Charmaine Sheh's second half is not just "Queen of News"
Author | Xie Wuji
Edit | Yan Fei
Title Picture | "Queen of News"
"If you have your personality, how long can you live in a workplace environment where SNK-NEWS is fiercely contested?"
"I won't be unable to live (laughs), the world is not here to cooperate with you, there is nothing to take for granted. No matter what the circumstances, find a way to survive. ”
In 2018, Charmaine Sheh was asked how many episodes she could survive when she traveled back to the harem, and she smiled and said that she would survive to the end. What I'm curious about is that after 5 years, in the face of the realistic "workplace palace fight" in "News Queen", is her answer still the same?
Ma Guoming, who played George in the same play, faced this problem, saying that he was "not suitable for fighting and should resign soon". In contrast, Charmaine Sheh is obviously a better match for the character Wen Huixin in the play. In the face of the "palace fight" in life, she always has the confidence to be calm and leisurely, enough to support the field.
"News Queen" has become the highest-rated Hong Kong drama on Douban this year, and Charmaine Sheh plays Sister Man Wen Huixin in it. (Photo/"News Queen" stills)
Looking back at Charmaine Sheh's life story, you may find the source of confidence. When she was 5 years old, her father died in a car accident, and her strong and optimistic mother became her closest friend and best role model. She understood the "impermanence of the world" at an early age, was very independent from a young age, and knew how to adapt to different environments.
During the interview, Charmaine frequently mentioned the keyword "encounter".
When she first debuted, in the face of rolling doubts, she secretly worked hard to prove herself, and filming hundreds of episodes a year became her daily routine. Charmaine Sheh spent 26 years, tearing off one label after another, and finally transformed from a vase role to a heroine of Hong Kong dramas.
Hong Kong media person Zha Xiaoxin once commented on it as "a strong grass in the wind". In the talented, highly competitive entertainment industry, she is not a talented player, but she must be a female force in the circle that cannot be ignored - tenacious, dedicated, "hard neck", knows what she wants, and seizes it at every opportunity.
The fate is very bitter, but fortunately, there is family affection to fill it
Talking to Charmaine Sheh is like a spring breeze. The childhood and youth she talked about to me always reminded people of the TVB urban dramas in the eighties and nineties of the 20th century-
Mei Foo Sun Chuen, located in Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon, carries Charmaine Sheh's childhood memories. There is a beach close to the city, where you can fish for mud and crabs, and there is a swimming shed under the bridge for rowing. Later, the reclamation became Lai Chi Kok Park, which has swings, slides, rocking boards, and sand pits.
Mei Foo Sun Chuen carries Charmaine Sheh's childhood memories. (Photo/Charmaine Sheh Weibo)
She was under the impression that there was a lot of joy hidden under the flyover in Mobil. When she was in middle school, she liked to walk under the bridge at the bus stop to Liwan Market, and take out the little pocket money she had left to buy snacks such as curry fish balls, egg waffles, and stinky tofu.
Those neighbors recognized this girl who often accompanied her mother to buy vegetables, and greeted her warmly, "Sister is out of school, please eat this piece of pork."
Mobil also retains the few memories she had with her father. She has the impression that her father is strict and travels a lot, but his suitcase is full of clothes, books, toys and snacks bought for his daughter.
When she was 5 years old, her father died in a traffic accident. At the funeral, little Charmaine Sheh didn't understand why everyone ignored her crying and refused to hug her to take a final look with her father.
It wasn't until she talked to her mother by chance as a teenager that she learned that her father was disfigured at that time, and the elders wanted to protect her and make her remember only the best of her father.
"Everyone has their own shortcomings, maybe from another perspective, it is not as big as you think, and there is no need to dwell on it. Charmaine said to me.
On the night of her father's death, Charmaine Sheh was afraid that her mother would be lonely, so she slept with her mother until she went to study in Switzerland.
Later, her mother, who raised her three siblings alone, was always busy making money to support her family, so Charmaine Sheh took the initiative to take on the responsibility of her sister and guide her younger brother in his homework. And my mother has always done her best to give the best love - strong and optimistic, never complaining.
The love of a single mother is full, but the soul is free and not bound by motherhood.
When Charmaine was 18 years old, her mother said to her, "You go to school, don't worry about me, your mother is going to pursue her own life." When Charmaine was about to graduate, she received the news that her mother was going to Hawaii to remarry.
Her mother was Charmaine's closest family. (Photo/Charmaine Sheh Weibo)
There are many important choices in life, but there is also the probability that "God appreciates the food".
In fact, Charmaine Sheh's "choice of Sister Hong Kong" was not because of her dream of stardom, on the contrary, she was talked about too much by her relatives since she was a child, and she was still a little resistant to this matter.
In 1997, coinciding with the handover of Hong Kong, Charmaine returned to Hong Kong after graduating from Switzerland with a degree in hotel management. Just like the plot of the TV series, at the suggestion of her mother and best friend, her friend even helped her submit the registration form.
was originally an "unintentional move", but Charmaine Sheh, who was shortlisted for the interview and finally won the third runner-up of Miss Hong Kong, naturally got the ticket to the TVB showbiz.
Charmaine Sheh was elected as the third runner-up of Miss Hong Kong in 1997 and entered the entertainment industry. (Photo/Provided by the interviewee)
"It's better to say so much, it's better to do it for you"
Charmaine Sheh, who has just entered the industry, is a bit introverted and unconfident, and she is like a blank sheet of paper in performance. But as a fledgling, she has already revealed her "hard neck" character.
During a filming, the assistant director temporarily advanced her role. She hurriedly changed her clothes a minute or two late, and he scolded her from the car to the scene. At that time, Charmaine Sheh endured not saying a word, and it was not until after filming and taking a taxi that she cried in the car.
In the second year of her debut, she was photographed as Miao Ruolan in "Snow Mountain Flying Fox", but she received bad comments such as "chicken voice" and "facial paralysis girl".
During that time, she had the idea of quitting the circle, but perhaps it was the stubbornness in her bones that made her want to work hard to prove herself.
Charmaine Sheh, who just debuted, played Miao Ruolan in "Snow Mountain Flying Fox", and her acting skills were questioned and she was said to be "chicken".
At that time, she pasted a newspaper in front of the mirror that said that she was not good at acting to motivate herself.
When questioned about her line skills, she insisted on reading the newspaper every day to practice her voice, and she never attended an acting training class, so she asked her predecessor Chen Jinhong to continue to explore in the process of playing, learning and practicing at the same time.
In 2000, Charmaine Sheh ushered in her first highlight work "Moonlight on the Fifth Day of October", and won the first award in her life with the role of "Good Wishes".
The role of Zhu Jun in "Moonlight on the Fifth Day of October" made Charmaine Sheh confident in her performance. (Photo/Stills from "Moonlight on the Fifth Day of October")
In 2001, TVB, which has been filming dramas in the studio all year round, decided to use full real-life filming of "Wine is Hometown Alcohol" in Guangxi. After she learned about it, she took the initiative to recommend herself to Zeng Lizhen, the producer at the time.
This momentum of "newborn calves are not afraid of tigers" has allowed her to gain an unprecedented immersive experience. From then on, she truly fell in love with acting.
There are many actors who have played Zhou Zhiruo, and Charmaine Sheh also starred in the 2001 version of "Heaven and Dragon Slayer", and her performance is remarkable. Especially in the scene where Zhou Zhiruo was abandoned when she got married, Charmaine Sheh's resolute tears and love-hate eyes were praised by netizens.
Playing such a complex classic role, Charmaine Sheh, who claimed that her acting skills were still immature at the time, remained tense and depressed after finishing work every day, and for the first time, she "felt a little unable to withdraw".
Charmaine Sheh's version of Chow Zhiruo performed a resolute demeanor of love and hate. (Photo/Stills from "Heaven and Dragon Slayer")
In 2004, in "The Desire of the Golden Branch", which is known as the pinnacle of palace fighting dramas, Charmaine Sheh, who played Er Chun, was not inferior to many powerful actors, and performed this complex and changeable, moody inner drama amazingly, and producer Qi Qiyi commented that Charmaine Sheh "can't read thoroughly, but you know what you want".
In this play, Charmaine Sheh knows how to "hide and act" for the first time, her emotional control is relaxed, and her acting skills have also reached a new level.
Er Chun in "The Desire of the Golden Branch" is scheming but affectionate, and Charmaine Sheh learned to "hide and act" in the play. (Photo/Stills from "Golden Branches")
By 2006's "Phoenix Quartet", Charmaine Sheh was able to play four characters with very different personalities and great spans of ages. She won the "Best Actress" and "Favorite TV Actress" with this drama, and won the double queen.
When she received the award, she cried into tears. Charmaine Sheh, who doesn't like to respond to questions, finally fought a beautiful turnaround battle with actions - "I don't like to say too much, say so much, it's better to show you." ”
The struggle of "Desperate Sanniang".
TVB actors are well-known for their dedication, and Charmaine Sheh may be the most named "desperate Sanniang" in the circle, and she has long adapted to the rhythm of TVB's continuous rotation:
5 dramas a year, more than 120 episodes of TV series, at least 18 hours a day, and only 9 days off in the past three years.
During the filming of "The Imperial Flower", she slipped due to physical exhaustion, and her chin hit the glass coffee table and left a scar; in "Fire Dancing in the Yellow Sand", she fell head-on and broke two teeth while running with a child on her back, and a speeding car scene in "Apostle Walker" injured her cervical spine, and her hand is still paralyzed.
Charmaine Sheh is a well-known "desperate Sanniang", she laughed and said that her mother didn't like to watch her bitter dramas such as "Fire Dance and Yellow Sand" because she was very distressed. (Photo/Stills from "Fire Dancing Yellow Sand")
She admits that she is a workaholic and "likes to return to work (to work) more than to take a vacation."
She doesn't shy away from being competitive: "I always feel that every time I get a job, I have to do what I think is the best. It's like coming out to a competition, of course you want to win, otherwise what's the point of participating?"
The showbiz, which has always been swept by big waves and with youth as its capital, will only be more cruel to middle-aged actresses. Long before the arrival of the middle-aged predicament, Charmaine Sheh rode the wind and jumped out of her comfort zone.
In 2011, Charmaine Sheh's contract with TVB expired, and she terminated the contract and set up her own studio "north", focusing on the mainland market.
"I've been thinking about this for two years, which means that I have to come out of a greenhouse without the shelter of a big tree. I'm worried that the audience will feel bored, that there will be no freshness, and I want to go outside and have a look. ”
In the first few years, Charmaine experienced a period of downturn, and the resources she received were not as good as before. Although he took over the filming of dramas such as "The Legend of Kublai Khan", "Marrying into a Wealthy Family", "Jianyuan Fengyun", and also participated in movies such as "Rushing to the Clouds" and "The Leaker", after all, there was not much splash.
Charmaine Sheh, who went north to the mainland to film, has participated in many dramas, and played the role of Empress Chabi in "The Legend of Kublai Khan". (Photo/Stills from "The Legend of Kublai Khan")
The sudden drop in workload also made her doubt her market value for a while. Taking this opportunity, she adjusted her mentality, slowed down the pace, calmed down to study the script, and recuperated.
"This society doesn't accommodate itself, you have to learn to adapt and adjust, and it's not necessarily a bad thing to move slowly. ”
The second half of the life of "grass in the wind".
In 2018, Yu Zheng threw an olive branch to her. It took her 2 days to read 70 episodes of the script, considering issues such as weather, schedule, and old injuries, but she didn't consider the so-called "fan position", although she won TVB's double TV again with the role of Ding Xiaojia in "Apostle Walker" 4 years ago.
Concubine Xian has become a tragic character in many people's hearts, and the light of the supporting role cannot be hidden. (Photo/Stills)
"I want to be able to get a challenging job that allows me to perform and be fun. "Charmaine Sheh takes on the play, and the feeling and the spark.
Gao Haining, an actor who has worked with her, said that he was willing to star in "Thirty Only" even if he was not paid, because he was inspired by Charmaine Sheh: "She once told me that no actor is a supporting role, as long as you act in this drama, you are the protagonist of this drama." ”
As a result, 43-year-old Charmaine Sheh didn't expect that the role of "Concubine Xian" could make her popular again and help her open the mainland market.
In this play, Charmaine Sheh contributed a textbook version of the interpretation, playing a villain supporting role as a tragic woman who can't be loved and heart-wrenching.
It's hard not to be reminiscent of Er Chun in "Golden Branches Desire", the originator of palace fighting dramas 14 years ago. People were shocked to realize that Charmaine Sheh's acting skills were still dazzling after hibernation.
Now that she has become popular again because of the role of "Wen Huixin" in "News Queen", many people are not surprised.
Director Zhong Shujia said that at that time, he wrote the script according to Charmaine Sheh's feelings: "Now it seems that in addition to Charmaine Sheh, it is difficult for me to find another person with this kind of aura, this kind of acting skills, and this kind of appearance." ”
Zhong Shujia, director of "News Queen", bluntly said that the script was written according to Charmaine Sheh's image. (Photo/"News Queen" stills)
Before the start of filming, Charmaine Sheh spent almost 5 months doing her homework, going to the TVB news department to learn Xi with anchors, and studying the rhythm, expression, tone and speed of news reports in different countries and different anchors.
In order to highlight Sister Man's strong aura and the character who can enter the work state at any time, she made detailed designs for this character, such as a crossed waist and a mobile phone pencil in her hand.
When she first read the script, Charmaine Sheh didn't think it was a palace fight drama, she felt that it was a female workplace drama.
"I am also a migrant worker, and the beauty of this drama lies in the emotional resonance, and there is a growth story line behind everyone: how contemporary women fight for themselves in this society that longs for equality between men and women. ”
Sister Man Wen Huixin has become the Man God in the hearts of many migrant workers. (Photo/Charmaine Sheh Weibo)
And this may also be the key to her ability to maintain strong career vitality and competitiveness. The brilliance of "Grass in the Wind" lies in the fact that no matter the wind or headwind, she dares to fight and dare to break through, ready at any time, and seize every precious opportunity.
The life problems of contemporary women,
It's "for yourself"
Charmaine Sheh in the circle is known for her high emotional intelligence and is thoughtful enough to treat people.
Those who have worked with her have not hesitated to praise her. Zhong Shujia said that she has a lot of similarities with Sister Man - she has the temperament of an eldest sister, is affectionate enough, and knows how to take care of people.
Perhaps this kind of righteous character comes from a childhood that did not go well. "Everyone has their own 'battles' to fight every day, so why should I be harsh on others?"
Charmaine Sheh is ruthless enough to herself, a perfectionist through and through.
She often takes out her previous works and looks through them to find fault with herself, and if the media comes to shoot an interview, she will put off all the dates from the previous day just to "do her homework". Not to mention the preparation before joining the crew. Actor Chen Fala who has worked with her bluntly said that Charmaine Sheh doesn't even have to sleep in order to memorize the script.
Before joining the crew, Charmaine Sheh will definitely do her homework and practice a good memory of memorizing the script. (Photo/Provided by the interviewee)
Even so, she is still at her best in front of the camera and rarely shows tiredness. TVB assistant general manager Le Yiling once commented in an interview: "I'm curious why she (Charmaine Sheh) is so good, as long as the camera is aimed at her, even if it is three or four o'clock in the middle of the night, it is so beautiful that the lights burst." ”
But Charmaine Sheh, who always shows decency, will also have her own emotions. During the filming of "Pearl of the Orient" in 2005, when she went to Beijing to attend an award ceremony, she received the news that her mother was in a coma in the United States and urgently needed surgery. Fortunately, her mother woke up, and Charmaine Sheh flew over immediately after filming.
Charmaine Sheh has been sleep deprived for a long time, and now she still suffers from insomnia because of new plays. In 2009, when she was filming "Palace Scheming", she watched traditional Chinese medicine for this, "saying that my body function is like a sports car, and I can't stop if the speed is too high, so I can't sleep." In the past 10 years, Charmaine Sheh has turned to "let go of yourself, balance career and life, and accompany your family" as her new homework.
When asked what Charmaine would be if she painted a picture of her life, "blue sky and white clouds, it's that simple." (Photo/Charmaine Sheh Weibo)
There is a huge contrast between her work and life, "I don't know if it's because of Gemini traits", she laughs. The good memory of being able to memorize the script silently is gone in life. Often left things behind, and always forgot to bring pajamas and pajamas on business trips, so she simply borrowed them from her teammates.
Charmaine Sheh has many hobbies. For example, driving a sports car, her friends even feel that if Charmaine Sheh does not develop in the entertainment industry, she will definitely be a racing driver - "fast, ruthless, accurate, as if everything is in her grasp".
She also loves to draw, and painting is a kind of meditation for her, which makes her very stressful, "The brain can stop." Playing music, looking at the paper in front of me, [I feel] this world belongs only to me, I just need to think about what to draw next, what color to use, it's that simple."
Painting is Charmaine Sheh's best way to meditate and decompress. (Photo/Provided by the interviewee)
Age may be a sensitive topic for female celebrities, but Charmaine Sheh seems to be very comfortable with it. Some time ago, she went online in person and corrected what netizens said about "45 years old": "I'm 48 years old. Some media inquired into her love life and asked her if she wanted to have children, and her response was also very straightforward: "You can't have children." ”
In Charmaine Sheh's view, "40+" and "50+" are just labels, not equal to ability. "I think every age has different experiences, and that's what makes life interesting. I'm thankful that I'm about to turn 50, and everyone has to look forward, and it can't be the same. What's the point of stopping you at 30?"
When she was young, she longed for love, had a traditional concept of marriage, and planned to get married at the age of 30. But later, she was still unwilling to give up her career and refused the opportunity to marry into a wealthy family.
Today's Charmaine Sheh, when she is not working, likes to cook at home, pet cats and dogs, watch dramas and movies, and accompany family and friends. (Photo/Charmaine Sheh Weibo)
Today, Charmaine Sheh has a more mature view of love and marriage: "Some people may think that they like to be married and have children, and want a good family, but everyone's circumstances are different. Love is more of a spice than a necessity to me these days. ”
She has recorded very few reality shows. In "Look at My Life", Charmaine Sheh shows the single life state that many people envy: chic and casual, relaxed, and a realistic version of the heroine of the Hong Kong drama.
Behind this free energy is a sober and independent personality, and it is also a kind of choice - "Not everyone is the same in their lives, and they have to do the same thing." In your category, it is in vain to be able to shine as much as possible. ”
As she said on Weibo: "Life is like ice cream, you have to enjoy it before it melts." She also understood that life is an experience, and the feeling of comfort is more important than anything else, and it is enough to be able to control her life and realize her own value.
Charmaine Sheh's philosophy of life: Enjoy the moment, love is precious, but freedom is higher. (Photo/Charmaine Sheh Weibo)
Proofreader: Lai Xiaoni, Operation: Lu Zirui, Typesetting: Li Shuying