Philip Keung Enjoys the Challenges of Playing Bingo for TVB’s “The Defected”
The Defected <鐵探> is Philip Keung’s (姜皓文) first TVB drama, and there is buzz for the HKFA winner to win this year’s TV King.
Playing an undercover cop with divided loyalties, Bingo was not an easy character for Philip to portray. “He’s a very gray character,” described Philip. “Quite mentally dysfunctional! Soon after graduating cadet school he was assigned to be an undercover. He’s had a pretty tragic life.”
Although Bingo was a difficult role to play, Philip enjoyed the challenge. “I feel that Bingo is the most complicated character on the show. Bingo is a combination of all the elements you see in the other characters. He’s difficult to portray, but I had a great time.”
A huge story arc for Bingo involves his relationship with his mother, played by veteran actress Angelina Lo (盧宛茵). “I had so much fun with Madam Lo,” said Philip. “She really gives you that motherly and nourishing feeling when you’re acting with her. She plays a character with dementia, so she’s forgetting that she has a son. It’s hard life for her son. Her really loves his mother and wants his mother to remember him. That scene with Bingo and his mother reuniting worked so well because Madam Lo had caught the ball so smoothly, and she was able to kick it back to me with ease. It was a great scene to do with her!”
Bingo’s second story arc is with Kara Wai’s (惠英紅) Madam Man, his handler. Philip explained, “We have a complicated relationship. She is my boss and I am her subordinate. We have a very deep relationship, like that of a mentor and her student. But Madam Man is selfish. She is ruthless when it comes to getting what she wants, even to the point of sacrificing her own people.”
Bingo will go through a change of heart halfway through the storyline, but even so, his “initial heart” of being a righteous cop never changed.
As The Defected finishes up its first week of broadcast, many netizens couldn’t help but to compare Bingo with another iconic undercover character—Laughing Gor of The Academy <學警> series, played by Michael Tse (謝天華). Netizens have said that Bingo is a much more dimensional and complicated character than Laughing Gor, to which Philip replied, “Every actor has his or her own way of interpreting a character. Many viewers also have their own tastes, so I can’t say this one character has surpassed another character. There are definitely similarities between Bingo and Laughing Gor, but they are also two different people after all. Bingo is Bingo, and Laughing is Laughing. I love them both.”
As for whether or not Philip would film another TVB drama in the future, he said, “There is that possibility. When I come across a good script, I will not let it go. (Confident about competing for TV King?) Let’s think about that when the time comes, haha!”
Philip Keung in “The Defected”
Source: HK01.com
This article is written by Addy for JayneStars.com.
I remember his ATV days! Looking forward to the drama.
This is one of the best performances I’ve seen from Philip.
Madam Lo is sooo cute. Her acting is on point.
I remember watching Philip in hktv’s the borderline. An excellent series due to good casting as well. Looks like Ben will be outshone by Philip.
@bubbles23
I’ve seen both. So far, Philip is better in this drama.
As for Ben, I’m not sure if he’s even in the same discussion.
@bubbles23 I am bored watching Ben Wong. Would have been better if Roger is in the same role. Would have loved to see Gallen back in TVB perhaps in Benz Hui’s role. I just don’t see Benz as one of those ambitious sort in the hierarchy. Raymond Lam could have done well in Philip’s role tho and right age too.
@funnlim I retract on Gallen. Would have loved to see Wayne in this role and see him play off with Kara.
So far series is ok and refreshing since it focuses on all levels of police, mainly on the big guns. Kara Hui is amazing. Enjoyed Philip’s too. Don’t enjoy “why is she so promoted” Sisley Choi. Anyway as good as Philip is, I feel he is too old for this role. He would have been better as one of the top officials/cop. It feels the age is just bonkers in here. But Kara Hui as ruthless policewoman? Yes I totally buy that. And look! Her dead son is the actor I am sure many in here is glad is playing a corpse.
@funnlim
I don’t think TVB can afford an all-star cast.
anyone know where i can watch it online please
you could watch it @ icdrama.to or hk.fastdrama.me
i like phillip Keung he a good artist and also that other guy that plays the gangster who always pairs up with Pinky cheung dont remember his name but I also like him as well they both bring out good performance in acting just to bad that they signed contract with ATV station in the old days if they joined TVB they wouldve made it big a long time ago
@sherla1019 You mean Berg Ng Ting-yip? I really liked him during ATV days as well!
Off topic, but I caught an episode of S4 Ace vs Ace playing tribute to JY’s DGSE ‘96. Nostalgic. It’s a pity TVB didn’t give them a platform for a reunion. smh