Feature Article

Guestroom - Zheng Pei Pei

u-weekly,  November 2001

by Ah Wei

Unable to kick filming habits.

On receiving the task to interview Zheng Pei Pei (Cheng Pei Pei), the first reaction was where to begin? She has been in the entertainment circle for more than thirty years. If this reporter were to ask about how she became an actress, it might sound rather primitive. Thinking over it for a long time, in order to let the younger audiences know her better, this reporter hard-headedly asked her.
 

Turning point

Zheng Pei Pei smiled, "How I got into the entertainment circle and my past experiences? It was so long ago. Almost more than thirty years. Let me say it briefly. I was trained in Nanguo Peking Opera School. Later, I joined Shaw Films and shot twenty, thirty films. Later, I also did movies with Jiazhu Company. I don't remember the exact numbers of films I have made. It was too many."

However, she noted that Drunken Hero was her turning point.

"The audience's response was very good when the movie was released. They were deeply impressed with the role I acted. Director Hu Jinquan believed that my image of a heroine was natural and convincing, and since then, I have always been portrayed as a heroine in the movies."

"Have you ever become tired of acting?" I asked.

"It's not about whether I am tired of it. It's a job. Besides, since the audience likes it and as long as they don't get tired of watching, it's fine."

Having been in the movie circle for over thirty years, having made over a hundred movies, acted as a vast variety of characters and worked with many different directors, Zheng Pei Pei remarked that each director has their own flair and demands and it was a pleasure working with them. In particular, Yue Feng and Hu Jingquan affected her most.

"Director Yue Feng not only taught me how to act, but also taught me that to survive in the entertainment circle - one has to grab and value whatever chances one gets. Never laze about. Then, one won't be made redundant."


Braving New Grounds

She has always kept Yue Feng's words in her mind. As such, she has never rejected any roles: Be it villains who are being hated to the core by the viewers, or inane, comical roles, she would, with the attitude of experimentation, take up a different role, such as the villain in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Madam Hua in Stephen Chow's Flirting Scholar, the first work after she re-appeared in the movie industry.

"Being an actor, as long as it's rational, one should not reject different roles so as to hone one's acting abilities. For example, when I accepted to be in Flirting Scholar as Madam Hua, I had never acted as a comical character before. And at that time, comedies were a big hit. After thinking about it, I felt that I should try it to challenge myself. I accepted Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with the same thinking."

She had left the entertainment industry for quite a while and was leading a happy, wholesome life with her children, why did she make a come-back?

"Mainly because of I can't shed off my addiction to movie-making and to make a living. As such,. I returned. I didn't have much difficulties getting used to life in movie industry since it's operation wasn't much different from that of the past."


Great Kungfu

"Of course, it's my daughter... I thought, every newcomer has their potential. For example, Zhao Wen Zhuo. I don't know if he's still considered to be a newcomer, but he has good martial arts background and is professional in his approach. He should make be able to make it some fine day."

"What about Lian Kai (Andrew Lin, who played the villainous role in Blacksheep Affair)? Heard that you recommended him for Yang-An's role in Lady Warriors of The Yang Family starring Carman Lee."

"His mother and I are friends and it's natural that I give him some supoort. He had always been acting as a bad egg. So I told him, he should try something different. After watching his performance, I thought that he was very serious and worked very hard in playing his part as Yang An."

As for her hopes for her daughters, she said that let nature take its natural course. But she re-iterated that if she was directing, she would choose her daughter, Yuan Zi-Hui, to reprise her role in her representative work, Drunken Hero.

"She is trained in dancing and has learned Northern martial arts. I believe that she would do better than me in terms of fight sequences."

On mentioning her daughter, she showed the kindness and approachability of a mother, like Lady She of Lady Warriors of the Yang Family, who looks stern on the surface but always possesses the peacefulness and gentleness of a kind mother. It felt as if Lady She was the true portrait of Zheng Pei Pei.

"Lady She's character matches mine very closely. Can be said that I am as tenacious."


Post-script

Before the interview ended, when asked to give some some encouraging words to the new comers, she sternly said, "Must work hard. Never idle. Even when there is no work to be done, don't stay in the house. Must go out and interact with people within the industry. Apart from that, must keep learning."

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