If we say, in the 425 years since the return of Hong Kong to html, Hong Kong dramas have been the window for mainland audiences to explore Hong Kong culture, and Hong Kong actors are the narrators by the window. In the play, they interpret Hong Kong's changes with their characters and tell Hong Kong stories to the mainland; in life, they also personally feel the country's rapid changes and embrace the mainland with their hearts.
The sea is floating and rising with the waves, and I will be able to capture all the plays; today I appreciate the youth together, and this feeling remains the same. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return, Beijing News exclusively planned an exclusive interview with 14 Hong Kong actors. Some of them are still on the front line of the TV industry, while others live a low-key and ordinary life. But they are all important preview witnesses of Hong Kong's return. Through their moving narratives, we try to relive the most precious golden age of Hong Kong TV series and evoke the emotional resonance of , which is connected to each other in the two places.
Count Chen Jinhong 's classic characters: the passionate young man in the Hong Kong drama " New Shanghai Beach " Xu Wenqiang , Cheng Jiaxiong who enjoys adversity in " Heaven and Earth ", Hu Fei, the hero who is loyal in " Snow Mountain Flying Fox ", and Xu Wenbiao , who adheres to principles and egoism in " Genesis "... Patch together the qualities of these characters, and you may know about 80% of Chen Jinhong. Chen Jinhong's life, like many characters he has played, has a unique set of life philosophy.
Chen Jinhong never set goals for himself, and he never asks others for roles, "I will try my best to play if I want to play." Photo provided by the interviewee
He has never set grand ideals and goals, and believes in fate more. When he was in school, his temperament was close to weeks, and he embarked on the road of acting. Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts was admitted earlier than the TVB artist training class. He gave up the opportunity to sign a contract with TVB, and then went on several twists and turns until he returned to TVB at the age of 26. "I think it's good to arrange fate like this."
Chen Jinhong is also an actor who can "bite hard bones" in the eyes of many producers and directors. Whether it is "New Shanghai Bund" where Zhuyu was the first to be or Xu Wenbiao, the "villain" who has not been selected for a long time, Chen Jinhong took over them all. These "hard bones" made Chen Jinhong successful, but none of them were obtained by him on his own initiative. "I just don't ask for help. If you come to me to act, I will act, and I will do my best to act well."
In 2012, 45-year-old Chen Jinhong won the first Outstanding Actor Award at the TVB0,000 Star Award Ceremony . But he chose to leave TVB at the most glorious time and go home to take care of his son who is suffering from autism. He moved to the suburbs of Hong Kong, and accompanied his children to exercise, fish and climb trees every day, and taught them to recognize words and speak without getting tired of them. Many people regretted that he reduced the amount of filming, but he never regretted his choice at that time - a man must shoulder the responsibility of being a father and as the pillar of his family.
is like being pushed forward by fate, but every choice of life is cleverly in his own hands. "People always say that it is difficult to meet your expectations. I said no! It's easy, don't just need too much. Doing one thing a year is easy to accomplish."
Now, Chen Jinhong focuses his career in the mainland, occasionally performing commercial performances, and is waiting for the opportunity to act, living a low-key, ordinary but self-sufficient life. He often educates his son that being a person means being happy and loving himself. Chen Jinhong has always followed this set of life principles. "I am now in the best state of my years, the most at ease and the most stable; I like myself more and more. This is the most important thing." He admitted.
Walking from the countryside to Wan Chai
Cook, policeman, and actor are his three ideals
Chen Jinhong was born in the late 1960s and is the first generation influenced by Hong Kong TV series.
At that time, most of the children in Hong Kong came home from school, except for doing their homework, they kept watching TV: they watched cartoons in the afternoon and TV series after dinner in the evening. But often at this time, Chen Jinhong's mother's accusation always comes from her ears: "Do you know how to act? Can you become an actor in the future? It's better to study hard!"
When Chen Jinhong was a child, she lived in a remote rural area in Hong Kong. She had two sisters and two sisters at home. He was the only boy.The family lives in a wooden house surrounded by small villages and there is no road leading out. Influenced by traditional educational philosophy and the high-pressure competitive environment in Hong Kong, Chen Jinhong's parents believe in "a filial son with a stick" and "studying changes destiny." Their biggest expectation for their son is to read more and broaden their horizons, so that no matter what job they do in the future, they will be easier to survive in a complex society and have a smaller chance of losing. Whenever his parents talk about this and Chen Jinhong expresses his objections, he will inevitably be beaten.
Fortunately, Chen Jinhong has good academic performance, but in his own description, "it's all back-to-back, but in fact the content is not digested, it means that he has a good memory." So he provided three choices for his future: the first is to become a chef, "because my mother cooks very well, and I learned very well with her." The second is to become a policeman. He likes to follow the steps and is satisfied with completing tasks arranged by others. And the third is to become an actor.
When I was young, Chen Jinhong thought about becoming an actor in the future and understanding himself through performances.
When Chen Jinhong was a student, he thought acting was simple because when an actor cried on the TV, he would sit on the sofa and cry; when an actor laughed, he would also laugh. He seems to have the talent to empathize with in parallel life. But more importantly, Chen Jinhong is always sensitive to the world. "I don't know a lot about myself. I'm too complicated. As a rural child, I can't balance it. You can say that I'm fantasy or dreaming, but I'm just unhappy, not understanding, or not understanding."
and the performance built the way he walked out of the village. Before the registration for Police Academy started, Chen Jinhong took the lead in applying for the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts and TVB artist training classes for early admission. Soon, the Academy of Performing Arts held an interview, and Chen Jinhong received a notice after the third interview. He walked out of the countryside and to Wan Chai.
"What does an actor make to me? Actors don't earn much money. They work more than 20 hours a day and don't sleep. I have to support me in doing this. That is to learn about myself, discover myself, and improve myself through every role. This is different. If I don't give money, I will act."
takes on the role of "New Shanghai Bund"
and finds a job with Chow Yun-fat every night. I find a job with Chow Yun-fat. The difference between
Chen Jinhong still remembers the reason why the Academy of Performing Arts chose him: "At that time, many teachers in the Academy of Performing Arts worked with Chow Yun-fat, such as Zhong Jinghui and , who supported Chow Yun-fat. They also felt that my voice, my expression, and emotional control were really similar to Chow Yun-fat."
1980, the TV series " Shanghai Beach " caused a sensation in Hong Kong after it was broadcast, and also made Chow Yun-fat a household film and television star. During that time, many teachers and classmates also said that Chen Jinhong's thick eyebrows, high nose bridge, and inadvertent expressions and smiles were very similar to Chow Yun-fat when he was young. "Maybe because Chow Yun-fat had a lot of TV series at that time, basically every day. So some of his small actions and language affected Hong Kong people, including me."
After that, Chen Jinhong never saw any Chow Yun-fat's works. "Because I don't want to imitate him." Chen Jinhong admitted that before he was twenty years old, he wanted to be a good person and live happily, and he didn't understand what a real and comprehensive self looked like. He wants to be Chen Jinhong, not another Chow Yun-fat.
It was not until 1996 that Chen Jinhong was about to play the role of Xu Wenqiang in the Hong Kong drama "New Shanghai Bund". It was only six years later that he watched "Shanghai Bund" three times from beginning to end, thinking about the difference between himself and Chow Yun-fat while watching. When he was acting in "Shanghai Bund", Chow Yun-fat was only 25 years old. Xu Wenqiang, who played him, had a strong emotional and strong expression. If described in color, it must be bright red. But Chen Jinhong was almost thirty years old when he played Xu Wenqiang. He wanted to integrate his experience in the first thirty years into Xu Wenqiang's flesh and blood.
Chen Jinhong and Chen Songling (right) starred in the Hong Kong drama "New Shanghai Bund".
In Chen Jinhong's understanding, Xu Wenqiang graduated from Yenjing University . He was a student leader and had an idealistic sentiment. He was still a literati in his heart. It was only after returning to Shanghai that he faced the turbulent country and by chance that he met Ding Li, who was hiding in society, that his life story began to be reversed. So in "New Shanghai Bund", Chen Jinhong placed the script theory and cultural knowledge he learned during his study in the Academy of Performing Arts more in the role of Xu Wenqiang, amplifying the gap between him and Ding Li in terms of cognition, thinking and understanding things, and creating a "Brother Qiang" who belongs to Chen Jinhong's literary temperament.
Although Hong Kong audiences have different opinions on "New Shanghai Bund" after it was broadcast, and there are still many debates today, in Chen Jinhong's view, he could only try and change at that time to explore the unique connection between Chen Jinhong and Xu Wenqiang. He had a long time when filming "New Shanghai Bund", and had difficulty falling asleep every night, and tossing and turning in bed to think about how to shape Xu Wenqiang, who was completely different from Chow Yun-fat. "It's too difficult, because Chow Yun-fat acts so well and so full. He is a genius actor and it's hard to surpass it. I can only look for different directions to act."
never asks for a role
promises to play "hard bones", and will try his best to play
Chen Jinhong has been reading Jin Yong since he was a child. "The Legend of the Gods" is one of his favorite works. The male protagonist, , Shi Potian, , is loyal and honest, and has a very talented person, but he pursues self-reliance and is a "silly boy" who never asks for help. Since then, Chen Jinhong has also regarded "not asking for help" as his life principle. "Because you ask for help, you will have some expectations. I think it's very good not to ask for help. In this way, life will be in your own hands, and you will have fewer unhappiness and disappointment."
entered the fiercely competitive Hong Kong TV industry, and Chen Jinhong has never "seeked" to play any role. Chen Jinhong's family has no relatives or friends in the television and film industry, and he never goes to social parties; when he first became an actor, he rarely communicated with others on the set.
Chen Jinhong (right) participated in the movie " White-haired Witch 2". (The left is Zhong Liti )
In 1992, Chen Jinhong participated in the movie "The Witch of White Hair 2". His partner is a household name, Leslie Cheung , and Brigitte Lin . This is his first movie. During the filming, Chen Jinhong always hid in a corner and read books and scripts. The staff around him were back and forth, some were busy turning on the lights, and some were in the set, and not many people paid attention to him. It was not until the director shouted "Prepare!" that Chen Jinhong walked to the camera. Until one day, Leslie Cheung walked up to Chen Jinhong who was reading a book and asked, "What's your name for young people?" Chen Jinhong replied nervously, "I am Chen Jinhong. I graduated from the Academy of Performing Arts..." Leslie Cheung said, "Don't care, I'll give you a comment, don't read on the set." Chen Jinhong was not sure, Leslie Cheung explained, "You have to communicate with others on the set. You can talk about anything, you must integrate into this big family, and don't just be in your own world." He remembers this sentence
to this day. Because in Chen Jinhong's obsession with youth and vitality, he only needs to do the performance 100%, do his homework, and perform his best side, which is enough. When filming "Genesis", he harshly demanded that the NG of the exterior and interior scenes should not be more than 10 times per day. It seems like a "passive" waiting for opportunities, but in fact it is like Shi Potian. Chen Jinhong believes in using his own abilities to make a fortune.
Chen Jinhong and Luo Jialiang starred in the Hong Kong drama "Genesis".
In the 1980s and 1990s, most TVB actors developed the ability to "not sleep", and Chen Jinhong was recognized as "desperate". In 1998, he played the male lead Hu Fei in the TV series "Snow Mountain Flying Fox", and he had his scenes from the outside to the inside almost every day. During those months, he got up at 6 a.m. every day to dress up and set off to take pictures of the outdoor scene; after finishing work at 6 a.m., he arrived at the interior scene at 7 a.m. for another three or four hours, so he could only go home to rest in the early morning.There was about a week when Chen Jinhong finished work at 5 a.m., so he could only work on the floor on the set, or sleep on the sofa in the dressing room for an hour or two to continue to welcome the next start-up day.
Chen Jinhong joked that at that time he often told the staff that he was not very clear-headed before 11 o'clock in the morning, so he tried not to arrange too many dialogues or too important scenes. The director will also consider the actor's status and occasionally arranges the fight scenes after lunch, so that due to the sunshine, the actor can take an extra hour of rest. "But it's okay, (at that time) I was young! It's okay."
Chen Jinhong and Charmaine (right) starred in the Hong Kong drama "Snow Mountain Flying Fox".
During the years of filming, Chen Jinhong almost never took leave because of illness, nor did he complain about poor shooting conditions and difficult roles. He was devoted to thinking about the script. So much so that the role he later asked him to play was either because the shooting cost was too low and the production cycle was very tight; or the role was too difficult and not pleasing. "Like Xu Wenqiang (a role in "New Shanghai Bund") has to face Chow Yun-fat, who dares to shoot? If there is no way, let me shoot; Xu Wenbiao (a role in "Genesis") is not good just looking at the main line and story... But every arrangement is the best arrangement. If I promise to act, I will do my best to play well, and I will not regret it. Every drama will be my last drama."
In Chen Jinhong's view, life is like a match. If you want to be as gorgeous as fireworks, you can only burn yourself more.
Give up everything and return to family
After being with his son over the years, I understood what love is
2009, Chen Jinhong played the role of Chu Fan, an orphan who values love, loyalty and filial piety in the Hong Kong drama " Wishing Dad ". Chu Fan was adopted by Gao Shanquan ( David Jiang ) when he was four or five years old. When he grew up, he was not only as filial to Gao Shanquan as his father, but also enthusiastically helped others to take care of their children and adhered to the principle of "everyone is for me, I am for everyone".
Chen Jinhong and David Jiang collaborated on the Hong Kong drama "I Wish Dad".
At that time, Chen Jinhong's son had just turned two years old. Also in his first fatherhood, Chu Fan in "I Want to Father" made Chen Jinhong constantly think about how to become a good father. Until two years later, the son was confirmed to have mild autism. "I thought of Chu Fan, why can't I be like him? I should do better than him."
That year, Chen Jinhong had just finished filming the Hong Kong drama " King of Phoenixes ", and played the role of the Daoguang Emperor in the drama. This is another completely different story, expressing that when a person has everything, but loses the emotions between people, it is also difficult to get happiness and happiness. The continuous reflection on oneself brought by the performance made Chen Jinhong resolutely decide to return to his family in 2013 to concentrate on accompanying and taking care of his sick son.
Chen Jinhong once recalled in the book "Every Steps of My Son and Me" that the age of six is the golden period of children's development. He hopes that his son can use daily language before he is six years old, at least express his feelings, what he wants and what he wants to eat. When he was over three years old, his son didn't even know a complete sentence. Now Chen Jinhong recalls the days when he competes with time, and still feels nervous. "I am very nervous every day. If he can't learn in those years, he may not be able to learn in the future."
Chen Jinhong is with his son. Photo provided by the interviewee
When he was at home, Chen Jinhong got up very early every day and sat in the room to think about what activities and games he arranged for his son today to help him understand things. The child is going to bed at night, and Chen Jinhong is still reviewing the teaching results during the day and reflecting on what more effective interactions can be had tomorrow.
, for example, learn to speak. When you teach a normal child "in the sky", he can basically repeat it immediately. But autistic children may passively receive "in the sky" for 12 hours, and they will not react at all, and they don't even like this method. So Chen Jinhong moved his home to the suburbs, where there were green lawns and fresh air, everything was lively and full of vitality. Chen Jinhong takes his son to exercise every day, teaches him to fish and climb trees, finds many interesting ways to play with him, and then patiently repeats the words to guide him to identify things.At first, my son could only learn one word in a week.
But no matter what, Chen Jinhong continued to read and learn, and changed his methods to teach his son. Chen Jinhong, who never asked for help, kept asking for help for his son in those years, asked the teacher to arrange time to teach his son, and asked the school to allow his son to enter school. He must face setbacks optimistically and learn to focus on where his son is improving. "Whenever he makes a little progress, I feel very satisfied and feel that what I do is meaningful."
Now, Chen Jinhong's son is already in middle school, he is taller than him and has better nutrition than him. Chen Jinhong said that when he was young, there was also a complicated Xu Wenbiao hidden in his heart. He was uneasy and imbalanced. He always wanted to fight, but just pretended to be a "good person". But his son asked him to learn to accept himself, "I understand why I am jealous? Why am I uneasy? I keep reflecting and constantly communicating and talking with myself." The simplest thing is, Chen Jinhong was very greedy for food in the past; now he eats very simple, healthy and nutritious enough, and every meal will not be wasted. When he was young, Chen Jinhong was influenced by his father and always liked to use alcohol to release pressure; but now he has quit drinking and can face the complicated things in life more clearly. "
He once wrote in his book that his son is like a strict teacher, letting him understand what love is, what patience is, what persistence is, what contentment is, and what respect is.
immigrated to the mainland to live
learns to shop online and buy vegetables, but his life is dull but free
As his son successfully entered middle school, Chen Jinhong finally had the opportunity to leave home temporarily. He came to the mainland to participate in commercial performances, mostly singing classic Hong Kong old songs. Every time he saw those middle-aged or young drama fans in the audience, Chen Jinhong was always very satisfied. "I like the mainland very much and I also like to appear on stage in the mainland. I can go to different places to see it, it's really amazing. "
In recent years, the rapid development of the mainland has shocked Chen Jinhong, which has changed a lot from when he came to film "New Shanghai Bund" in the 1990s. Previously, Chen Jinhong was still running between the mainland and Hong Kong. He was in the mainland on weekdays and returned to Hong Kong to accompany his children on weekends. Until 2019, he bought his own house in Guangzhou, which was not big, about 90 square meters.
In his opinion, the pace of life in the mainland and Hong Kong is not much different, but Hong Kong is still relatively faster, and its fast pace is mostly It stems from people's "uneasiness" about life. Resources are in short supply for the population; Hong Kong's consumption level is also high, taking the subway to HK$10 to HK$20, a main meal is at least HK$40, and there are also high electricity and call fees... For the sake of life, whether it is the TV industry or any industry, only one person can do three people's things to be competitive. Back then, Chen Jinhong chose to go home to take care of his children, but he did not tell anyone around him, "I said that people would 'curse' me, because everyone in Hong Kong has to work every day. "In comparison, the pace of the mainland is more relaxed, and it is also very convenient in shopping and lifestyle. Chen Jinhong often shops online. As long as he is positioned at home and chooses a store, he can be delivered to the door soon. In Guangzhou, he basically buys vegetables once a week and doesn't go out at other times. He practices calligraphy, study, and cooks at home, and lives a dull and comfortable life like ordinary people. In Chen Jinhong's opinion, living in the mainland can only make the motherland more deeply. "I (buy a house) also hope that my children can have some connection with the mainland. When he grows up, he can have the opportunity to come to the mainland, whether he studies or lives, he needs to have a "base". "
Chen Jinhong participated in an event. Photo/Visual China
Over the years, Chen Jinhong has also insisted on fitness, paying attention to health, and maintaining the best condition of the actors. When he was young, Chen Jinhong kept his suit in the closet, and occasionally took it out to try it, but it was still as soft as he used back then. "I have always been looking forward to having a good job and a good script, whether it is Hong Kong or the mainland, you can come to me. ”
Q&As for the same question
Beijing News: As a Hong Kong actor, what is the Hong Kong drama in your heart?
Chen Jinhong: is fast-paced, down-to-earth, and the feelings are real, which makes the audience resonate with you and think I am a TA.Hong Kong TV series (the content expressed) is also "not escaping" and you have to face any difficulties.
Beijing News: In your opinion, which role best represents the spirit of Hong Kong people?
Chen Jinhong: If it is a boy, I think Hong Kong boys look like Zhang Wuji. Because Hong Kong boys can't grow up, they are very affectionate and gentle. (Hong Kong people) are also like Wei Xiaobao, who is smart, quick-responsive, learns things well, and lives the life he likes. My son and I said that the most important thing in life is to be happy, and you must like yourself. If you don’t like yourself, it will be useless for anyone to like you.
In the Hong Kong drama "The Deer and the Cauldron" aired in 1984, Tony Leung (left) plays the role of Wei Xiaobao. (Highieh Andy Lau )
Beijing News: On the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return, what are the most obvious changes in your personal life and career?
Chen Jinhong: I have come to the mainland to live in the past few years. I bought a house in Guangzhou three years ago. I think our country has changed a lot over the years. I feel safe and medical about living in the mainland. After returning, the national anthem would be played at 7:30 every day in Hong Kong, and my son and I stood up (come to listen). I want him to feel the pride as a Chinese.
Beijing News: What do you think is the deepest experience of living in the mainland (or traveling between Hong Kong and the mainland)?
Chen Jinhong: I said before that I have been to many places, Hong Kong is the most convenient, and now the mainland is the most convenient. There is no need to bring cash or ID card in the mainland, all of them use mobile phones.
Beijing News: Are there any words that impressed the most during the process of learning Mandarin ?
Chen Jinhong: For me, every word in Mandarin is difficult. But I also like to learn. I watch the news channel of CCTV every day, so I can communicate in Mandarin now. My son (Mandarin) is better than me, and he learned it from a teacher from Beijing. I think the most important thing in language is communication, just like the expression of an actor, just like it can be expressed.
Beijing News: After coming to the mainland to develop, what new skills have you mastered?
Chen Jinhong: When I was waiting for the public bus (bus) in Guangzhou, I looked on the APP and it was only 1 minute before I arrived, so I would go. How great. I also have monthly tickets for shared bicycles (monthly card), because sometimes I feel the weather is good at night, so I will ride an hour to the park.
Beijing News: As a "memories" of many people, what do you want to say to the drama fans of that year?
Chen Jinhong: What I want to share with you is to be honest and do things seriously. When we live seriously every day, we look back and feel that it is very good.
Beijing News: Use one sentence to describe your current living situation?
Chen Jinhong: I am now in the best state of my years, the most secure and stable, I like myself, and I like myself more and more. This is the most important thing.
Beijing News reporter Zhang He
chief editor Wu Dongni
proofreading Wang Xin
