched" time. She doesn't want to be pushed by the busy, and she doesn't even know where to push, "After entering the industry, I watched the notice every day to start, and I didn't want to be eliminated, I had to go forward." In the middle, I don't know if I like it or not, or whether I want it or not, and I gradually get lost. She thought about it, "I really need to settle down and find the original intention." In the years of foreign diving, Deng Cuiwen completely unloaded the impetuousness in the entertainment industry, and life became simple and pure. When she found the answer to "what kind of person I am, where I want to go, and what kind of life I like", she was relieved and had the courage to continue to move forward. After returning to China, her whole person became simpler, and she also strengthened her belief in continuing to be an actor, "At that time, acting was not just 'working'. Later, she played the chuchu and touching Yao Xiaofei in the women's group portrait drama "I Have a Date with Spring", which is probably the hardest role since Deng Cuiwen entered the industry, and she will play from the age of 16 to the age of 40. But Yao Xiaodi grew up in a greenhouse, which does not match Deng Cuiwen's childhood experience, and she tries her best to find the similarities between herself and the role. Subsequently, she starred in the 106-episode Hong Kong drama "Goodbye Sunny Days", which was introduced to the mainland together with the TVB version of "Tianlong Babu" and other dramas.
In the classic Hong Kong drama "I Have a Date with Spring", Tang Cuiwen played the heroine Yao Xiaodi.
At this time, she really felt the dividends brought by fame. "That was probably the happiest time I've been in the industry for more than a decade, when I bought a house and planned to retire and enjoy my happiness." Unexpectedly, the first investment encountered the Asian financial storm, coupled with the frustration of family affection and feelings, Deng Cuiwen once felt hopeless, and at this time she suddenly found that the only thing that could really help her tide over the difficulties was herself. In order to make a living, Deng Cuiwen went to Guangdong alone to perform, singing, dancing, acting, lottery... Do it yourself. She also worked as a radio host, dubber, DJ, emcee, etc., and suddenly found that she had a lot more survivability and decided to change her lifestyle. After she sold the house she had not lived in for a day for less than half of the price, she was relieved and relaxed: "I found that some things that I wanted to hold in my hands were not necessarily stable, so it was better to adjust my mentality and move forward optimistically." ”
It is better to take over the drama than to abuse it
Play each role well and live the life you want
The "sense of crisis" has been running after Deng Cuiwen for decades: afraid of losing control, afraid of being injured... But after setbacks, she saw it all as a fateful arrangement. When receiving the role of Rufei in "Golden Branch Desire", who will stop at nothing to achieve her goals, although she does not like to "fight with her heart", she must also try her best to figure it out and fully interpret the helplessness of the character that "there is no love in the palace but wants to get love". After the drama was broadcast, it became an irreplaceable classic in the history of Hong Kong opera, and everywhere she went, some people said a sentence "like a concubine and a lady". Since then, she has become the darling of similar genre works. However, she was not obedient, rejected many similar scripts, but chose to challenge herself, starring in the four grandmothers Kang Baoqi and Zheng Jiumei in the "Towel Gangster" series, making her the first Lianzhuang "Best Actress" at the TVB Ten Thousand Stars Awards Ceremony. Looking back on the years when tens of millions of viewers were often chasing the drama, Deng Cuiwen's face did not show a trace of pride, she said that she "has not done the best, I hope that it can be better in the future."
For the future, Deng Cuiwen hopes to spend half of the year working, and the rest will live her own life. Beijing News reporter Guo Yanbing photographed
Rather than the performance in the work, she pays more attention to the power that the work brings to the audience: "Actors have the obligation to bring strength to others, the audience likes you, and your every move and the role you create will affect them." When the epidemic broke out, I interacted with fans on social platforms and found that everyone felt anxious and unhappy because of the environment, but as there was a line in "The Pride of the Righteous Sea of the Gangsters", 'The sky is the darkest and the blackest... When the day comes,' They said that these words can give encouragement to people who are in the trough, and at that moment I understood the meaning of being an actor. ”
Over the years, Deng Cuiwen has gradually shifted the focus of her career to the mainland, "In the days to come, I hope that I will spend half of my time working a year, and the rest of the time I will live well and feel carefully." She said that the changes in the mainland are too fast, and many times she can't catch up, but the new people and things have given her unlimited inspiration. In terms of acting, she will always insist on "preferring lack rather than indiscriminate", the script should be excellent, and the role should be attractive. However, what happened in the past two years has also brought her some changes: "The deaths of Wu Mengda and Liao Qizhi have touched me a lot. The audience will feel that their plays have accompanied their growth, and they have added joy and inspiration to the audience's lives with their performances. This made me realize that no matter the size of the role, as long as you act well, the audience will perceive your importance. "In the future, I hope to play some roles like Uncle Da and Uncle Zhi that make me feel that I have room for creation, and I can also live the life I want to live."
Same question and answer
Beijing News: As a Hong Kong actor, what kind of Hong Kong drama is in your heart?
Tang CuiWen: Elegant and popular, positive energy, inspirational and close to life, especially the female characters in Hong Kong dramas, presenting the real face of Hong Kong women: independent, hardworking, and have their own ideas.
Beijing News: In your opinion, which role best represents the spirit of Hong Kong people?
Deng Cuiwen: In the roles I have played, the HaiQiao in the Hong Kong drama "Women Are Not Easy to Do" is a typical working woman - relying on herself, flexible in mind, aiming at opportunities to go first with ability, and having the fighting spirit of not dying. Although the work competition is fierce, there is still a "lion mountain spirit" of mutual help and mutual encouragement.
In the Hong Kong drama "Women Are Not Easy to Do", Tang Cuiwen played the role of Hai Qiao (right). (Xie Tianhua on the left)
Beijing News; On the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, what is the most obvious change in your personal life and career?
Tang Cuiwen: There are more opportunities and possibilities for career development in the mainland, the nature of work has more choices than before, and the competition is of course greater than in Hong Kong, so we must continue to learn to improve ourselves. As for life, in the past two years, I have settled in Beijing, to be a grounded compatriot in the north, I need to adapt to climate and regional changes, truly feel the life in the mainland, understand Chinese culture and the current situation, and now this close experience will make me see more clearly and realistically. I also did not expect that more than twenty years after the return of Hong Kong, it would be my life to start again.
Beijing News: What do you think is the most profound experience of living in the mainland (or traveling between Hong Kong and the mainland)?
Deng Cuiwen: It's so convenient to live in the mainland, I remember a few years ago in the crew to invite everyone to drink, and also gave cash to the assistant, now I don't need cash, I found myself too outdated (laughs). Now in the mainland on business, I almost do not have cash on me, nor do I need to drive myself, direct online car ride-hailing is comfortable and convenient; I used to be used to buying clothes and shopping online, and now I am always shopping online. Back in Hong Kong, a lot of things have to get used to from scratch, go shopping in physical stores, take cash to spend...
Beijing News: In the process of learning to speak Mandarin, are there any words that impress you the most?
Deng Cuiwen: I don't learn Mandarin very quickly, mainly because the Mandarin of the people around me who often communicate with me is not standard enough (laughs), and they have adapted to my fluent Hong Kongpu (laughs). But there is a word that seems to never be pronounced accurately, that is, "daughter-in-law", a word I have learned many times, but I always can't say it when I say it. In fact, speaking Mandarin from time to time is difficult to correct the pronunciation methods and abilities that have become accustomed.
Beijing News: After coming to the mainland to develop, what new skills have you mastered?
Deng Cuiwen: No, they are still learning. There are too many things that I need to learn and accept now, and the development and changes in the mainland have reached a speed of "I just understand it and then come up with something new"; My only skill is to keep absorbing massive amounts of essence from all sides and sifting through them to find what I want.
Beijing News: As a "memory killing" for many people, what do you most want to say to the fans of the year?
Deng Cuiwen: Thank you for still remembering me and my work, which is a great honor and touch. I will try to maintain the best state, try to let the audience see me, feel that they are still their own self, so that the audience can retain the good memories and the original intention of that time.
Beijing News: In one sentence to describe your current state of life?
Deng Cuiwen: Leisurely.
Beijing News reporter Zhou Huixiaowan
Chief Editor Wu Dongni
Proofread by Zhao Lin