[The Sun 06/05/07]

Vanessa Yeung Interviews Michael Tse on Married Life and Why it's OK to be a Nasty Man

Vanessa Yeung and Michael Tse seem to be the most mutually exclusive couple in showbiz, but they had in fact worked together for Anthony Wong's music video many years ago and as they meet again for this interview, Michael talks about the highs and lows of life in showbiz as well as how he maintains a happy married life.

V = Vanessa Yeung
M = Michael Tse

Put Aside your Pride and Vanity

V: You went from singing into movies with many people around to cater for you. Was it hard to adapt when you went into TV?

M: Well the movie industry is more commercial, with each crew's budget going into hundreds of thousands, then of course they have to make sure that the cast are in the best spirits to give their best performance. TV is more about you struggling to promote yourself and only then do the rest of the cast and crew know how hard you are working and it is not just down to luck or backing.

V: Are you not afraid of being branded as a failure in the field of music and movies?

M: In my case it was a little unusual because I emerged from being a dancer at the TV station so after I rejoined the company, I was able to pay my respects first. In this industry, the secret is that you cannot be shy, because if you are shy, you cannot put aside your pride and give a good performance.

V: Your portrayal of 'Nasty Man' was a very bad character, why did you choose to play this role?

M: In my world, there are many kinds of good people and even the nasty people range from those who are slightly nasty to those who are totally evil! I like those who are a little bit bad because these characters live in the grey area.

V: You have never studied acting, where did you get your skills from?

M: I like to watch a lot of movies. Sometimes it was quite scary and once during filming for 'A Kindred Spirit', I had to act in front of so many veterans and to hide my fear, I would say my lines very loudly and overact. In the end, Lee Si Kei pulled me aside and told me not to exaggerate so much!

Supporting Sheren Tang's Wins

V: Which of your co-stars has left the deepest impression on you?

M: Sheren Tang, she is a very clever artiste and as soon as we start shooting, she will be 100% absorbed and even when we are eating, she will still show signs of her character and it is very cute! Nancy Sit, she is a very resilient character and I admire her a lot.

V: Who would you most like to work with?

M: I would like to work with Adam Cheng and Damian Lau. They have such control over their acting and is it at a superior level.

V: I feel you are like the male version of Sheren, at peace with the world.

M: She is someone who is undoubtable. Even if you see the official figures and it makes you mad, you just have to look at the responses to see that she has won by a mile. She just looks at the process and does not care for the final results.

V: Why don't you film in the mainland? Some people say that you can make in a year what would take you ten years in Hong Kong.

M: Someone has asked me to, but I feel that my foundation is insufficient and the concrete beneath my feet is still wet, so it would be easy for me to fall with just a small push. I will wait until it is dry and firm.



Pushed into Marriage by Girlfriend

V: You lived together with your girlfriend before you got married. Many men will not get married if they are co-habiting already, so why did you get married?

M: For every couple who are co-habiting, there will be a time when the man will think about whether or not to get married, if you want to then just prepare for it. If you don't then just continue to live together.

V: The girlfriend would be very helpless waiting for the man to decide!

M: I don't oppose women to take the lead in some situations, sometimes men need a push before they will move and this is a natural laziness in men.

V: Were you subjected to a little push?

M: For me...

V: A little! Yes, you have answered! Many people would like to have children after marriage, have you thought about this?

M: I did think about it at first, but I did not get married just to have children.

V: Why don't you think about it now?

M: Because I was frightened by Lee Lai San. It is so expensive to have a child and today's society with the problems in education and the chaotic system that is worse than before. Studying in an international school is good for development of morals and intelligence, but you have to sacrifice a lot of money.

V: Are you not ready for this?

M: I would still like to enjoy our wedded bliss!

Avoiding Cursing During Arguments

V: Have things changed after marriage?

M: I said to my wife that we would try to keep things as they were and not change too much, otherwise there will be a danger of pressure and added responsibility. I will talk to her about everything, even if it is insignificant and one topic can grow into many others.

V: Is this how you keep things fresh between you?

M: Yes, every married couple should be like this and when you do argue, then no matter how hot-headed you become, I will ask of myself not to curse because this makes the hurtful words very sharp and even if you recover, there will be scars. Without the swearing, then the injuries are not as deep and you will be more harmonious.

V: A friend of mine was told by his mother before his wedding that if the woman is unhappy after marriage, then it is his fault and he has to apologise first, this is the only way to keep the marriage going!

M: So I say that in the whole world, the women in Hong Kong are the most fortunate because they are so well looked after at home. Women in other countries are not like that.

Epilogue: 'Nasty Man' is Not So Nasty

After her recent job hosting a food and drink programme, Vanessa has proven her worth as an interviewer and has certainly done all her homework to study Michael and even without notes, she is a natural when it comes to questioning. As for Michael's open responses to the questions, he gives the feeling of not being crowded at all, showing that 'Nasty Man' is deep down not actually that nasty after all!

http://the-sun.on.cc/channels/ent/20070506/20070505234941_0000.html