[2024.01.14] MANDY TAM HAS "HOME COURT ADVANTAGE" ON THE SET

courtesy of on.cc

The film LOVE AT FIRST LIE (BUT SI NEI BUT OI NEI) earlier held advanced screenings during the Christmas and New Year slot. The outside reaction was enthusiastic. Playing Ah Bo in the film, Mandy Tam Man Huen often followed director Patrick Kong (Yip Lim Sum) and other actors to audience appreciation events.

Promoting hard off camera, Mandy admitted that after getting the script she spent a lot of time on studying the character. She gradually felt that "Ah Bo"'s personality was very close to her own. She said, "Ah Bo is a very direct girl, very loyal. Grew up on Fa Yuen Street, she is very local, very attentive, thinking of her friends at every turn. I truly couldn't find any flaw in her. My personality is very similar to Ah Bo's, Ah Bo is even more direct than me. Maybe it has to do with age, she is only 17 or 18."

LOVE AT FIRST LIE was about a group of young people who grew up on Fa Yuen Street. They included Mandy, Leung Chung Hang, Hazel Lam Hei Tung, Locker Lam Ka Hei and Henick Chou Hon Ning. Without much big screen performance experience, Mandy was happy to have a group of elders' help; especially from "Ah Bing" Leung Chung Hang. Mandy said, "I remember the motto Elder Bing told me, 'focused but relaxed'. I truly learned something. Elder Bing is a co-star who can really put people at ease. He has quite the 'big brother' feel. In the film I am already the big sister, but he is an even bigger brother. On and off camera I called him Big Brother. Even in my phone, his ID is 'Big Brother Bing'."

Aside from elder's teachings, Mandy was also able to relax with basketball. She said, "Director Yip Lim Sum, in order to put me even more in character and at ease, designed Ah Bo to like playing basketball. Because every time I picked up the basketball I would relax much more, so the more intimate scene with Ah Jai (Edward Chen) took place on a basketball court. It was a good thing, as I had a home court feeling."

Playing basketball not only made Mandy relax, but also brought her closer to avid basketball fans Edward Chen and Leung Chung Hang. Mandy challenged Edward Chen to a one-on-one game. One day the team rented a hall with a basketball hoop to be the temporary make up room. Mandy and Leung Chung Hang on their breaks practiced shooting, Mandy came out with an overwhelming victory and lived up to her "basketball goddess" title.