[2022.07.15] WAI KA FAI RECOGNIZES SEAN LAU'S "GOD LEVEL ACTING"

Wai Ka Fai praises Sean Lau for not only being able to give him what he wants but also creating spontaneously
courtesy of singtao.com

Wai Ka Fai and Sean Lau's interactions trigger a lot of inspiration

Sean Lau says that due to the character's complex inner world, the spiritual performance is tougher than the physical
courtesy of on.cc

Wai Ka Fai praises Sean Lau as a very talented actor, so he would arrange for him to play high difficult roles

Sean Lau has known Wai Ka Fai decades, having worked together on the classic series THE GREED OF MAN

Sean Lau denies having "god level" acting, only when he runs into talent people would he have the opportunity to show his strengths.

Sean Lau plays a mental patient Lee Chun, before his illness he was the trump card of the police force known as the "Detective"

Charlene Choi helps Sean Lau with the pursuit of the murdering "Sleuths"
courtesy of mingpao.com

The film DETECTIVE VS. SLEUTHS (SUN TAM DAI JIN) after a week in release in the Mainland already reached 250 million yuan RMB at the box office. This time "former detective" Sean Lau Ching Wan's thorough performance as four characters to get to the bottom of the case again received rave reviews. However Director Wai Ka Fai while testing Ching Wan's acting also wanted him to jump off the building, into the sea, and lying on the roof of a car in a car chase. He absolutely would not let this old partner relax.

Ching Wan admitted that this time the physical action was not considered too tough, instead the scene in which he floated on the sea after diving it was the most difficult. "I wore a diving suit underneath to float, but the costume required five pieces of clothing. The problem then arose. As we shot I started to sink. The scene needed me to be on the surface for over 10 minutes, so it was rather tiring!" In another scene he had to jump into a canal for the shoot. The location was the rapids for dragon boat race in the Mainland. Although the water was not deep, the ground was filled with rocks to create waves. He had to be on the wire in the water for the shoot, otherwise the rapids would wash him away. "If the wire broke, I would directly 'illegally emigrate' and drift back to Hong Kong, haha!"

Did Director Wai Ka Fai want to mess with Wan Ching? Wai Ka Fai joked, "No, I just wouldn't let him have such an easy time with the performance. Actually I really like to shoot Ching Wan. Because he is a very talented actor, I would come up with stuff to make even him think it's hard. I wouldn't take it easy on him, in hopes of showing the audience an even more talented him!" This time the role had to go to the "god level" actor Ching Wan? Wai Ka Fai said in other words, other actors must be very time consuming on the set. He would trust Ching Wan very much. "For a director the biggest nightmare is after finding the lead, on the set you have to keep teaching him how to act. That would be a disaster. With Ching Wan I can focus on the shoot, he would take care of it himself. My creative method is no script actual or on the fly, after he took the role he would digest it then give me back something!"

Ching Wan in the film had a scene in which he had to play four characters to re-enact the cast, at the same time he interpreted people with different expressions and manner of speech like he was in a schizophrenic state. The solo performance showcased his excellent acting. Was it easy for him to perform? Ching Wan humbly said, "I can't say it was easy, but I don't feel it was very hard. Instead creating is harder, since I am just talking about it it's a little simple. Because sometimes it's very strange, it's about feeling. When you put on the costume if it's there it's there, if not then you are dead! However this time I didn't get to turn down Mr. Wai's movie!" This time playing different characters simultaneously, when rehearsing at home he suddenly would change into someone else's personality. Would his wife feel strange? Ching Wan said, "She is used to it, and only says 'Dinner Time!' I am not joking. She really is used to it. I am not sitting there and talking to myself, but often my mind keeps operating and thinks about the character. It would become a habit and a part of life. When I run into shoots without scripts I can have a format like this around, but the danger is being wrong. If the direction is wrong and it's big trouble. I may not be able to save it! Actually most actors would keep thinking, many even think of things that aren't on the script. Then on the set they would be able to fill out the character." Since he projected the character in life would it be hard to leave? Ching Wan said that he has never thought about this problem, because anyone would be focused at work. He would not need to pull himself out. Some things would naturally merge, but some would always be with him.

Would Ching Wan consider directing? Ching Wan said, "the directors and screenwriters I know are too strong, I can only be the actor. I would excel a little more. I don't want to learn anew, and I don't know how I would turn out!" Ching Wan received praises for reaching "god level" acting. He humbly said, "I only have opportunities like these because I run into very talented people. In my acting career so far, I would start and analyze anew with every movie. I have a special method, which is not to read the script first. I would decide how I would perform before reading the script, then I would place the character in it. I would then have these odd and strange things to stimulate myself." He also thanked his benefactor and friend Wai Ka Fai, from chatting with him he received inspirations and ideas. He would hear another view of the world, which would make him think even more and change and learn from his mistakes.

Speaking of DETECTIVE VS. SLEUTHS's newer actors, Wai Ka Fai felt that the new generation of actors also was very willing to take risks. For some dangerous scenes even when they could not be seen they still tried to perform them personally. He sensed the new force among Hong Kong actors. Wai ka Fai also pointed out that this time the production environment was very rough, in particular the hardest was shooting building jumps and car chases on the actual location of Temple Street; another was the explosion on the boat in the finale, which was also rather dangerous and difficult to shoot.

Wai Ka Fai and Lau Ching Wan already have decades of experience from working together and built a relationship. Wai Ka Fai said that when he joined TVB as a screenwriter, Ching Wan just started on screen. They were around their late teens and early twenties. They felt that everyone would grow, but inside they actually did not grow up. "Inside Ching Wan is a kid, To Kei Fung and I are up there in age, but we too have a kid inside. Only normally when I don't run into a group of friends, he wouldn't appear!"

Ching Wan also agreed that he was no different from before. "Only that Lau Ching Wan experienced growing up, becoming famous, and once thought that his way was the only way, he has not done anything, and in the end he is still the same; I haven't had too much growth, of course sometimes my views have changed. During this pandemic I was at home for a very long time, I didn't work for a year, but I just stayed home and didn't go out. After being married for so long I have never spent such a long time with (Amy) Kwok Oi Ming, I clearly saw what kind of person I actually married.....of course I married a good woman!" Ching Wan admitted that the pandemic let him examine, getting to know and understand his family anew and did a lot that he did not do before. "Whether with family, with the bank, even calling my parents I have much more time. I felt like I caught up with my family life. Although it was not under a willing situation but under a sad environment, many movies are sad too. Only after watching it would you learn to cherish, I didn't do that before!"

Ching Wan admitted that earlier he stopped for awhile and did not make a movie, he once thought about retirement and that he could no longer be an actor. He admitted, "I evaluated myself and found the lack of other talent. I am not doing it for awards, I only believe that I definitely would perform better. However earlier the attention was focused on the pandemic, family and pandemic prevention, I often worried about something would happen with my family. All of my emotions were placed there. I didn't think about making movies, so I might as well not! However the time went on, I started to watch television series again. Slowly my acting bug came back, I felt that this was my business. I don't want to compare with others, I just feel that I definitely can perform even better!"