[2014.04.18] DANIEL WU TAKES HIS WIFE OVERSEAS TO LEAVE HIS CHARACTER

Daniel Wu plays a cop who due to excessive suppression turns into a demon

The solemn music on the set makes Daniel Wu's character is even darker
courtesy of on.cc

Actor Daniel Wu (Ng Yin Cho) in the Emperor Motion Pictures film THAT DEMON WITHIN (MOR GAING) played a schizophrenic cop. He admitted that this film production was very tough. In order to get into his character he "hid himself away". Even when he got home he was quiet and neglected his then pregnant wife. Thus after the shoot he immediately flew to South Africa for a vacation to leave his character.

Daniel admitted that this character was difficult to play as he played emotional scenes in the entire film. "My character is a rule following cop, when he was little his father would hit him when he made a mistake. As an adult when he made a mistake he would whip himself. As time went on he became a very suppressed person!" He said that at first when he learned that he had to play this character he was already mentally prepared. For several months that followed he had to hide himself. He even deliberately met with schizophrenia patients to understand the condition. He said, "Actually schizophrenia did not represent multiple personalities. At the time in order to understand the character more, I found an almost completed recovered schizophrenia patient and asked him about his experience. The patient was a sharp dressed working class that always had fantasies. He waited a year to see a doctor, when I spoke with him I understood how he struggled."

Director Dante Lam Chiu Yin put a lot of effort into bringing him into the character. Daniel said, "I only found out after the shoot, actually during the shoot the director told everyone not to chat with me. Very solemn music was played on the set. During that period I became very introverted, very lonely. The emotions very naturally came. Even when I went home after work, I turned on the television and stared at it. I had no idea what was on it, and I didn't chat with my wife!" When Daniel made THAT DEMON WITHIN, his wife Lisa S. was four months pregnant. He said that after finishing the film he felt very guilty. He felt that when his wife's pregnant she needed her husband's care and companionship the most, but at the time due to work he neglected taking care of his wife. Thus the day after the production wrapped, he immediately flew with his wife to South Africa for a month long vacation for a change of scenery and proper rest. In less than a week he completely left the character.

Daniel's wife Lisa S of course understood as a fellow artist, but as a father now Daniel would consider this type of characters carefully. "My wife is an adult, of course she would understand. However children wouldn't. I know it is bad to bring emotions home, I have to properly learn not to bring work emotions home!"