Wayne Lai and Sheren Tang’s Complex Characters in “Rosy Business 2”

TVB’s recent series have not received any outstanding ratings nor praise. Highly anticipated by many people, Rosy Business 2- The Righteous Sea of Heroic Love <巾幗梟雄之義海豪 情> will be the last collaboration between ratings magnet duo, Producer Lee Tim Sing and Script Editor, Cheung Wah Biu.

Recently, Wayne Lai Yiu Cheung and Sheren Tang Shui Man have been busy filming Rosy Business 2.  Many scenes will focus on Wayne and Sheren’s one-on-one interaction. Sheren revealed, “In Rosy Business 2, Wayne and my character have an intricate love relationship. In the series, we spend many nights together and there are numerous memorable and moving scenes. If our characters from the first Rosy Business came across as a courageous pair, then this time in Rosy Business 2, there will be more courageous and righteous love demonstrated.” Rosy Business 2 will also delve deeper into romantic arcs, producing another viewership attraction.

Rosy Business was a big winner in 2009; Wayne and Sheren’s characters gave the audience a remarkable, lasting impression. However, the romantic story between Wayne and Sheren’s characters was underdeveloped. Producer Lee took into account the audience’s preferences and have increased focus on Wayne and Sheren’s romance in Rosy Business 2, while featuring the majority of the original cast.

Wayne spoke of his turbulent relationship with Sheren in Rosy Business 2, “Absorbing the experience of our last collaboration, our romance will develop early in the series. Our characters will experience many challenges together. Since the backdrop takes place during World War II, the story will be more three-dimensional. In our mutual scenes thus far, Sheren and I have great chemistry together.”

Sheren added, “In Rosy Business 2, our characters seek each other out each time there are troubling problems to discuss. I do not treat Wayne’s character well. I take advantage of him and also leave him behind. However, each time I call him, he will appear by my side.  The script is written quite well. In addition to love , there is also friendship. Through each shared experience, our feelings grow for each other. There are many emotionally moving scenes!”

Both Wayne and Sheren appeared to have visibly lost weight for their roles in Rosy Business 2. Sharing frequent scenes with thin co-stars, Pierre Ngo Ka Nin and Raymond Wong Ho Yin, Wayne felt the need to lose weight. Otherwise, his overweight physique may astound the audience! Sheren also said that Fala Chan and Nancy Wu Ding Yan were both very slender. Aside from the mentally challenging roles, both Wayne and Sheren had to struggle to keep fit.   Wayne added, “During the Japanese occupation, many people were very poor. Since my character is not well off, how can I display excess weight? In the first Rosy Business, I was a hungry villager, but I had no time to lose weight for the role.  Now, I have already lost seven or eight pounds. For midnight snacks, I usually drink soup or eat fruit and a small amount of cookies.”

Whose Role is More Difficult to Play?

Sheren’s character, “Ninth Sister,” is an opportunist with ties to the mafia and drug trade. She will also be a spy and traitor. Sheren’s character’s values conflict directly with Wayne’s police officer character, who is full of integrity and loyalty.  Rosy Business 2 is the last collaboration between Producer Lee Tim Sing and Script Editor, Cheung Wah Biu. TVB management, along with the cast and crew have placed utmost importance upon executing this series well.

Wayne said, “We are really looking forward to releasing this series quickly. Since Rosy Business had good results last time, the cast and crew are trying very hard to do their best. Many behind-the-scenes production staff fought to participate in Rosy Business 2, so the morale is very good.  The results should turn out well. As a righteous police officer, there are few changes on the surface.  However, the character runs into numerous conflicts and turmoil; there are many scenes delving into the character’s psychology. I do not fully know how to portray this role yet, so there is some pressure.  This role is more difficult to play than ‘Chai Kau’ from Rosy Business, which was a relatively simple role. Perhaps it truly is more difficult to portray a good person!”

Among her roles to-date, Sheren said that her “Ninth Sister” character in Rosy Business 2 was extremely difficult to portray.  “The complexity of the character, along with her turbulent nature, is highly difficult to portray. The pressure is greater than what I experienced while acting in Rosy Business. I have to follow the script closely this time. If I can convey the nuances of ‘Ninth Sister,’ I am already very happy.”

Accidental Knee Injury

As a police officer, “Sing Gor,” Wayne had to film numerous action and chasing scenes. On the day of the media’s visit on set, Wayne twisted his leg while attempting to ride a bicycle. He cried out in pain and clenched his teeth in the immediate re-take. It took two attempts to successfully complete the scene. After he returns home, he will rub his leg with some herbal tonic, as there will be future action scenes to film. For his “Sing Gor” character, Wayne will wear many long suit jackets. Wayne was teased that his look was quite sharp, but we should call Wayne “handsome man” instead due to his successful weight loss.

Source: Ming Pao Weekly #2166

Jayne: Sheren’s character sounds very complex and exciting! I think she will play the multi-layered character well. As for Wayne, just expect excellence as usual. Instead of the brash, impulsive characters (such as “Chai Kau”), I find Wayne portrays the intellectual and deeply reflective types even better, which is closer to his real-life personality.