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Interview
New Wuxia Hero: Wu Jing
On first seeing Wu Jing, he was eating sugar canes. It was a treat by the
director. On noticing me, he said without asking who I was, Come over here and have
some sugar canes. Under the sun, his sparkling and invigorating eyes reminded me
of the piercing gaze of swordsmen as described in wuxia novels. While the actual interview time was rather short, the whole process took the whole day, as
he was shooting, and could only use resting times to answer my questions. During
the interview, Wu Jing would occasionally use a couple of English sentences. He
said he learned in when filming, and was very certain of his aptitude
for languages. Actually, if one were to work hard, what's there to worry?
Why did you choose to learn martial arts?
My father forced me to. When I learned horse-riding stance initially, I had to
remain in that position for three hours. Cry? Even if I cried, I also had to
train. In retrospect, I have to thank my father. Without such rigorous training,
I wouldn't have achieved today's success.
What's your most unforgettable experience when learning martial arts?
When I was around eighteen, nineteen years old, I once met with an accident and
became paralysed. I couldn't move my arms and legs. When I was sent for medical
treatment, none of the hospitals was able to diagnose clearly the cause of the
sickness. Some said it was rheumatism, some said there was some problem with the
spine vertebra... ... My father kept watch over me for two days, two nights.
Seeing how tired he was, my heart ached and let him go back. At that time, I did
not believe I would fall down just like that. I thought, even if I had to crawl,
I would have to get up. However, even after using up all my strength, I still
couldn't get up.
Later, I fought against myself, biting hard my teeth, carried on crawling. Kept
on the struggle. I did not know how much time had passed. I just felt very tired
and bitter. Wanted to give up then, but during that instant, I stood up, really
stood up again.
What's the cause?
No idea. Anyway, I had managed to get up!
Your father looked after you for only two days?
I felt he was too tired. He had to work in the day time and take care of me at
night. It was so tiring to go without sleep for two consecutive days. Only when I lied to him that I
was out of danger did he go back. My relationship with my father is especially
good; We are like brothers. Sometimes, when we are walking on the street, he
would turn around suddenly and try to trip me. It is so funny.
Can the practice of wushu change a person's character?
It has very deep impact. There is a common saying among the martial artists: To
learn wushu, one has to learn the ethics of wushu first.
Do you think that your martial arts skill is the best?
It is very difficult to gauge wushu against certain criteria. Actually, it's
fine as long as I achieve what I am satisfied with. Having solid background in
martial arts, I benefit greatly during performances.
I saw you once during a press conference in Shanghai. You were so quiet and
calm. Now, you are so playful!
There are multiple sides to everyone's character. You have seen two sides of
my personality. The other part of maturity is acting according to
circumstances.
Do you prefer the character in your dramas or the real you?
In the dramas, I can do what I wish to, I can do what I cannot do in real life,
say what I dare not say. But a sentence in Greek says, Actor is another word
for hypocrite. It was derived from that word. Rather interesting.
Is work tiring?
I am very busy right now. Everyday, after I get up, I have breakfast.
Immediately after that, I have to begin filming. It's really exhausting. But dare
not tell my parents, so as not to let them worry. Even when I suffered from
injuries, I would keep it from them so as not to alarm them. But all these
don't matter, I am a workaholic.
Have you seen Zhao Wen Zhuo's movies?
Yeah, I have seen them, but I have only met him twice. Once was in Shanxi, when
I hurt my leg badly. Another was in Beijing, when he was in production of Single
Cut Hawthorn. Twice, we didn't have much chance of interaction. But our fans
kept arguing against each other. I believe, if, one day, we were to get to do a drama together, we would
become good friends.
Are you proud about being an actor who is martial arts trained?
When shooting action scenes, martial arts stars would have an edge. But when
shooting dramatic scenes, it is completely different. I did not have any
professional training in acting, but when I was shooting my first movie, the
director told me to be sincere, to show my true love and genuine feelings. Since my began
to grasp this point, I have learned the art of acting. Personally, I enjoy
watching Western movies, to learn from the best artistes' performances. |
