Andrew Yuen Doesn’t Care for Superficial Achievements

Reflecting on the unpredictability of life, the actor feels that fame and riches are merely transient pursuits.

Doesn’t Have Much Ambition

Working at ATV for 17 years before re-joining TVB in 2018, actor Andrew Yuen (袁文傑) has had many critics commenting on his lackluster career path at the now-defunct station. However, the actor has nothing but gratitude for his previous employer and said he does not have much ambition. “I am very grateful [for ATV]. After I finished a big show, I would be so excited that I won’t be able to sleep that night. If not for the training back at ATV, I wouldn’t be able to play Mr. You,” he said, referring to his breakthrough character in My Unfair Lady <不懂撒嬌的女人>, which was the first drama he took on at TVB.

“I am not very ambitious,” he admitted, likening himself to wuxia characters who prefer living a carefree life undisturbed by mortal struggles in the novels he used to read.

Signing with TVB in June 2018, Andrew started filming My Unfair Lady in July, thanks to the producer who decided to trust him with the role after seeing him speak about soccer with conviction. With his reputation and job offers taking a turn for the better thanks to his well-received role, Andrew’s mother and girlfriend Jackeline were delighted for him.

“Two ‘Idiots’ Coming Together”

With five to six unsuccessful romances, Andrew admits that he is not savvy at managing relationships. “Only when Jackeline appeared did I think seriously about communication between two people,” he said, adding that he has been able to glean precious lessons from his previous relationships.

Jackeline, who is the sister of a colleague, had helped take care of Andrew’s cat when he was out of Hong Kong once. Enjoying their courtship without being loud or flashy, he is also close to her family, with Jackeline’s sisters often treating him to home-brewed soups.

Andrew likes that his girlfriend is kind, adding that her good nature is sometimes taken advantage of. “We are like two idiots coming together, so it feels very comfortable. Although we have our moods now and then, we aren’t young anymore so it won’t be intense. I don’t have a big temper, preferring to keep silent when unhappy and would rather break the ice during a ‘silent war’,” Jackeline’s needs are also simple, wanting him to shower her with care and the occasional gifts.

Mother Did Not Live to See His Marriage

Despite being together for seven years, both Andrew and Jackeline did not feel the urgency to get married, as he felt that being happy together is the most important. It was only when Jackeline saw how his mother’s health was deteriorating that she suggested they get married to increase their good fortune ward off crises in the family.

However, Andrew’s mother fell ill two days before they were due to have their wedding dress fitting. “My mom was very pretty when she was young. She was a model and was very conscientious,” said the actor, who shared that despite finding it hard to make ends meet, his mother was not willing to spend her children’s money, instead saving up her own through extreme frugality.

“She wanted to go for a massage to feel better…but after that she had a bad headache, and started tearing from her nose, eyes and mouth. Although she regained her heartbeat after being sent to the emergency room, the doctor said her situation was not optimistic.”

On the day of her passing, Andrew had visited his mother in the morning before going to work. When filming ended at 6 p.m. that night, he got in a cab from the train station to go to the hospital, but his family informed him that his mother had passed away at 8 p.m., dying of a brain hemorrhage.

No Point Chasing After Wealth

After his mother’s death, Andrew was touched to find scrapbooks filled with his newspaper clippings which had been neatly compiled by his mother.

Although she had separated from Andrew’s father, she had put down her previous misgivings and allowed her ex-husband to take care of her in her final days, something the actor feels happy about, yet sad that it did not happen earlier.

Adding that his mother had not left any last words for her sons despite knowing the end was near, Andrew reflected on the fragility of life and concluded, “When death strikes everything comes to an end, however much we earn is futile.”

Source: Ming Pao Weekly

This article is written by JoyceK for JayneStars.com.