[2023.04.15] SAMMI CHENG DOES NOT DARE TO WISH FOR TRIPLE CROWN BEST ACTRESS

Mak Pui Tung says that his Best Actor nomination is already a miracle

Yeung Wai Lun feels that his performance is nothing special, so he has no confidence in winning

THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET's Anthony Wong has already won the Golden Horse Award Best Actor

THE NARROW ROAD's Louis Cheung and Angela Yuen are both nominated in the lead acting categories

Sean Lau in DETECTIVE VS. SLEUTHS shows Best Actor level acting

Would Sammi Cheng win her first Best Actress with LOST LOVE?

A LIGHT NEVER GOES OUT's Sylvia Chang is Sammi Cheng's strongest rival

Teresa Mo sees herself as the favorite to win

Louisa So is crazy from the joy of being nominated
courtesy of mingpao.com

The 41st Hong Kong Film Awards would take place on April 16th (Sunday) at the Cultural Center. The Best Actor competition has been fierce, THE SPARRING PARTNER (JING YI WUI LONG)'s two film industry's new blood Mak Pui Tung and Yeung Wai Lun battle THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET (BAK YUN CHING CHUN)'s Anthony Wong Chau Sun, DETECTIVE VS. SLEUTHS (SUN TAM DAI JIN)'s Sean Lau Ching Wan and THE NARROW ROAD (JAK LO MEI CHUN)'s Louis Cheung Kai Chung; Wong Chau Sun picks Mak Pui Tung and Yeung Wai Lun, feeling if he would win it would be for his performance no leaving a trace. As for the battle of Best Actress, LOST LOVE (LAU SHUI LOK FA)'s Sammi Cheng Sau Man who has been disappointed seven time before by Hong Kong Film Award Best Actress race would face A LIGHT NEVER GOES OUT (DUN FOR LAN SHAN)'s Sylvia Chang and MAMA'S AFFAIR (AH MA YAU JOR DAI YI GOR)'s Teresa Mo Shun Kwan. Cheng Sau Man again ran into her nemesis Sylvia Chang, both would treat the race normally and both said that she would be happy for the other if the other one would win; Mo Shun Kwan picked herself to win the Hong Kong Film Award Best Actress again.

Wong Chau Sun pointed out that Mak Pui Tung and Yeung Wai Lun both started on the stage. Their acting is already at a certain quality and gave viewers a sense of freshness in THE SPARRING PARTNER. In addition the film had a great response, but Lau Ching Wan's acting exceeded the class and had a great chance to win as well.

Chau Sun said, "If I would win, I would only win on the performance not leaving a trace. Like when I won at the Golden Horse Awards, the reason was the same. They saw my performance was unpolished; but each place's judging standards are different, so even without an award I would be fine."

Ah Lun said about Chau Sun picking him as the Best Actor favorite, "Brother Chau Sun is just being courteous! I instead feel his performance in THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET is great. My performance in THE SPARRING PARTNER isn't considered anything special. It still has a lot of flaws. Some scenes can be done even better. I wasn't in full control and could have been even more reserved." Nominated for Best Actor already in his first feature film, Ah Lun felt wonderful but thought that his chances were not great. "The competition is truly too strong. Ching Wan and Chau Sun are already Best Actor class. I would be happy if either good brother Ah Chung or Ah Tung won. If Ah Tung would win, the whole thing would be very explosive. His film experience is even less than mine. If he wins I would certain scream like mad in the audience."

Ah Tung felt that he was an also-ran because the competition would be elders. "Earlier when we worked on ZERO TO HERO (MAMA DIK SUN KEI SIU JI), Ah Chung taught me a lot. Ah Lun was the one who recommended me for THE SPARRING PARTNER. All 4 other nominees' performance is very sharp. If I have to pick, I would choose Ching Wan. He is very charming on and off screen. I feel my court scene gets the most points. Nominated for Best Actor with my firs leading role, it is already a miracle."

Ah Chung earlier with THE NARROW ROAD won the Film Critic Society Best Actor. He did not dare to think about winning the Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actor. "I would let what I can't control to fate, it would be like going to party." He at the same time was nominated for Best Supporting Actor with TABLE FOR SIX (FAN HEI GUNG SUM). He would walk the red carpet with his wife Kay Tse On Kay, who would witness the important moment.

As for Best Actress, the never giving up Cheng Sau Man in LOST LOVE played the foster family mother Auntie Tin Mei completely without her luster. Her performance opposite 7 foster children was simple and true, which was quite a pleasant surprise. She has won Best Actress at the Film Critic Society Award and the Film Directors' Guild Awards. Although many picked her to win the triple crown, but Sammi did not dare to fantasize and said that she was already very pleased with two awards.

Mo Shun Kwan with MAMA'S AFFAIR was nominated for the Hong Kong Film Award Best Actress again. She joked that she picked herself to win, but the result would be hard to predict. "Last time when I was my first Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actress with TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY (WONG GUM FA) it ws already quite a surprise. If I win this time, of course it would be for my acting. I had 3 scenes that could show my abilities, the scene with me and Jer (Lau Ying Ting), my kitchen talk and my dinner table scene with the two sons. However this game isn't played with confidence, it would only make you nervous from the moment of nomination to the moment of announcement. So I should take a participation approach. I am a part of the film industry, I am already very happy to participate. This year has been especially happy, because the director I have worked with in the past few years Ho Cheuk Tin and my 'children' in the movies Lui Cheuk On (Edan), Jer, Ah Lun and (Jennifer) Yu Heung Ying are all nominated."

Louisa So Yuk Wa with THE SPARRING PARTNER was nominated for the Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actress for the first time. She did not feel it was a late arriving Spring, because in the past she rarely made movies. She felt like she got it in one shot. This time she ran into a good team and she felt very lucky.

So Yuk Wa said, "Very rarely would scripts write about a veteran female big time lawyer, not to mention a felony case -- the best in all Hong Kong. It is a very rare role. In addition every aspect was able to coordinate in order to achieve this effect. Whether I would win or not, winning would require the coordination of many conditions. I am already crazy from the joy of the nomination! I make movies not to win awards, the most important is to play my role well, working hard with a group of people to make a good movie. Then it would be the most meaningful."

(The 41st Hong Kong Film Awards Pre Race Prediction)