The nineties of the last century was the golden age of Hong Kong TV dramas. On the stage of TVB, many popular idols and well-known classic characters have emerged.
Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Aaron Kwok and other male god-level figures have made countless boys and girls crazy. Of course, we can't forget the actresses of the same period, who have added a lot of bright colors to Hong Kong dramas.
But if you think about it carefully, you will find that Hong Kong actresses in that era seem to have some "fascination aesthetics". For example, Guan Baohui, Zhang Min, Charmaine Sheh and others are not outstanding in appearance, and even slightly mediocre, but they can play the role of beautiful women who are alluring the country and the city.
In fact, it seems that the reason why they are popular is not because of their appearance, but because of their strength. As long as the acting skills are in place, the quality of the appearance is not so important. Therefore, we should not demand the past with the current aesthetic standards, let alone judge the actors based on their appearance.
Acting skills are the only criterion for judging an actor.
When it comes to the "aesthetic of fascination" among Hong Kong actresses in the 1990s, Kwan Baohui is definitely a typical representative. She has a face that is not delicate, and the configuration of her facial features seems to be random, and there is nothing outstanding.
Especially her slightly dead eyes, it is always difficult to show the look of a lively and lovely girl. However, it is such a flat face, and with her excellent acting skills, she has successfully created one household name after another.
For example, in the classic Hong Kong drama "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", Guan Baohui played Mu Nianci, who is deeply loved by Zhang Wuji. In the original work, Mu Nianci is described as a peerless beauty with national beauty and fragrance, gentle and demure, wise and brave.
However, Guan Baohui's facial features themselves are not exquisite, but under her delicate interpretation, this character is still lifelike and loved by the audience. Even Tony Leung, the actor who played opposite her, was full of praise for Kwan Baohui's acting skills.
Therefore, Guan Baohui's success tells us that an actor's acting skills do not depend on her appearance, but also on whether she can perform a role to the extreme.
Sometimes, an inconspicuous person, as long as he puts in enough effort to study, can also touch the hearts of the audience through his acting skills. Looks will fade eventually, but exceptional performances will always shine.
Acting skills are the only criterion for judging an actor.
When it comes to Hong Kong drama actresses who left a deep impression in the 1990s, Zhang Min cannot be missed. She has a high nose bridge, deep eye sockets, and a hard and cold facial line, just like her temperament on the screen.
Zhang Min is good at interpreting some majestic and awe-inspiring strong women, with that kind of arrogant and calm aura, which fully demonstrates the charm of "iceberg beauty".
However, when Zhang Min had to play some gentle and delicate costume beauties, the audience was inevitably a little "uncomfortable". For example, in "Heaven and Dragon Slayer", she played Zhou Zhiruo, who was infatuated with Zhang Wuji.
It should be a beautiful and moving girl, but Zhang Min's cold facial features and complaining expression give people a weird and treacherous feeling. Some viewers even laughed and said, "This week, Zhiruo seems to be owed a million yuan."
It can be seen that if the appearance of the actor is contrary to the character's own temperament, then even if the acting skills are superb, it is difficult for the audience to have a sense of substitution. Casting still needs to consider the fit between the person and the script, and it should not be possible to play any role because of outstanding acting skills.
We should grasp the personality characteristics of each person and choose the role that suits us best in order to shine.
Charmaine Sheh was a sensational actress in Hong Kong in the 90s, but when you mention her, you will find some "amazing moves" in her life trajectory. In 1995, Charmaine Sheh only won the third place in the Miss Hong Kong beauty pageant, which is not a big favorite.
However, after she joined TVB, she directly became a first-line heroine, skipping the usual process of starting from the dragon set, and defeated the top Hua Dan of TVB at that time.
Charmaine Sheh does not have top-notch beauty, nor has she ever amazed the four with her extraordinary acting skills. The reason why she stands out is entirely because of the tenacity of her character and the clarity of her goals.
In those days, Charmaine Sheh's ambition and determination were extraordinary. But at the same time, this also brings a little "sense of disobedience" to the audience.
For example, in the classic drama "Heaven and Dragon Slayer", Charmaine Sheh played the first beauty in martial arts Zhou Zhiruo. But judging from her appearance and temperament, it is not enough to make people have a strong aesthetic imagination of this character.
Compared with other versions of Zhou Zhiruo, Charmaine Sheh's Zhiruo is more like a heroine who hangs a pot to help the world, and lacks the charm of the country and the city.
It can be seen that the strength of an actor is important, but if you want to perfectly interpret a role, the fit in appearance is also indispensable. Each of us has our own traits and brilliance, and we should choose the characters that best play to our strengths in order to make a deep impression on the audience.
When it comes to Hong Kong drama idols who were loved by audiences in the 90s, Xuan Xuan is definitely a striking example. She has waist-length hair, and her bumpy facial features exude a fairy aura.
In addition, she is good at playing some lively, cute, cheerful and generous roles, leaving people with the impression of sunshine and positive energy. However, when she began to challenge some charming and moving costume beauties, she was obviously overwhelmed.
For example, in "Dragon Brother and Rat Brother", Xuan Xuan plays the heroine Su Lian. This character needs to use smart eyes and delicate dressing to attract the attention of the male protagonist Xu Xian.
But Xuan Xuan was born with poor facial features, and after wearing heavy makeup, her facial lines were blurred, and she lost the sense of delicacy that she should have. That deliberately flattering expression made her look a little funny.
Therefore, Xuan Xuan's example tells us that actors should not play roles that they don't meet in order to be brilliant. Xuan Xuan's personality is originally healthy, sunny and positive, and there is no need to deliberately create a sense of charm to please the audience.
As long as she chooses some characters who have a lot of words and are full of true temperament, she will naturally be able to give full play to her strengths and achieve better results. Everyone has a unique charm, and as long as they discover their own characteristics, they can shine in the play.
When it comes to the goddess of Hong Kong dramas that were popular in the 90s, Li Zi is definitely one of them. She has a natural good skin, big eyes are smart and smart, and the cute pear vortex at the corner of her mouth is irresistible.
Coupled with the vitality and sunshine she has had since she was a child, she completely has the youthful atmosphere of a girl. However, when Li Zi wants to change this image and create different types of characters, it will backfire and make people look very awkward.
For example, in the classic drama "Heaven and Dragon Slayer: The Demon Sect Leader", Li Zi plays a coquettish and charming evil leader who troubles the rivers and lakes. But her face with some baby fat, thick smoky makeup, and gaudy costumes, looked like a village girl dressed as a salty and lewd woman.
The audience even wondered if the director had found the wrong person.
The reason is that Li Zi was born with a youthful and energetic temperament, which is not suitable for playing mature female characters. She should choose some real campus characters or gentle and lovely girl images according to her personality characteristics, so as to give full play to her personal charm and gain the recognition of the audience.
For an actor to be successful, the most important thing is to choose the right role that matches his or her own characteristics and looks.
To sum up, we should not use inherent aesthetic concepts to demand Hong Kong drama actresses in the 90s. They lacked external conditions at that time, but they won the recognition and love of the audience through their own efforts, which is worthy of recognition.
However, if there is too much contrast between an actor's appearance and the character setting, then no amount of good acting skills can fill this gap. If an actor wants to achieve greater success, he still needs to choose the right role as his breakthrough.
An actor is like a piece of jade, which needs to be polished before it can shine. And the director, screenwriter and other crew members are like craftsmen who carve this piece of jade into some work.
Only when the two work together to spark can they make a lasting impression on the audience. Acting skills are important, but the match between people and scripts is the key to determining the success or failure of an actor.