Michelle Ye Reflects on Career Growth and Romance
After leaving TVB in 2005, Michelle Ye (葉璇) expanded her career to acting in the film industry and Chinese dramas. As her experience and passion grew, Michelle moved beyond being an actress and had taken on the role of a producer, a screenwriter, and an owner of a production company. Recently returning to Hong Kong, Michelle spoke about her journey in the entertainment industry and her outlook on romance.
Starting From TVB
Beginning her career after winning Miss Chinese International, Michelle was once TVB’s rising star before choosing to leave the station for other opportunities. As Michelle remembers her time there, she has no complaints, “TVB was very supportive. After I left, TVB bought some of my dramas and allowed me to develop internationally. I was first trained by TVB and then the world of opportunities opened up for me. “
Michelle shares, “I believe as long as there is passion and physical strength, it doesn’t matter where the stage is. An artiste can still show her talent. Everyone’s choice is different and they have their own paths. I believe my choice was right for me.”
Michelle does not rule out working with Hong Kong stations again, “I’m not against working in Hong Kong for any production, but it depends on the time and script. I am from Hong Kong, so I am open to contributing to Hong Kong’s productions.”
Multifaceted Career in the Entertainment Industry
In recent years, Michelle had the opportunity to become a producer, screenwriter and owner of a production company. Michelle reveals her favorite role, “I like being a screenwriter the most because it’s the most creative. Directors, producers and actors all depend on the script and they add a second and third layer of their creativity. I like being creative.”
As a matter of fact, Michelle has been a screenwriter for eight years and The Ninth Widow <第九個寡婦> was her first work. At that time, Michelle was writing under a pseudonym, Phoenix: “At first, I was embarrassed to use my real name and I was worried that other people will have biases when they read my script. It has been a few years now, and I feel that I can let other people know.”
As a talented screenwriter, Michelle draws inspiration from things around her, “I like watching current social affairs and the news. I would put public concerns in the script, because it connects with the audience’s mind and attracts everyone to watch.”
Not Eager to Marry
After breaking up with fashion stylist, Mr. Xiao Mo (小默先生), Michelle feels fortunate to be surrounded by friends and is currently dating. As a career-oriented woman, Michelle thinks romance is indispensable even if she is not looking for marriage, “It is enough to find a committed partner and be happy. It’s okay to just be together. Getting married is not necessary. Dating is an enjoyable process and it keeps me young.”
With a pessimistic view of marriage, Michelle continues, “How long does marriage last? Marriage and divorce are like games. I have many married friends who are divorced or in the process of divorcing. Getting married is not important.”
Offering the following advice to women, Michelle said, “There are other more important things like contributing to society, self-cultivation, caring for people around you and changing the world. All of that can make the world a better place.”
Source: hket
This article is written by Sammi for JayneStars.com.
Michelle Ye on Lack of Fatherly Support During Youth: “I Think He Was Toughening Me Up”
she’s quite a lucky girl. i think she got champion in the miss international after something happened to the first champion. generally in tvb and esp back then, miss chinese internationals were not promoted like miss hk or well known but she still managed to have a successful career at tvb and atv. i was quite surprised esp when she made a name for herself in china too given she didn’t start there but she might have developed good relationships when she was in hk. overall, i think she’s quite successful and to a certain extent, quite legendary. they should try to make a movie out of her experience.
@m0m0 Michelle is indeed a very smart businesswoman. She cultivated the right relationships to help push her career further. She still stays in touch with TVB producer Poon Ka Tak, and is very close with HK director Johnnie To. Their friendship and mentorship no doubt offered her guidance on the issues involved in drama and film production, which Michelle has been able to apply in her own projects.
After leaving TVB, Michelle first filmed for ATV then starred in many of Johnnie’s films. With her Mandarin background, China is her greatest market and she realizes that.
Capitalizing on her initial acting success, Michelle has become increasingly involved in screenwriting and producing her own work to have greater control over her own career path. She has collaborated with good friend, Wang Baoqiang, to produce her own web series.
Unlike other artistes who may concentrate only on their onscreen careers, Michelle has learned new skills and partnered with the right people to make her influence deeper in the television industry. In a fast-changing market, Michelle has adapted herself very quickly and able to capitalize on new opportunities. She has indeed come very far and achieved a lot more beyond her peers.
@jayne She has achieved a lot, but I don’t know if I can call her successful? I mean she’s in the news frequently but they’re mostly for personal reasons, and not for her work. I haven’t seen anything from her post-TVB that’s considered a classic or got rave reviews. But I’m also not her follower, so maybe I missed her prime productions.
@coralie Michelle has produced Chinese dramas “Athena” and “The Purple Hairpin” which she also starred in. These were two of her more popular recent dramas. Her success is not on the level of Fan Bingbing or Yang Mi, but with the diverse Chinese market, there’s a place for Michelle.
As for always making the tabloids for personal reasons, that’s largely due to her personality and tendency to not back away from controversial situations.
@coralie I agree 1000%. I was never in awe of her acting or anything no matter what role she played. I know, all those articles on JS were mostly on that ex of hers that she was gushing over. I am also not a fan of hers so guess we just didn’t pay attention much even if she is that popular? haha lol..
@wm2017 yup! i’ve only ever liked her in one drama – Eternal Happiness. she makes a really good tomboy. otherwise, all her other works never really awed me. so she’s not really relevant or successful IMO as far as the mainland market is concerned. but like @jayne mentioned, the market is big and diverse enough to support celebrities like herself, even if her works aren’t really popular.
Marriage is an antiquated idea, but it does lend legitimacy towards a union which is especially important where kids are concerned. That’s not to say you can’t be happy in a relationship without a title or that it’s not a legitimate relationship, but it does make you question – especially since everyone else does – why you won’t validate the bond legally.
I think Michelle hangs with too many people who are either in showbiz or are very high-powered, to see “many married friends who are divorced or in the process of divorcing.” Because only these people would be divorcing all the time. due to their busy lifestyles and self-importance. They cluster towards one another and their actions cause a ripple effect, effectively convincing others that marriages won’t last.
But as I try not to be biased, I admit there is still a large percentage of people who divorce even when they’re normal everyday folks. I believe that statistic is skewing down, though. Fact of the matter is, Chinese people tend to marry young. And when they marry young, inevitably they’re not mature enough to withstand a long union. Not to mention, they also have kids young. Even at my age now in the early 30s, kids take the winds out of my sail. When you add the pressure of work over there and economic stress plus children, that situation is intense. If these conditions were alleviated, a marriage is much more durable.
@coralie Michelle came from a divorced family and by the time she was 13, she was living by herself in Brooklyn, New York with a monthly allowance from her father. No doubt this affected her view on marriage and family, and taught her to only rely on herself in life.
Also, I think she is too ambitious in her career to slow down for now. One day, she may have want to have her old child, as she has chosen to freeze her eggs. But she may not need a husband to do so.
@coralie
maybe some people don’t start or need to start a family but i think most people do want to have kids and have a companion. the idea that one has to be married by and certain age, or have to have kids to maintain marriage in order to be happy are outdated thoughts. if marriage is indeed an antiquated idea, then why do some people fight for the rights to get married? these are extreme ends here, marriage = happiness vs marriage no longer relevant.
at the end of the day, most people including myself complaint about starting a family etc is b/c at least in my case, lament not being able to experience the alternative and the stress of handling kids. once things calm down, i do appreciate my family and happy that they’re with me.
@m0m0 yes i think most people want a companion or to start a family, but even then, marriage isn’t a goal for some of these people. and they can still be very happy.
marriage is a promise but because of its legal powers, also confers some protection/rights to both parties, i.e., spousal support, health proxy, etc. and makes it more difficult to separate. but if you’re not in the marriage for these benefits or can achieve them through other means, why get married?
i think for the sake of children, marriage is better because it legitimizes the union (in the eyes of the law) but also in the eyes of the child, they know they’re not a product of two non-committal parents. nevertheless, what you can achieve with marriage can also be achieved through other legal means.
some people fight for this legitimacy because they never had it and because with this piece of paper, it gives them easy & convenient status and authority on their spouses’ behalf. all of which can be done separately with other legal documents, but you know, more work.