The first article features Vincent Zhao, in which he reveals tantalizing details about his character. *Contains some spoilers*

Click "Read More" for Vincent's interview!

Interview with Vincent Zhao

R= Reporter V= Vincent

R= "Tai Chi" was custom-tailored for you; can you speak about the unique qualities of your character?

V= The series is focused on the martial art style of taichi, which I am very familiar with, since I have been practicing taichi at a very young age. At first we thought about setting the story in modern times, but changed it to the 1930's, as martial arts films set in this era are popular internationally.

The series is about the personal growth of my character, recognizing who I am and making peace with those around me, while perfecting my taichi skills and becoming a legendary master. My character grew up in the mountains under the watch of my martial arts master. Since my parents abandoned me at a young age, I had a lot of rage inside me. Each time I entered the village, the people there would scold and hit me.

I thought the world owed me, but after leaving the mountains, I slowly come to terms with who I am and mature in the process. My lover in the series Melissa Ng Mei Hang's character also helped me in the transition. As my taichi skills are refined, I also realize why people treated me a certain way in the past. I achieve inner peace and become a more complete person.

R= What makes "Tai Chi" different from your past series?

V= I have always wanted to appear in a series focused on a special martial arts style. My initial ideas for this series were all accepted by TVB; they even arranged 4 scriptwriters to work with me, so the final script reflects a lot of my ideas in it, [especially the ideas on taichi]. In taichi, mental strength is very important; if you can combine your mind with your body to achieve inner peace, then your body will be healthy.

Also this series features a lot of hand-to-hand combat, so the fight sequences are very realistic looking, unlike other series which use a lot of wire work.

R= Many martial arts films now incorporate overly flashy fight sequences for the sake of entertainment, but "Tai Chi" offers real combat sequences. Is it trying to break new ground?

V= When I was young, real kung fu films like Jet Li's "Shaolin Temple" was very popular. However in the past few years, the trend was to include more wire work and have more 'flying' sequences. But now real fung fu is again in high demand.

R= To incorporate real kung fu onscreen, what are some of the challenges?

V= In a real fight, you would control your strength so that upon contact, the force would be delivered towards your opponent. However, in films and tv series, it's the opposite. When you deliver the blow or kick, it has to look full of force to be convincing, yet upon contact, it should not produce real pain for your opponent. This is what they mean by 'the blow hitting the skin, but not the flesh underneath' in the industry.

When I first entered the industry in 1991, I was still attending college. I could not control my force properly, so I always ended up hurting people for real.

R= When you first started filming, you didn't have training in acting?

V= I didn't have a performance background so I was like a puppet folowing the director's instructions: "One, two, three, run 3 steps, stop, turn, speak etc." At the time, I felt bad because people who have a martial arts background are quite confident. In my first film, I acted as a villian and Siu Fong Fong gave me some acting pointers. But I realized that in acting, you need to incorporate emotions in your performance, so I went to the film academy and enrolled in acting classes for 3 months, learning the basics.

R= Speaking of utilizing emotions in your performance, are there are lot of emotional scenes in "Tai Chi?"

V= Yes, there are a lot of scenes where I have to use my eyes to convey the proper emotions. There is a very extreme personality change for my character from the beginning to the end of the series. The focus is on the change in my character; the other focus will be on Raymond Lam Fung's story. I will have a love triangle with Melissa Ng Mei Hang and Myolie Wu Hang Yee.

R= What were some of the challenges while working on "Tai Chi?"

V= I am comfortable with the emotional scenes. But delivering a well-balanced taichi style onscreen to gain the acknowledgement of martial arts experts and attracting the interest of everyday audiences is difficult. For example, if I were to deliver exciting fights to attract the everyday audience, but neglect the true spirit and style of taichi, then that would be an ineffective performance.

Other articles in the "Tai Chi" Interview series:

• Raymond Lam: Part 2 of "Tai Chi" Special Interview (2 of 5 articles)
• Melissa Ng: Part 3 of "Tai Chi" Special Interview (3 of 5 articles)
• Myolie Wu: Part 4 of "Tai Chi" Special Interview (4 of 5 articles)
• Complete Plot Synopsis of "Tai Chi": Part 5 of "Tai Chi" Special Interview (5 of 5 articles)
  
  
  Credit: Thanks to �糨糊的�� at Ray-lamfung.com for scanning the article.
  and hkangel for sending me the link.

  
  Jayne: Vincent's article is the first translation in a 5 part series. Stay tuned for interviews of Raymond, Melissa, and Myolie, as well as a plot synopsis!
  
  

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  Posted by jayne Thursday, June 01, 2006 (16:35:00)