[2013.03.28] ANTHONY WONG: IP MAN NEW STYLE

Anthony Wong has won Best Actor long ago so he is not acting for an award

Anthony Wong loses weight and trains to play Ip Man

Tony Leung Chiu Wai has his way of playing Ip Man

Anthony Wong praises Anita Yuen for bringing Ip Man's wife to life

Anthony Wong feels Lynn Xiong is less than suitable for her role

Anthony Wong feels Donnie Yen's performance is quite gentleman like

Anthony Wong and Eric Tsang's fight scene is very convincing

Anthony Wong carries the wooden stump to work with him and practices whenever he is free
courtesy of mingpao.com

Anthony Wong Chau Sun in IP MAN THE FINAL FIGHT (IP MAN JUNG GIK YUT JIN) Played Ip Man. Although others have played the role before, he confidently said that he was not afraid of viewer comparisons of him with Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Donnie Yen Chi Tan because the scripts were different. Chau Sun praised Anita Yuen Wing Yi's performance as his wife as great, but criticized Lynn Xiong (Hung Doi Lam)'s poor acting in IP MAN. He said, "She looks mad like she is getting ready to be Pan Jinlian, as soon as Ximen Qing appeared she would leave with him!"

W: Wong Chau Sun, R: Reporter

Different From Leung Chiu Wai

R: Yen Chi Tan, Leung Chiu Wai both have played Ip man with decent box office and word of mouth. Are you worried about viewer comparison of you and them.

W: What is there to compare? I hope viewers know that I am playing Ip Man, not Yen Chi Tan. Like the Wing Chun formula, "you hit me, I hit you, guard the middle", this has always been my acting principle. I never compare with others. Why make the comparison? You can't compare anyway, it's not like we are making the same script. Although I haven't seen the Wong Kar Wai directed THE GRANDMASTERS (YUT DOI JUNG SI), I believe Wai Jai's Ip Man is certainly different. Yen Chi Tan's is about fighting the Japanese in Guangzhou, my Ip Man is more real. The movie talks about labor union and the police and how to interact and survive in this social environment. IP MAN THE FINAL FIGHT is worth watching because in the film is the value of people."

"Doctorate" Does Not Need "Outstanding Student Award"

R: Yen Chi Tan this year will make IP MAN 3D. The Hong Kong Film Award next year will have a chance for "three generations of Ip Man" competing for Best Actor, who do you feel have a chance to win?

W: That's interesting! I of course feel I would have a chance to win. I wouldn't be humble in this aspect. Honestly, nomination to me is no big deal. It's like a doctorate, I am already doing my research. If you give me an Outstanding Student Award to me, I am the one who is determining whether you are worth and not the other way around. If you give me an award, I would thank you; but I wouldn't because of the award feel I am very high and a very big deal, maybe I am lucky and have a lot of friends.

R: Is it because you have been publicly recognized to be a good actor that you no longer need an award to prove it?

W: No, the longer I work the more I feel like a boxing champion. Not only do I have to be able to fight but I also need lucky. It doesn't come from calculation. I have heard the jury say that this person has improved so the award went to him, the gall of that! When a 30 point student is actually better than 100 point student, then why be serious? The most important is to be able to answer to yourself, to the boss and to the audience.

Praises Yuen Wing Yi's Near Pinnacle Acting

R: After many years in film and so many classic characters, do you have any character you would like to play?

W: The ones I created are characters, cops, doctors aren't characters but professions. With everything coordinating together characters are formed. If I have to answer, I want to play Wong Fei Hung that Master Kwan Tak Hing created; because it's not my creation but a repeat performance by me, I am playing it again with Master Kwan's method. however Wong Fei Hung is entertaining and funny because he has the coordination of Sai Gua Pau, Cho Tat Wa and Shek Kin. In IP MAN THE FINAL FIGHT, Yuen Wing Yi played my wife. She didn't have to think at all, it was a piece of cake for her. Zhou Chuchu played my girlfriend, she was very hard working, very serious. The make up already put her into character. With good actors (Eric) Tsang Chi Wai and (Jordan) Chan Siu Chun, I am reminded of when I made THE UNTOLD STORY (YUN YUK CHA SIU BAU). Including all the extras that I killed and everyone's coordinate, they made me and the entire project.

Slams Hung Doi Lam As Pan Jinlian Like

R: Then the credit doesn't go to you alone?

W: Of course, if I am acting alone how would it be entertaining! Don't say I am insulting other people again, In Mr. Yen's, was Hung Doi Lam who played his wife playing the wrong role? She really was so poor......that she was like you were trying to collect a debt from her. Mr. Yen performed very well, gentleman and mild mannered. Yet his wife gave you the impression that she minded her husband being poor. She was not a good wife and mother. She looked mad like she was ready to play Pan Jinlian, as soon as Ximen Qing appeared she would leave with him. She discounted the entire film. Luckily Mr. Yen didn't notice. I am so picky that I definitely would yell at her, "Am I very poor, don't I have money to give to you for dinner?"

Yen Chi Tan Performs Well

R: Was playing an actual person like Ip Man hard?

W: It's hard! Because you have a sample right in front of you. I have to use Ip Man's behavior to say the lines and make viewers that I am a Grand Master. Even an experienced actor like me would feel it is hard, having to mix in Ip Man's every move without going outside the lines and maintain the shape and the spirit at the same time. It's like a robot. Actually calligraphy is very hard because I never studied it. What I wrote was thin and weak, very frivolous. I hate my words looking frivolous because my personality is already very frivolous! In addition fighting scenes are hard too, I couldn't make faces or expression, I couldn't make noise, I had to have the air of a grand master. Not only having punch had to land it also had to be natural and free. I am not (Adam) Cheng Siu Chau, no one in the world fights as cool as Chau Guoon. Not even (Andy) Lau Tak Wa. Am I afraid of insulting Lau Tak Wa? I am comparing Lau Tak Wa to Cheng Siu Chau, how many people don't even get to be compared! I can't compare to Chau Guoon either, only Lau Tak Wa can.

Wooden Stump Tags Long For Practice Any Time

R: You study Tai Sing Pek Kwar that is hard, Wing Chun is soft. When you practice Wing Chun do you have any difficult?

W: I had to put down Tai Sing Pek Kwar, which I can't say is a bad habit. Luckily when I was a kid I liked Bruce Lee and imitated his style. Bruce Lee's style is WIng Chun. I have the memory in my mind, but I still have to learn. Over a year before the shoot began I started to learn, carrying the wooden stump with me all over the place. As soon as I was free I practiced. To look the part, several months before the shoot I started to lose weight, every meal I would only a small bowl of rice. The goal was to drop to 150 pounds, but ultimately I couldn't go past 162 pounds; during the official shoot, with the fight scenes and the heat, I kept sweating and immediately reached the goal. The resulting shape was very convincing and so was the spirit. One shot was very shockingly good, I sat next to the photo at my wedding and looked very much like Ip Man in the photo. I was like Ip Man possessed.