Hu Ge’s Resistance to Take On “Blossoms Shanghai”
Produced and directed by iconic director Wong Kar-wai (王家衞), currently airing mainland television series Blossoms Shanghai <繁花> took a whole three years to film. Set in the backdrop of Shanghai’s economic boom in the nineties, lead actor Hu Ge (胡歌) almost turned down the chance to play titular role “Ah Bao” due to the long filming commitment!
Most Impressed by “Ah Bao” and “Uncle Ye”
The acclaimed director shared how his requirement for cast members to speak Shanghainese already eliminated many potential actors, while Hu Ge, along with Ma Yili (馬伊琍) and Tiffany Tang Yan (唐嫣) who played his love interests were shortlisted as they spoke the dialect fluently. Wong recalled, “Hu Ge’s reply was very interesting, he told me that the time taken to film one drama of mine is so long he wouldn’t even have time for parenting; (he) would need to spend more time on set and cut back on time spent with his child,”
Effusive in his praise for Hu Ge and his on-screen mentor “Uncle Ye”, played by veteran actor You Benchang (游本昌), Wong said, “If I were to rank the cast’s acting in the drama, (the two) would definitely be top of my list – their performances were truly brilliant!”
Source: HK01
