Louisa So Enjoys the Journey in Acting

After four years of being idle from the entertainment industry, Louisa So’s (蘇玉華) schedule is now as busy as ever. This year, as a theater actress, television drama actress, and a host, Louisa feels like she is making up for the four years of no work. Tedious, but happy, she expressed her joy in pursuing careers she likes.

In 2009, Louisa dropped her workload in Hong Kong and went to the United States to study. “I’m a person who loves to learn, and I happened to receive a scholarship at the time. After working for ten years, money was not a problem, and my parents’ health was in good condition. That year was the best in my life. It wasn’t because I could go for vacation, but it really opened up my perspective. I had time to fully understand myself. It was a year to challenge myself and see my own limits.”

On Acting

After returning from the United States, Louisa enjoyed her time off work. All she did was host for a cooking show, Kitchen Diva Louisa <和味蘇>. It was not until this year that everything picked up again. She suddenly had the desire to return to acting, and involved herself in The Hippocratic Crush 2 <On Call 36小時 II>, as well as two stage dramas.

Louisa recalled collaborating with Tse Kwan Ho (謝君豪) in the stage drama, 13 Sons from the South Sea <南海十三郎>, back in 1993 and 1997. She emphasized how she dislikes repeating her work. Even if she portrayed the same character, she tried to add in new details each time. Over the years, Louisa’s acting matured, which allowed her to handle the same role in a different way.

Speaking of how it is sometimes hard for actors to detach from their roles, Louisa expressed that an actor must have that ability in order to have the job. “An actor who has been trained will clearly understand the difference between the drama world and real life, and can freely decide which world he or she would like to enter. If there’s a constant issue of being unable to detach from a character, then it is easy to become insane.”

To an extent though, Louisa understands that traces of acting can be brought into real life. “I agree that the emotions portrayed in a role can affect my personal life. For instance, if I am dating someone in a drama, I might actually like that person in real life. Some people may start to think that drama is real, but I draw a clear line between the two worlds.”

Marriage is Unnecessary

Dating boyfriend Poon Chan Leung (潘燦良) for 18 years, Louisa still have no thoughts of marriage. “Why do people have to marry? I am both a traditional and untraditional person. The important factor is that a couple loves each other. If everything is the same after marriage, then that means it doesn’t have to happen.” Louisa believes that as long as love exists and fate pulls them together, everything else remains unimportant.

In terms of careers, Louisa was once a flight attendant. She expressed, “I don’t think people can just do one thing in life. I know a lawyer who is now a stage director, and also a biologist of marine organisms who is now a makeup artist. Even though the jobs are totally unrelated, why not?” Louisa enjoys new challenges and taking risks in order to better understand herself.

Success is important, but awards mean nothing to Louisa. In fact, she does not even know where she placed her past awards. “I really appreciate a film awards ceremony in Europe, where the awards are made of ice. They want the person receiving the award to enjoy the moment with the cheering crowd, but to quickly forget about it afterwards. The upcoming journey is long, and hard work is still needed to battle it.”

Source: 3 Weekly # 711 via kuangaitvb.com 

This article is written by Shirley for JayneStars.com.