[2024.04.06] JENNIFER YU FEELS FILM INDUSTRY CHANGES MAKES GETTING AHEAD EASIER

courtesy of singtao.com

Michelle Wai after silently toiling for 16 years finally gets a Best Actress nomination with READY O/R ROT, but she thinks she would be an also ran

Hong Kong Fil m Awards Best Actress nominees: (top left)  Michelle Wai (READY O/R ROT), Jennifer Yu (IN BROAD DAYLIGHT), (bottom left) Chung Suet Ying (THE LYRICIST WANNABE), Louise Wong (A GUILTY CONSCIENCE) and Kay Tse (BAND FOUR)    

Jennifer Yu with IN BROAD DAYLIGHT has already won 3 Best Actress awards and become the Hong Kong Film Awards favorite
courtesy of mingpao.com

The 42nd Hong Kong Film Awards would take place on the 14th. The five Best Actress nominees, IN BROAD DAYLIGHT (BAK YUN JI HA)'s Jennifer Yu Heung Ying, READY O/R ROT (BUT YUT SING FUN 2)'s Michelle Wai Sze Nga, A GUILTY CONSCIENCE (DUK SIT DAI JONG)'s Louise Wong Dan Nei, THE LYRICIST WANNABE (TIN CHI L)'s Chung Suet Ying and BAND FOUR (4 PAK 4 GA JOOK)'s Kay Tse On Kay were either rising film stars or first time Best Actress nominees. They all would have a chance in the competition. Yu Heung Ying and Wai Sze Nga both said that in recent years Hong Kong had more different new directors making different subjects, making the film industry more diverse. Yu Heung Ying also agreed that now new generation actors had more opportunities to play the lead!

Nominated for Best Actress with IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, Yu Heung Ying has already won Best Actress at the Hong Kong Film Critic Society Awards and the Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild Awards to become the favorite. As for whether she was confident about keeping the win streak going, Yu Heung Ying stated that she has not thought too much about awards, but if she would of course she would be happy. She has always imagined what winning would be like. "I really want to thank my family, because at both times I have won I thanked people in the industry and people who have helped me. I wanted to thank the opportunity to thank my family, supporting me from getting married to after having children to still continuous to make movies."

Yu Heung Ying just picked out what she would wear. During the fitting her 3 year old daughter was also on hand and helped her pick something that was also exactly her own choice. She also pointed out that her husband would walk the red carpet with her. The last time her husband accompanied her to attend the Tokyo International Film Festival, he already bought a new pair of shoes and said that he would use them to accompany her to the Hong Kong Film Awards. "He really nailed it, he has a lot of confidence in me but he hasn't said if I would win what reward he would give me. Actually I am fine with just having his support; like when our half a year old son wakes up at night, he would very soon have taken care of him already." Speaking of her chances of winning the Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actress were better last year, Yu Heung Ying said that she has not felt any pressure thus. Instead she was happy about being able to walk the red carpet with the film team and family. In particular she would like to take her husband, because last time at the Asian Film Awards she saw Japanese actor Shidou Nakamura with two children. The scene was very warm.

As for the competition this time, Yu Heung Ying has seen all the nominated films. Among them she admired Chung Suet Ying the most. From the film TIME (SAT CHOOK GOR WONG FUN) she has already paid attention to her, knew that she was talented and knew how to write lyrics. After meeting her she thought she was very interesting and would like to work with her in the future. This year's Best Actress nominees were all new generation actresses, Yu Heung Ying felt that there have been more opportunities to play the lead because in recent years many different new directors have made different subjects. Before mostly big production films were made, so naturally they would look for big time actors in order to have box office assurance. Now with more micro productions, even more new actors would be able to take the lead. "I am very happy to have opportunities in the new era, actually not just actors, directors and behind the scenes employees also have more work opportunities. Of course they would still need timing, location and people. I have been very lucky, I have waited before but in comparison to some talented people I don't consider myself having waited too much. I would also very quickly have the next opportunity." Did the times make the Best Actress? Yu Heung Ying said, "I am very happy that after having my children I still get to act."

Speaking of her children being very happy for her, she said that she has never thought this away. Only her acting attitude has changed. She used to be very anxious about gains and losses, when she act she was very tense. However since having family and children she no longer forced anything. She has also become tolerant of gains and losses and her acting has relaxed too. Many friends found that she has changed in life or in acting. Now she only felt guilty due to work sometimes she had difficulty with taking care of her family at the same time. Thus she treated her jam packed work schedule as "me time", The rest of the time would be divided between her family.

Her IN BROAD DAYLIGHT performance has received good reviews, would it become the film she was the most pleased with? Yu Heung Ying felt that she still had room to improve. Instead her previous film FAR FAR AWAY (LUEN LO SHAN KA LA) was shot when she was four months pregnant. With this physical condition and she did not deliberately designed the character before hand, she only relaxed when she performed. In acting she received inspiration and her mind was opened, understanding that sometimes performance did not need too many calculations. "Once (Alan) Luk Chun Kwong has told me, before the performance I had to do my homework. However when I got to the set I had to throw it out, I shouldn't stuff my brain with a pile of homework. This is now my new acting format, it's an experiment. I don't know whether it would be successful or not, in the future if I would run into something, I might change again."

Michelle Wai Sze Nga with READY O/R ROT (BUT YUT SING FUN 2) has been nominated for Best Actress. She said that at the moment when she found out about the nomination she was very happy and very excited, but now she has already relaxed because she was just like preparing to attend a party. She seemed to lack confidence. She joked, "You are asking me about confidence? I don't have any! So I can be very relaxed. Because I have been nominated for a romantic comedy, when was the last time?" Because the genre she has been nominated with was rather hard to win an award with, Wai Sze Nga gave the edge to the other four nominees. She has seen all of their performance and thought that everyone performed very well. " Nominations are very rare for small romantic movies. I am already very happy that voters voted for me. Winning is too hard, everyone is strong. Acting is like a piece of art, each voter's appreciation angle and preference are different." The happiest was that their five nominated films all had very different subjects. She felt that Hong Kong film had a lot of diversity and could be in full bloom. She picked Chung Suet Ying to win, pointing out that her acting in THE LYRICIST WANNABE was in good grasp. Lightly playing a relatable character was not easy at all. "I have worked with Chung Suet Ying. She has a lot of potential and works very hard, has her own ideas and presence. She gives people an impression that they really want to protect her, but actually she is very strong inside. She is able to flood out a lot of energy. I really want her to win. Because I have experienced a lot already, if she would win early, her performing arts journey would be a little more comfortable."

Although she silently toiled away for 16 years before receiving the Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actress nomination, the 39 year old Wai Sze Nga did not feel that it was a Spring that came late. Instead the timing was perfect, as past experiences have made her grown and learned her to cherish. "For awhile I was very lost, questioning whether I wasn't performing good enough, why I still haven't been seen. 7 years ago I thought I had a chance to be nominated for a Hong Kong Film Awards with THE SLEEP CURSE (SUT MIN) but missed out. I worried that people would gradually forget me. This time the nomination has injected me with a shot of confidence, at least everyone knows Wai Sze Nga is an actor. I hope to continue to have people approach me with roles, I really like acting too much to be able to persist until now."

Wai Sze Nga did not dare to evaluate her READY O/R ROT performance herself, feeling that she still had room to improve. Some places she could perform even more delicately, like her relationship with Carlos Chan Ka Lok could go even further; but perhaps she was too familiar with him and everyone were too relaxed, they never thought about trying more different methods to perform. They were pleased as long as the director accepted the take. "The in law relationship instead has no problem, thanks to Sister (Elaine) Kam Yin Ling for helping me a lot. I pick 'mother in law' to win Best Supporting Actress with this film, her acting really is great. She was in full control. I don't dare to say I have learned from her, but I really benefit a lot." As for co-star Chan Ka Lok's lack of nomination, did she feel he was overlooked? He said, "He has a happy marriage, and would become a father soon. He is happier than being nominated! Seeing his smile I am happy for him. He works very hard, as long as he doesn't give up he definitely would have a chance to win an award."

As for Best Actor, Wai Sze Nga gave the advantage to Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Dayo Wong Tze Wah. In particular she just finished working with Tze Wa, if she would be able to work with Wai Jai in the future she would be greatly pleased. "However Leung Chiu Wai is a god class and a quieter actor, I believe while working together I would be very nervous. I hope to be able to make a romance, I already have a visual, haha!" Hong Kong Film Awards guests would all dressed very elegantly. Wai Sze Nga instead would want to appear prettily with a very exaggerated look like going to a party. She joked that even if she would not win Best Actress she would be able to win Best Dressed. The Best would be winning this award with Wong Tze Wa, then while posing for photos together they could promote the new film they just worked together on, THE LAST DANCE (POR DEI YUK). Wai Sze Nga said that she would not have too much of a chance to win, so she definitely would not prepare a "cheat sheet" for her speech. "Even if I was prepared, when I would get to the stage I would be nervous and happy. I definitely wouldn't be able to say anything, but I think I have continuously prepared for a very long time in my life. I have been in the business for 16 years. I have many people I need to thank, aside from READY O/R ROT's director, I also have many benefactors, like media friends are my benefactors too. When they come to give a word of encouragement it is already great support. I have saved up a lot that I want to say over the years." How would she encourage herself? She said, "I would relax, properly enjoy each moment in the present. I am already very happy from the nomination!"