[2025.02.13] MASTER AND DISCIPLE CHOW YUN FAT AND TURBO LIU PRACTICE ENGLISH

Chow Yun Fat leads the team to promote their new film
courtesy on.cc

Chow Yun Fat leads the team to promote their new film
courtesy singtao.com

DETECTIVE CHINATOWN 1900's director Chen Sicheng jokes that he tried everything to get big boss Chow Yun Fat to "come out of the mountain" and play the Chinatown tong lord

Turbo Liu and Wang Baoqiang say that when they learn that they would work with international superstar Chow Yun Fat they already feel the pressure, but after coming in contact with him, any concern or worry was all gone

Chow Yun Fat plays Chinatown Hip Sing Tong lord

Wang Baoqiang deliberately gets a tan and loses weight to play a native hunter

The fourth installment of the DETECTIVE CHINATOWN film series, DETECTIVE CHINATOWN 1900", opened in the mainland and as of the 12th of this month its the box office revenue has exceeded 2.9 billion yuan. Its word-of-mouth and box office has been well received. Directors Chen Sicheng and Dai Mo shared their filming experience with two DETECTIVE CHINATOWN Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran, and the new addition "Chinatown Tong Lord" Chow Yun Fat (Fat Gor). Fat Gor this time was able to get along harmonious with the mainland production team very quickly because, in addition to the crew growing up with Fat Gor's film and television dramas, Fat Gor also served as a "running ambassador" during the filming. He took Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran on runs. Wang Baoqiang could not help but laugh and said, "I spent half an hour running four or five kilometers everyday, and then I feel very healthy when I start working."

Regarding the DETECTIVE CHINATOWN series has broken the 10 billion yuan box office record so far. This time DETECTIVE CHINATOWN 1900 was the prequel and not the fourth installment, director Chen Sicheng said, "It happens to be the tenth anniversary of DETECTIVE CHINATOWN, for ten years we have been thinking about how can we tell this story more interestingly and more freely. When talking about Chinatown, actually there is no need to talk in detail about the origin of Chinatown, its history, why was there a Chinatown. When you look back on this period of history, you find that it is actually not a glorious place. In fact, it may represent some humiliation and backwardness of that era; so actually the more you dig into that era, the more stories and meanings you will find. In addition I have always said that history is the foundation, a mirror. I feel that history is circular. Today there have been huge changes in geopolitics and some new frictions and aggravations, I feel that I have to reflect and think because I feel that human beings should have a belief that they should be prepared for danger in times of peace; especially for us Chinese, because actually we haven't had a good life for many years. Hence I have always said that we need to have the mentality of being prepared for danger in times of peace."

Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran have already had chemistry from working together on DETECTIVE CHINATOWN. Did the addition of Fat Gor send sparks flying this time? Fat Gor joked, "I have the biggest harvest. I have accepted a disciple (Wang Baoqiang), a godson (Liu Haoran), and a biological son (Zhang Xincheng, the son in the film) who isn't here. Wang Baoqiang runs with me everyday; Liu Haoran does not come for a day, but then comes for two days." Wang Baoqiang immediately said with a smile, "The sparks went off as soon as I ran, and I spent half an hour running four or five kilometers everyday. Then I felt very healthy when I started working." Fat Gor praised Wang Baoqiang for running everyday, even when Fat Gor was not there, Wang Baoqiang still ran. When Fat Gor practiced Tai Chi, the Shaolin master Wang Baoqiang would teach him. With Fat Gor, was the set full of joy? Fat Gor smiled and said, "No fun, no fun at all, because I stayed on the set and didn't go out. They used to leave as soon as they finished filming, but now they don't dare to leave with me here, right? It's been very painful!" Did they have pressure from working with Fat Gor? Liu Haoran revealed that when he initially found out about working with Fat Gor, he felt a little pressure. Wang Baoqiang added, "After the first meeting, my concerns and worries went away. Because I have been watching Fat Gor's movies since childhood, as an adult he felt familiar to me. So it was great to be able to work with him this time, running and taking pictures together!" Fat Gor joked that they were probably in a lot of pain. Next time they should not make movies but change to make an animated film.

Chen Sicheng revealed that the role of the San Francisco Chinatown Tong lord in the film was already written for Fat Gor when he wrote the script, and Fat Gor was the only one chosen to play the "final boss". He pointed out that his generation grew up watching Fat Gor's film and television dramas. Starting from THE BUND to THE GOD OF GAMBLERS, many of his images have accompanied everyone since childhood. Like Brother Baoqiang said, Fat Gor was no strangers to them. "This character not only represents a struggle of the Chinese people of that era, but also a big boss who had firm footing in the United States at that time. The key is that he should have the demeanor and style of an overseas Chinese, and there is no such person. The temperament of the actors in the mainland and Hong Kong and Taiwan is different, and the identity recognition is actually very important. Hong Kong actors have this image in their hearts and identities. Later Fat Gor also struggled with his Hollywood journey. There was really no other choice, so I want to find a way to ask the big boss to come out of the mountain!"

Fat Gor performed in plain dialect and English dialogue in the film, especially in the major scene in the finale with a thought- provoking monologue in English. Was it difficult for him after make Hollywood movies? Fat Gor bluntly said that neither language was his native tongue, so he naturally felt a little pressured. However he thanked the film team for writing all the Putonghua in the script in pinyin, but the English dialogue in the first draft was written in 1900 Shakespearean English. He indicated that he once quit the performance. "I turned down the first draft when I received it. I felt that the English language of that era was too hard. Later when it was changed back to vernacular I was able to. Because the actors always had to understand, and if they did not understand acting would be difficult. In addition I had to speak Putonghua, neither of which were my native tongue. There is a bit of pressure. However at my age, I am very grateful to the director for giving me this opportunity, because actors always want new challenges, new excitement. Having two good actors complements each other even more." Fat Gor also thanked everyone on the spot for their encouragement.

Liu Haoran also had a lot of English dialogues this time. He said that he also practiced well before filming, especially in the final scene of the appeal of the case. He had to deliver a lot of English dialogue. He was not good at the subject of English since childhood, but fortunately his previous film DECODED also used English when he worked with John Paul Cusack. He hired a Hong Kong English teacher to follow him to the set to rehearse for him.

Wang Baoqiang played the role of a Chinese native hunter in the film. Wearing only a vest on his upper body to expose his chest muscles, did he have to work out beforehand? He joked, "I didn't expect the character to wear so little clothes and show so much. I was relatively fat at the time, and I deliberately got a tan and lost weight for this role. Actually the character only needed to be lean and not big." He revealed that after losing weight, fat was reduced and he felt very cold when he worked at night. He was in better condition during the day because he would run before starting work, and he enjoyed the whole process.

Liu Haoran broke out that his old partner has quit drinking for more than half a year before the start of filming. Wang Baoqiang explained that eating and drinking during the slimming period would only be in vain, so the diet should be strictly controlled. Chen Sicheng joked that Wang Baoqiang recklessly drank after the production wrap, and Wang Baoqiang joked that the muscles were gone because of the Lunar New Year.