Post by Katniss on Jul 26, 2010 2:16:56 GMT 7
Michelle Ye Exclusive Interview: Best Act for Stage of Life
Source: Hong Kong Economy Daily
29th May 2010
I have a dream!
About her rumors, Michelle said: "I will not bother about rumors, not be annoyed, these are 'sidedishes' only. Directors who've collaborated with me usually do work with me again, (I) believe audiences have enlightened sight, everyone is in the theatre to watch acting skills, not to speculate on rumors."
Michelle Ye debut in the industry from 1999 Miss Chinese International Pageant, and immediately became TVB's fadan, she was the female lead from the pageant stage to the TV screen, but when dreams come true, and walking towards her dream of the big screen, Michelle instead got mostly female supporting roles, is this the realization or the vanishing of a dream?
In this year's HKFA, she finally won recognition with an award, but it is still the award of 'Best Supporting Actress', is this a mock or is she to bow to fate? Be it the lead or the supporting, do your best, give your best act for the stage of life, and you will become the lead.
Director of 'Once a Gangster', Felix Chong and Michelle ye has crossed path in the early days, her debut movie 'Moonlight in Tokyo' was the collaboration of Felix Chong and Alan Mak, and later they worked together in 'Lady Cop, Papa Crook', she was then again requested for dubbing of 'Overheard', altogether they have worked together for 4 times, no wonder Michelle said: "I desire so much to film movies, Director Felix Chong is the person who helped me realize this dream."
Michelle Ye can still vividly remember the atmosphere of the filming of 'Moonlight in Tokyo' from five years ago. "I still remember the first shot is a scene in Tokyo with Leon, I was exhilarated when I heard the film rolling. I asked Felix Chong and Alan Mak why they keep filming man movies, they said because they cannot understand woman, but this can be overcome; but there are very few good actress, thus they don't film much of woman movies, Alan Mak too told me to become a good actress, this I remember clearly to date."
Witty outer, foolish inner
Because they often collaborate, Felix and Michelle 'pay attention' to each other's growth. "In the past, Felix Chong mostly plays the role of a scriptwriter, he is more responsible for the plot and storyline, Alan Mak tells more on the characters, thus his interaction with actors is more. Felix Chong is very courteous in the past, like a mastermind, speaks very little, until 'Once a Gangster' where Alan Mak becomes the producer and Felix Chong becomes the director, and his opportunity to interact with us increases. He is in fact quite talkative, when I bumped into him on the plane on my return to Hong Kong from Beijing, we chatted for 4 to 5 hours."
Michelle said Felix Chong wrote one of her side in real life into 'Once a Gangster'. "My character is quite extreme, others may deem me quite witty, but I'm quite a 'pighead'. When filming 'Fire of Conscience', Leon and Richie both call me 'Pig Girl', director too took this side of me and allowed me to be more 'pighead' in 'Once a Gangster'"
Grateful for Roots
On the night when Michelle Ye won HKFA's 'Best Supporting Actress' award, she emphasized on thanking 'root school' TVB, who allowed someone who is not from acting class, but from pageant stage to enter industry, saying: "All my performance skill are taught by TVB, in the ceaseless filming of series, with the similar type of series, similar type of roles, the familiarization of these, becomes the basic skills which helps to mature acting skills. Actor should know which angle of the camera is most appropriate, if the camera has yet caught up, yet the actor has lost the concentration and position, what more is there to talk about the building of a role? Thus I thank TVB a lot, training me like a school."
In 2005, she who was the fadan of TVB chose to leave this 'root school' for the movie industry. "It was because I was filming 'World's Finest' in Mainland when Lam Kin Ngok looked me up through the director then, Director Wong Jing, saying Media Asia wanted to sign me with them. After meeting Mr. Lam in hong Kong, I was so startled with his acknowledgement, asking "Why me?", he said he has seen TVB's information and thinks I can act in movies."
She confessed she has much anxiety for entering the movie industry. "Because in the recent 10 years very few TV actors can transform fully to become just movies actors, for actors, there are not many besides Louis Koo, Nick Cheung, whereas there are almost no actresses (who transform) at all. My TVB colleagues too think that I was too bold, that I was giving up the TV stage, starting anew in the movies industry. The girls in my batch, most debut in TVB at the age of teens or twenties, our whole world is as big as TVB, we know not of what's outside. Honestly when Mr. Lam wanted to sign me, I have no confidence in myself, but I believe they have the sight, they gave me the courage too, they are my light."
Enjoying the process
Another person she cannot forget his favor is producer of 'Accident' Johnny To, it was when he insisted to use Michelle Ye, she gratefully said: "Back then when a lot of people doubt me, To Sir in fact insisted on using me, we do not know each other personally, it was only halfway through filming that we bumped into each other in Mr. Lam's birthday party. He asked me: "Do you know why I use you?" I said I didn't, he said: "I don't think you're like how outsiders say, I feel that you have the potential.""
Later when he directed 'Vengeance', he used Michelle Ye again, this proved that her performance in 'Accident' has passed the master's qualification. But it was rumored that To Sir is 'inhumane' during filming, very fierce, Michelle instead claimed she has not been scolded before. "He is not fierce towards actors, even invited me for meals with his family. He is nice towards all crews, and brings us for exposure at film festival, teaches us a lot, treating us like his son and daughter. I will remember To Sir's favor my whole life, he is my mentor."
As the award winner of HKFA's 'Best Supporting Actress', Michelle Ye in fact admits a director friend of hers said she will never be the female lead, "Usually these words demotivates people, but I did not give up because so, the movie industry is basically quite male oriented, even as the female lead of a movie, in comparison to the male lead, they usually become the supporting only. For example in 'Accident' where I'm the only actress, yet I'm still just a supporting role, in fact what I am more concern of is whether or not I have played the role well, how the quality of the whole production is like. Think about it, how fortunate it is to be able to film Milky Way Image productions? The movie I love, the crew I love, the process of filming is very enjoyable, I love the process more than the destination, thus I do not mind if I'm not the female lead."
Performing from Behind the Stage
Because she had once dubbed for 'Overheard', Michelle Ye then became the hot favorite among renowned directors for dubbing. "During the filming of 'Once a Gangster', Felix Chong and Alan Mak asked if I was free after work, they wanted me to help dub for 'Overheard', I agreed to help friends. Later when Peter Chan watched 'Overheard', he looked me up to dub for Fan Bing Bing in 'Bodyguards and Assassins', because her role speaks to Donny Yen in Cantonese, yet speaks to Wang in Mandarin, Peter Chan did not want to use dubbers, because did not want the 'dubbing feel', wanted to use actors to dub. Maybe because there are not much choice of actress who speaks both Cantonese and Mandarin, thus he chose me."
She said she has never learnt dubbing, but has always paid attention to use of tones in acting. "The art of voice, takes up as much as 30% in every acting. I've recently dubbed for Li Bing Bing in 'Triple Tap', my work normally is quite hectic, but I cannot reject when it is a friend's request, when dubbing 'Triple Tap' I did not even have time to sleep, so it should be my last time dubbing."
Source: Hong Kong Economy Daily
29th May 2010
I have a dream!
About her rumors, Michelle said: "I will not bother about rumors, not be annoyed, these are 'sidedishes' only. Directors who've collaborated with me usually do work with me again, (I) believe audiences have enlightened sight, everyone is in the theatre to watch acting skills, not to speculate on rumors."
Michelle Ye debut in the industry from 1999 Miss Chinese International Pageant, and immediately became TVB's fadan, she was the female lead from the pageant stage to the TV screen, but when dreams come true, and walking towards her dream of the big screen, Michelle instead got mostly female supporting roles, is this the realization or the vanishing of a dream?
In this year's HKFA, she finally won recognition with an award, but it is still the award of 'Best Supporting Actress', is this a mock or is she to bow to fate? Be it the lead or the supporting, do your best, give your best act for the stage of life, and you will become the lead.
Director of 'Once a Gangster', Felix Chong and Michelle ye has crossed path in the early days, her debut movie 'Moonlight in Tokyo' was the collaboration of Felix Chong and Alan Mak, and later they worked together in 'Lady Cop, Papa Crook', she was then again requested for dubbing of 'Overheard', altogether they have worked together for 4 times, no wonder Michelle said: "I desire so much to film movies, Director Felix Chong is the person who helped me realize this dream."
Michelle Ye can still vividly remember the atmosphere of the filming of 'Moonlight in Tokyo' from five years ago. "I still remember the first shot is a scene in Tokyo with Leon, I was exhilarated when I heard the film rolling. I asked Felix Chong and Alan Mak why they keep filming man movies, they said because they cannot understand woman, but this can be overcome; but there are very few good actress, thus they don't film much of woman movies, Alan Mak too told me to become a good actress, this I remember clearly to date."
Witty outer, foolish inner
Because they often collaborate, Felix and Michelle 'pay attention' to each other's growth. "In the past, Felix Chong mostly plays the role of a scriptwriter, he is more responsible for the plot and storyline, Alan Mak tells more on the characters, thus his interaction with actors is more. Felix Chong is very courteous in the past, like a mastermind, speaks very little, until 'Once a Gangster' where Alan Mak becomes the producer and Felix Chong becomes the director, and his opportunity to interact with us increases. He is in fact quite talkative, when I bumped into him on the plane on my return to Hong Kong from Beijing, we chatted for 4 to 5 hours."
Michelle said Felix Chong wrote one of her side in real life into 'Once a Gangster'. "My character is quite extreme, others may deem me quite witty, but I'm quite a 'pighead'. When filming 'Fire of Conscience', Leon and Richie both call me 'Pig Girl', director too took this side of me and allowed me to be more 'pighead' in 'Once a Gangster'"
Grateful for Roots
On the night when Michelle Ye won HKFA's 'Best Supporting Actress' award, she emphasized on thanking 'root school' TVB, who allowed someone who is not from acting class, but from pageant stage to enter industry, saying: "All my performance skill are taught by TVB, in the ceaseless filming of series, with the similar type of series, similar type of roles, the familiarization of these, becomes the basic skills which helps to mature acting skills. Actor should know which angle of the camera is most appropriate, if the camera has yet caught up, yet the actor has lost the concentration and position, what more is there to talk about the building of a role? Thus I thank TVB a lot, training me like a school."
In 2005, she who was the fadan of TVB chose to leave this 'root school' for the movie industry. "It was because I was filming 'World's Finest' in Mainland when Lam Kin Ngok looked me up through the director then, Director Wong Jing, saying Media Asia wanted to sign me with them. After meeting Mr. Lam in hong Kong, I was so startled with his acknowledgement, asking "Why me?", he said he has seen TVB's information and thinks I can act in movies."
She confessed she has much anxiety for entering the movie industry. "Because in the recent 10 years very few TV actors can transform fully to become just movies actors, for actors, there are not many besides Louis Koo, Nick Cheung, whereas there are almost no actresses (who transform) at all. My TVB colleagues too think that I was too bold, that I was giving up the TV stage, starting anew in the movies industry. The girls in my batch, most debut in TVB at the age of teens or twenties, our whole world is as big as TVB, we know not of what's outside. Honestly when Mr. Lam wanted to sign me, I have no confidence in myself, but I believe they have the sight, they gave me the courage too, they are my light."
Enjoying the process
Another person she cannot forget his favor is producer of 'Accident' Johnny To, it was when he insisted to use Michelle Ye, she gratefully said: "Back then when a lot of people doubt me, To Sir in fact insisted on using me, we do not know each other personally, it was only halfway through filming that we bumped into each other in Mr. Lam's birthday party. He asked me: "Do you know why I use you?" I said I didn't, he said: "I don't think you're like how outsiders say, I feel that you have the potential.""
Later when he directed 'Vengeance', he used Michelle Ye again, this proved that her performance in 'Accident' has passed the master's qualification. But it was rumored that To Sir is 'inhumane' during filming, very fierce, Michelle instead claimed she has not been scolded before. "He is not fierce towards actors, even invited me for meals with his family. He is nice towards all crews, and brings us for exposure at film festival, teaches us a lot, treating us like his son and daughter. I will remember To Sir's favor my whole life, he is my mentor."
As the award winner of HKFA's 'Best Supporting Actress', Michelle Ye in fact admits a director friend of hers said she will never be the female lead, "Usually these words demotivates people, but I did not give up because so, the movie industry is basically quite male oriented, even as the female lead of a movie, in comparison to the male lead, they usually become the supporting only. For example in 'Accident' where I'm the only actress, yet I'm still just a supporting role, in fact what I am more concern of is whether or not I have played the role well, how the quality of the whole production is like. Think about it, how fortunate it is to be able to film Milky Way Image productions? The movie I love, the crew I love, the process of filming is very enjoyable, I love the process more than the destination, thus I do not mind if I'm not the female lead."
Performing from Behind the Stage
Because she had once dubbed for 'Overheard', Michelle Ye then became the hot favorite among renowned directors for dubbing. "During the filming of 'Once a Gangster', Felix Chong and Alan Mak asked if I was free after work, they wanted me to help dub for 'Overheard', I agreed to help friends. Later when Peter Chan watched 'Overheard', he looked me up to dub for Fan Bing Bing in 'Bodyguards and Assassins', because her role speaks to Donny Yen in Cantonese, yet speaks to Wang in Mandarin, Peter Chan did not want to use dubbers, because did not want the 'dubbing feel', wanted to use actors to dub. Maybe because there are not much choice of actress who speaks both Cantonese and Mandarin, thus he chose me."
She said she has never learnt dubbing, but has always paid attention to use of tones in acting. "The art of voice, takes up as much as 30% in every acting. I've recently dubbed for Li Bing Bing in 'Triple Tap', my work normally is quite hectic, but I cannot reject when it is a friend's request, when dubbing 'Triple Tap' I did not even have time to sleep, so it should be my last time dubbing."
