| Subject: Let's Get Serious, Vicky -- (The Star Youth 2, 12/9/02) |
Author:
小影 （大马赵薇后援会）
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Date Posted: 00:23:03 09/13/02 Fri
Cute, mischievous and playful best paint the picture of Chinese actress Vicky Zhao Wei. Based on her performances on hit TV series [Huang Zhu Ge Ge] (The Return of Princess Pearl) and new movie [So Close], you sort of agree with those descriptions and so the expectations for the young actress to match the billing were rather high during a recent interview in Kuala Lumpur.
However, as the interview started, I was greeted with a totally different side of her. She came across as serious and mature. While maintaining bubbles of enthusiasm, Zhao Wei carried an air of confidence and a very down-to-earth attitude to life - and she's also much prettier in person.
Born in Wu Hu in Anhui province, China, in 1976, Zhao Wei has definately seen her celebrity value on the rise. She commands a large following in China, Taiwan, Singapore and even here. Her role as Little Swallow in [Huang Zhu Ge Ge] has made her a household name, while movies like [Shaolin Soccer] and [The Duel] brought her further attention.
Zhao Wei even has a music career with three albums to boast.
So how does she juggle all that for someone so young?
"I feel that they (music, TV and movies) are totally different. If you know how to act on television, it does not mean that you will know how to act in a movie, and knowing how to act in a movie does not mean you will know how to sing," said Zhao Wei.
"The demands for each performance (TV and movie careers) is different. In a television series, you can slowly nurse your acting, whilst in a movie, it is very easy to make a mistake, and you have to correct it by yourself, which is why it is different."
As far as her career goes, Zhao Wei noted that she has always had TV acting and music-making as a foundation. Only in recent years has she found more serious interest in acting in movies.
Gaining fame from a TV series is a good step, but she feels that acting in movies is her true calling.
"All three careers are interconnected in some way, which is why it is difficult to say which one I like.
"When I was in university, I studied film. I do know that my strength lies in film."
Fortunately for most of us, she won't be giving up appearing on television yet.
"I will continue acting on TV because a lot of the audience want me on TV. And if there is a good TV programme to be involved in, I will go for it."
Whatever she seems to find an interest in, she always seems to find enjoyment in it, despite all the difficulties.
"Whatever job you do, if a person has a passion for it, no matter what happens, that person will enjoy doing it and will not tire of it.
"If you don't enjoy what you do, then you will suffer and you won't feel well doing it, so I just enjoy whatever it is I do," she said.
It's a hard life on the set and health woes do warrant a worry. Zhao Wei can vouch for that.
"When I was filming [Huang Zhu Ge Ge], I often had to film for many days in a row. I had nosebleeds and vomiting (spells), but I still continued filming."
She revealed that she nearly lost her hearing once.
"When I was filming I had to constantly wear earrings, which caused my ears to swell up to such an extent that I realised I could not hear anymore."
Suffering, though, seems to be a part of her career.
"I feel that no job is easy and whatever job I do has its own problems."
For all the celebrity and attention she gained, Zhao Wei could certainly list the difficult times in making a movie - and there were quite a few not-so-glamorous moments to recall.
"In [So Close], I was fighting until I (was so tired that) wanted to die. In [Shaolin Soccer], I was made to look so ugly that I didn't want to see anybody at all. The make up hurt so much.
"In [Huang Zhu Ge Ge], I only slept three hours everyday and very rarely got any rest."
In her latest movie [So Close], with Shu Qi and Karen Mok, she plays an assassin, and the role involved a great deal of action sequences, which she found challenging.
"I finally learnt about an all-out action film with this movie. I think this was a good experience, and I need to continue learning in this field."
And it may not be the last action role for her. She prefers to view the future in action movies in a candid light.
"I don't like to excercise, and action movies forces you to excercise and train yourself. That's why I feel that filming an action movie is actually very good for your health!"
Her willingness to take up new roles has also given her much satisfaction.
"All the shows that I have acted in are all about different things.
I decided to do an action movie because I have never done it before."
With such a large following in this part of the world, the question of her fame eventually comes up, and she seems surprisingly unaffected by it.
"I have always had a very normal life. When I am not filming, working or promoting films, the rest of the time is for myself."
In her free time, Zhao Wei chooses to catch up on some reading, cooking, tennis, swimming and spending quality time with her mum and dad.
"My parents will treat me the same and have not treated me any differently."
Despite the odd overzealous fan, tabloid gossip and intrusions into her personal space, Zhao Wei intends to stand firm and take things in her stride. She still looks forward to more in her career.
"Every time I make a new movie, I always seem to gain new experiences. After this movie, I'll be doing a promo for my new movie called [Lu Cha] (Green Tea).
"Another project I have in mind is one that I might have difficulty with - I am thinking of playing a mother next. However, I am still thinking about it."
One thing's for sure, Zhao Wei has only just started, and she looks set for greater things, and yet it won't be any surprise if none of it gets to her head.
By Geoffrey Lip
(A small note: I typed whatever that was printed on the newspaper, as in "Vicky" and "Huang Zhu Ge Ge". And I didn't know that WeiWei played tennis! haha)
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