Shanghai TV Magazine #1104: We don't meet each other privately!

Here are the scans from Shanghai TV magazine #1104! I have translated the scans below, so happy reading! =D

From the 6th till the 10th June 2011, this year's Shanghai TV Festival will be a vibrant one. The nominees for the "Magnolia prize" best actors and actresses include Mainland Chinese actors Zhang Jiayi, Wu Xiubo, Wang Luodan, Yang Mi. Sheren Tang and Wayne Lai have also made it in for their roles in TVB's mega-drama No Regrets. They are widely acknowledged as good actors in TVB, so how is Wayne in Sheren's eye? Liang Juan reports.

Q: Reporter

A: Sheren Tang

"His manly side only shows up in dramas"

Q： Both you and Wayne Lai have made it to the top 5 nominees for the Shanghai TV Festival.

A： Yes. I have sent him a SMS: Congratulations, you are one of the top 5 nominees for the Magnolia prize. He replied me: No, I should congratulate you, you should treat me dinner. I replied back: Didn't you tell the media that you would retire if you have earned enough money? You still want me to treat you for dinner? He replied: What I meant was that if I earned $30 everyday, the money I earned would be enough for me to use until I'm 70. Do you really want me to use the $30 that I earn everyday to treat you? He is just like that. He 'angers' you, but you can never feel angry.

Q: After watching No Regrets, many people said that if Wayne Lai wasn't married, you two could have been together.

A: I know. Many fans have said that. (laughs) Actually, Wayne Lai is very different from Lau Sing. His manly side is only shown in the drama itself. Mrs Lai loves him a lot, and idolises him. I once asked Mrs Lai if Wayne had shown his loving eye expression at her. She replied that he didn't show her that expression, not even once. I laughed very hard at that time.

Q: Do you like guys like Lau Sing in real life?

A: Of course. Lau Sing and Gau Gu Leong were not supposed to be together. It was Gau Gu Leong's morals and views that moved him to the extent that he was willing to use his life to protect her. How this drama moved me was due to the values being imparted. At my age, it is no longer important if I have somebody to accompany me. What is most important is that the other party must know what you are thinking, lets you do things your way and supports you whole-heartedly. From young, I have always wanted a person who understands me. I love freedom, so the person who understands me shouldn't tie me to his side. A real man should be one with a big heart. Love doesn't mean possessing the person and tying the person to your side.

Q: Do you envy Gau Gu Leong?

A: Envy. What I envy most is that, Lau Sing is always by her side when she needs him the most. The part that touches me the most was when Gau Gu Leong was addicted to opium. At that time, she had given up on herself, but this guy didn't give up on her. Marriage is like that. During one's lowest point in life, you have to be there to console and comfort that person. This is probably one of Lau Sing's most charming points.

"I approached him to work together"

Q: Everybody feel that both you and Wayne Lai share a very special type of chemistry. Did you expect such fireworks from the both of you?

A: We may have been in the same drama many years ago, but did not have any scenes with each other. I didn't expect our collaboration to be so popular, and didn't expect ourselves to work so well together.

Q: Before collaborating on Rosy Business, were the both of you close?

A: Not at all, but I have always admired him. I am always on the look-out for which male artistes I can work with. There aren't many male artistes who suit me, due to age differences or stage presence. Maybe many female artistes didn't think of working together with Wayne Lai.

Q: Then how did you think of Wayne Lai? He wasn't very well-known before Rosy Business.

A: I feel that he has good acting. I realised that he is able to portray every character he plays brilliantly. There aren't many people who are good in acting and give their best to acting at the same time. He is that kind of person.

Q: Did you approach him to work together?

A: Yes, I did. TVB had a very good producer Lee Tim Shing who was about to retire. I approached Producer Lee and told him that I wished to work him before he retires. Wayne Lai was an artiste whom he used often, so I suggested for Wayne to be the male lead. Lee Tim Shing didn't believe me at first, so I was the one who told him I was serious about it. Immediately, he put the two of us together and gave a call to my manager 3 days later, asking me to wait for his schedule.

Q: How was it collaborating with Wayne?

A: I really admire him a lot! During the course of filming, I have really learnt a lot. At times when I don't have any scenes, I just stood by the side to watch him act. I nearly wanted to give him my applause. When I film with him, I don't get very tired, neither do I get very worried.

"He accepts whatever I say"

Q: Why didn't you think of acting as Empress Cixi in The Great Eunuch, which is custom-made for Wayne? They didn't find you?

A: Even if they had asked me, I wouldn't have taken it up. The relationship between Cixi and Wayne doesn't suit us. TVB won't waste 2 artistes. I have a per-drama contract with TVB, so if I film one drama, it will be one less drama for me.

Q: Do you two have to act as lovers?

A: It doesn't matter. He can act as my father, but I can't act as his mother (laughs). He is older than me, so he can act as my brother as well.

Q: If given a chance for another collaboration, what kind of drama would you like to act in?

A: In a comedy or modern drama. While filming No Regrets, when we were waiting to film our scenes, we lamented the fact that we couldn't relax for a bit. In fact, in reality, we have a lot of chemistry with each other. When we attend events together, we are always joking with each other. To act in a very funny comedy, all you have to do is to put our real personalities together and it will be very funny.

Q: Are there any specific performances (referring to comedic performances by either of them)?

A: Like the first time when he got his TV King award, he went back-stage and was very sad because it was just that perfect, and that it was time for him to retire. He is one who likes to joke around. When I saw him like that, I couldn't help but to 'get high' and started teasing him. He laughed after that and said that both of us have good chemistry together. When we do interviews, I will always be answering each question carefully, but he will be there cracking jokes, causing me to lose my concentration and joke around as well. This is why many people think that we are close, and even his wife thinks that we are very compatible. However, in actual fact, besides filming dramas, we don't meet up with each other privately, so we aren't considered very good friends.

Q: How has he affected you?

A: We are actually quite a queer combination. Wayne is more easy-going, and is all right with anything. I am more serious and everything must be 'perfect' for me. He makes me relax by telling me it's a small matter since it can't be seen anyway. After saying that, whenever he is around (in the filming set) I will feel very relaxed. When I utter nonsense or say anything, he will be able to accept it. We don't really discuss much about how we should go about acting our roles, but sparks of fireworks just fly when we have scenes with each other. When I say that the left side of my face is nicer and prefer my left side of the face to be filmed, he, too thinks that his left side of the face is nicer as well, but he will let me have my way. Working with him is really very comfortable.

Wayne Lai gives his take on No Regrets
Filming a TV drama requires team spirit. It is really a rare chance to work together with a producer and script-editor like Tim Gor and Wah Biu, and with great artistes like Sheren and Susan. What is even rarer is that our whole team is of one heart, and that everybody has given their all for this drama. So I feel that No Regrets is one of the best dramas for the past 10 years. I don't think I will have the chance to work with such a team anymore. I am already done with such a near-perfect piece of work, so it doesn't matter whether I get the TV King or not (referring to the Shanghai TV Festival Magnolia award).

Lau Sing is a very impulsive person, so he has many shouting and quarreling scenes. I can't pull off a fake one just to protect my throat, because the audience will know and feel that it's not real. So every time when I really shout, I hurt my throat in the process. Thankfully, the director takes very good care of us, so he tries to let us pass after every shouting scene.

- Credits to 糖水wasabi for scans and 皮皮号 of 邓萃雯吧 for Chinese transcript

*PLEASE CREDIT DREAMLUCKY IF REPOSTED! THANKS! ^^

Comments: WOW! This interview is really a must-read, which is why I translated it! This is really a very, very in-depth interview by Sheren on how she sees Wayne.

We also get to know Sheren's feeling on filming Rosy Business and No Regrets. Her interview made me feel as if I was at the filming set as well LOL. xDD

It puzzles me as to why Sheren says that she isn't very close to Wayne. Their actions prove otherwise. =P By the way, Sherayne's SMSes to each other are hilarious! So cute of them! <3 And yes, I totally agree with Wayne that No Regrets is one of the best dramas ever made! ^^

A must-read for fans of Sherayne, fans of Rosy Business and fans of No Regrets!! =D