[2014.01.16] JACKY CHEUNG GLADLY TAKES LOUIS KOO'S PLACE

courtesy of singtao.com

The film A COMPLICATED STORY (YUT GOR FOOK JAP DIK GOO SI) is based on Yik Shun's novel of the same name. Lead actor is Jacky Cheung Hok Yau, but actually executive producer Johnnie To Kei Fung once suggested for Louis Koo Tin Lok to perform. However due to Koo Tin Lok's scheduling conflict Hok Yau took his place. Hok Yau did not mind at all. Even though the film mainly featured the lead actress, Hok Yau still was fully prepared. His understanding of the script was very thorough and he was very professional.

The Cheung Hok Yau, Deanie Ip Tak Ha, Stephanie Che Yuen Yuen and Jacqueline Zhu Zhiying starred new film A COMPLICATED STORY was the graduation work of 9 Performing Art Academy film and television academy students. A group of students were able to land many heavyweight actors to participate completely because of executive producers Bill Kong Chi Keung and To Kei Fung and producer Shu Kei's string pulling efforts. They hoped to cultivate new blood and create more opportunities for new comers, thus they had an understanding of not sticking their hands too far into the production. 9 students did not disappoint, earlier the film participated in many film festivals and received a lot of good reviews.

Cheung Hok Yau in the film played a rich kid, but different from the usually arrogant rich kids. He was passionate about art and taught at an university, but because of money he had a hard time finding friends who were not with him for money. He and his wife Cherrie Ying Choi Yi due to personality difference ended up in a divorce. Ying Choi Yi in order to obtain even more alimony secretly asked surrogate Zhu Zhiying to have a child. When Hok Yau found out he looked for the surrogate and thus met Zhu Zhiying. After realizing that she could not be bought with money, he was very surprised and even gradually fell for her.

Speaking of which, Hok Yau was not the first choice to play the male lead. One of the investors To Kei Fung from the beginning suggested for Koo Tin Lok to play the lead. The team of course agreed. After Goo Jai heard the story, he immediately expressed interest and even agreed on the spot. He even asked To Kei Fung to find him even more dramatic roles. Goo Jai worked very hard to make room in his schedule, but because he had to make another film OUT OF INFERNO (TOH CHOOK SUN TIN) he had to drop out due to scheduling conflict. Producer Shu Kei immediately thought of Cheung Hok Yau. Shu Kei and Hok Yau have known each other for a long time. He said, "Hok Yau and I have been friends for years. He is very loyal. I even told him about Koo Tin Lok being the first choice. Hok Yau was very gracious and understood the difficulty of actor scheduling. He did not mind taking over. The film in the end was able to go into production. The entire team appreciated Hok Yau very much." Although the film featured the female lead, Hok Yau was just as fully prepared. His understanding of the script was very thorough. He had his own ideas and often suggested new view points to discuss with the director, making the entire production process better and better. He was very professional.

In addition, Hok Yau and Ting Ting worked together for the first time. He felt it was very refreshing. He said, "Choi Yi only guest starred for a day. We weren't familiar, which was very suitable to play this type of divorce couple that had nothing to see even when they are face to face. Ying Choi Yi's performance was very natural. Her look also had a lot of possibilities. Currently Hong Kong lacks domestic actresses. If she comes back to acting it would be good, her potential should not be wasted." As for Ting Ting often having to play mean in the film and never without a cigarette in her hand, Shu Kei also called in a favor to be able to land her. He made the invitation to his friend of many years Jordan Chan Siu Chun, who in turn asked Ting Ting to make the film and finally fulfilled the wish. New director Kiwi Chow Koon Wai even praised Ting Ting's acting as outstanding and opening many people's eyes. The most interesting was when Ting Ting met with the team to discuss the story, she was very knowledgeable in surrogacy and artificial insemination. She would often ask if the story was reasonable. Chow Koon Wai could not help but joked that she also "stumped" him before he realized how well informed she was. Soon after the film's completion she was pregnant, the director also joked that the film had a great baby boom.

As everyone knew, Ting Ting and Chan Siu Chun were very loving. Actually when she was on the set she often mentioned Siu Chun. She could change any subject to Siu Chun and made everyone deep feel her love for Siu Chun. The team even deliberately played a joke on Ting Ting. In one scene when a magazine caught her with another rich kid behind Hok Yau's back, the prop cover photo was of Ting Ting and Siu Chun. When Ting Ting worked on a tantrum scene in which she angrily threw the magazine, she discovered that it was a photo of her and Siu Chun on the cover. She could not stop laughing and even grabbed the magazine to tell everyone.