Ruco Chan Denies “Demotion” by TVB
Following the news of TVB high-level executive Pang Chai Choi‘s (彭濟材) retirement, rumors regarding staff implications have been flying. For a start, TVB executive, Catherine Tsang (曾勵珍), who has always been in Pang’s camp, has allegedly been “demoted” to the position of “Consultant” in the drama division. As a result of this alleged demotion, Catherine’s favored artiste Ruco Chan (陳展鵬) has been left with few opportunities.
In response, Ruco dismissed the rumors as lacking credibility and completely unworthy of any attention. Ruco emphasized that he is currently busy with filming both Brother’s Keeper II <巨輪II> and Heroes of the Walled City <城寨英雄>. Due to filming both dramas, Ruco had also missed promotional activities for currently broadcast drama Captain of Destiny <張保仔> .
Reports further alleged that Catherine Tsang’s proposed drama Triad Boss Under the Fire Line <火線下的江湖大佬> currently faces the prospect of being cancelled due to the office politics at TVB. The producer of Triad Boss Under the Fire Line, Leung Choi Yuen (梁材遠) responded and that the production team had just wrapped up filming a promotional video for the drama, and did not receive any news regarding its possible cancellation. Choi Yuen added that the drama is slated to commence filming in November.
Source: On.cc
This article is written by Jingles for JayneStars.com.
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Given Ruco’s talents, he does appear to be currently “underutilized” by TVB as he can be cast in more prominent projects. I do think some TVB politics was involved, as he did not have any filming projects on hand earlier this year.
However, Ruco is always so politically correct he would never fuel gossip reports any further.
@jayne Maybe he is well utilised and the others overutilised. Missing him so long and he came back with a bang in COD and even if COD is criticised, Ruco is generally well received and critically acclaimed.
Less exposure is good. I don’t think he is demoted, etc.
@funnlim Ruco doesn’t disappoint in his performances, but I still hope that he is better utilized by starring in a higher-quality drama, with stronger leading lady, cast, and production values. Something that would attract wider audience to tune in. More deserving of his talent to push his fame further along the likes of Wayne Lai. 🙂
For me, the last truly all-around quality drama that Ruco starred in was “The Other Truth”. He has a loyal following, but I also hope he has bigger hits.
@jayne I always wondered he is not even MORE famous than he already is and perhaps it is because he is yet to be in a signature role series, if you get what I mean.
The Other Truth is TVB’s quality series that is a slight departure from those time’s current style. But he was sorta raw there. If ROE was better cast, and story better told, that would have been TVB’s biggest departure for a series.
I hope Ruco gets to be in a romance series where he is chaebol. K drama style. Outbound Love was disappointing because it was female centric and the female character was not likable at all. I want a male centric series. Or a palace intrigue series or a proper biopic of an emperor or general. Something like that. But knowing TVB, I doubt that will even happen.
Remake BBJX and I want Ruco to be 4th prince. That sort.For now am just a bit happy he is not over exposed.
He is taking the Bobby Au Yeung and Kong Wah route; smaller production but he is the centre of attention.
TVB no longer produce big mega ratings hit. He needs to go elsewhere for that.
@funnlim
He is taking the Bobby Au Yeung and Kong Wah route; smaller production but he is the centre of attention.
Yes, I have always notice this about Bobby Au Yeung (no so much fo KW). Bobby was always the lead actor in TVB series, but, never in series that TVB advertise as mega production. But, it didn’t hurt his career. He still has many fans, and has high status in TVB.
@funnlim TVB seems to prefer casting older veteran stars in their bigger productions, such as asking Anthony Wong to return in “Lord of Shanghai”. Ruco is still cast in smaller scale productions. “Captain of Destiny” is one of the series with more publicity recently.
Hm…will Ruco have a chance for TV King this year? Or will Wayne Lai get his fourth award?
@jayne Ron is so lucky to be cast next to award winning actors, can learn.,why,cant ruco get that sort of role?
Anyway why not Anthony? He was the best amongst well cast actors in the lord,of Shanghai. Kinda like his ip man role. Even Wayne was a bit ott but the other actors were rather good too.
Um, ok – if Catherine Tsang is being demoted (that’s IF this news is true), who else is there to oversee drama productions? Tommy Leung already left/retired and Virginia Lok has already been transferred to Shaw Brothers and will be focusing on movies…so will Sandy Yu be overseeing drama department in addition to variety department? I sure hope NOT!! I don’t like Catherine Tsang (in fact, I don’t like any of the current management at TVB), but at the very least, she does have over 30 years of experience in drama production, plus connections to most of the veteran artists (especially the ones who CAN act). If TVB were smart (which they aren’t, lol) it would be in their best interests to keep Catherine and demote someone else, since all of the other management/execs who have connections to veteran artists have already left….unless they (TVB) are truly planning to promote all those non-talented newbies who can’t act to save their lives. Oh and definitely it would be a stupid (ok, beyond stupid) move to demote the likes of Ruco and anyone else who can act….with the massive drain in their talent pool, TVB should be trying to retain good actors as much as possible, not push them away.
On a related note….with all the changes in TVB’s management the past couple years, it’s definitely not looking good. Let’s not forget that TVB’s rival ATV ended up in its current disastrous state in large part because of the rotating door in the management ranks, with people in executive positions who were overly incompetent and either didn’t have a clue about effectively running a TV station or who truly didn’t give a damn and were just in it for the power/prestige/money/fame (or whatever else motivation except for interest in TV production).
After supporting TVB for so long, a part of me still holds out hope that these management changes will be for the better (of course, my gut tells me otherwise). With that said though, if TVB does end up following ATV’s path, all I can say is they did it to themselves….
@llwy12 your nightmare will probably comes true.i think sandy yu will take all the power to herself,she is the one who had paved the way for tony hung as cpt. furthermore she is the favourite of the big boss charles chan. its obvious since his arrival as big boss the old generation top managers are demoted one by one. tvb at this moment does reminds me of a once mighty dynasty that is in their last days. with internal fights that will inevitable leading to a downfall of a company. the consequences of this bad leading is visible for a couple of years now,with more and more talented ppl left and new inexperienced newbies as lead,bad written drama’s,lack of diversity and innovations in its programmes etc. also facing more competition in the future, so their survival will could be a hard fight.
@kolo Looks like you might be correct. I read the original source article in Chinese (where on.cc got the info from) and it said that Felix To will be taking over Catherine’s responsibilities in addition to Pang Chai Choi’s. Felix To was one of NowTV’s top execs who joined TVB 3 years ago as executive director (I could be wrong about his specific title…he’s definitely top brass though) and mostly managed TVB’s cable channels up until recently. He had worked at ATV and also at i-Cable for a period of time (which is probably why he knows Sandy Yu – he is referred to in the article as “one of Sandy Yu’s favorites”), but never worked for TVB prior to this. If it’s true that he’s taking over Catherine’s responsibilities, then that’s pretty much the same as Sandy Yu taking over in my opinion. Also, sounds like General Manager Mark Lee (or is he chairman now? I think he got a promotion recently as well. ARGH!) has changed out a couple other people as well (in the management ranks) and replaced them all with his ‘cronies’. They also claim that the next ones to go will be all the producers under Catherine Tsang (i.e. Lee Tim Sing, Norman Cheung, Tsui Yu On, etc.)
Now of course, the original article came from Next Magazine, so definitely read it with a grain of salt (some of the stuff that the article said I know for a fact is untrue and this IS Next Media after all, so not surprised if some of the info was embellished and twisted). But one thing we all know for sure is that TVB has issues in the management ranks and there has been a constant struggle for power for the past 12 to 13 years….it’s just that the power struggle has gotten worse since Charles Chan’s consortium took over….
@llwy12 i dont know if mark lee is promoted to chairman but i have no confidence that they could bring tvb back to its glorious days,especially now sandy yu is in charge in many departments of tvb,(she has a bad taste,lol) as you said we grew up watching tvb series,its a part of many ppl’s life,so sad to see this happen.
When was he even consider to be “promoted”? He’s one of the “most quiet” leads in recent years. I’ve always feel like TVB brushed him under the rug. There’s no hype or recognition from TVB. It has always been praises from the audiences, which is not a bad thing but it’s only half the battle. It’s unfortunate the his career is hinder by who he knows and not his actual talents. Then again, that’s nothing new.
I like him as an actor. He has the chop. So I hope this is not true, but reality looks gloomy…
ruco chan has the ability to sing and to act. he is talented.
if tvb doesn’t promote him, it will go downhill because there are not many capable ones left.
@janet88 It is true that Ruco Chan has the ability to act and sing. However, I heard that he is not good in his interpersonal skills. Once he became a siu sang, he acted differently towards his colleagues. Of course, he still knows how to suck up to his bosses.
@orchid123 May i please request you to read the gossip news with a huge dose of salt and judge him through your own observations. The negative reports come mainly from Apple/Next media which has an axe to grind with tvb. It’s their job to sensationalise cos gossip sells mags. During filming of COD otto posted many pics of himself with other co-stars and Ruco. Up till now Otto is still posting pics of their filming days and tagging Ruco to reminisce their friendship. Same with Jazz Lam during filming of Atibis. I also remember reading that when they were in mainland filming COD Ruco would often treat the cast to meals. Ruco himself said that he’s the slow to warm up type and his character is not particularly suited to the entertainment industry. It’s his coolness and seriousness that allow the gossip mags to spin stories about him.
@isay No. I got it from a very reliable source in TVB. I never just trust those media reports.
I used to like Ruco Chan ever since watching “The Other Truth”.
@orchid123 Everyone who has a “scoop” claims to have gotten it from a reliable source lol. Anyways, I trust my own judgement and observations. I have observed that his close friends include those that he met in his ATV days and his close friends aren’t exactly the rich powerful or famous. That really says something about this man that he doesn’t care to make friends only with those that can help to advance his career. So yeah, he’s a good man in my eyes.
@orchid123
“However, I heard that he is not good in his interpersonal skills. Once he became a siu sang, he acted differently towards his colleagues. Of course, he still knows how to suck up to his bosses.”
I am under no illusion that he is no saint. He doesn’t rescue drowning babies, buy his lesser colleagues lunch every day, donate millions, etc. And all of them have to suck up to bosses, even we all. How he sucks up is a different matter. And I suppose he is doing a bad job since he is demoted isn’t it? As for treating colleagues differently, never heard any bad report of his cursing and cussing or scolding colleagues. They’re not his friends; they’re colleagues. You don’t need to be nice to your colleagues, but be strictly professional. I don’t think he is an elegant educated highly intelligent guy but I don’t think he is a heartless stupid brute either.
I believe he is a decent man and he appreciates his fans and the position he is now. I am also certain if I approach him for autograph, he won’t rebuff me or give me the look as if I just wasted his entire life.
In other words, he is not pretentious pretentious like Miss Anne “Turned away 4 poached eggs” Hathaway.
Don’t say that about Ruco please…I don’t think he is the sort who is arrogant.
Ruco doesn’t seem like the high profile kind. In fact I still find him humble when facing fans.
Bobby Auyeung is memorable acting in Forensic Heroes. Hope TVB will groom ruco to take on such leads.
@janet72 Artistes know how to act, i.e. wearing different faces at different times. I got the report from a friend working in TVB’s Drama Department. Anyway, that is my personal opinion and you don’t have to take it if you don’t like it. I know people on this website all like Ruco Chan.
Anyway, he acts well in my humble and honest opinion vs. current TVB actors.
@orchid123 agreed, the people on this website is Ruco Chan biased. still need to watch why he’s so loved though.
@janet72 I came across this clip. Love how he treats his fans like friends. He’s not stuck up, unlike some other artistes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwWpDXixdPs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xVO3m-CpmY
Unlike other artists who come to fame very fast,Ruco work very hard from a 2nd or 3rd line actor to what he is today. Definitely , he is not arrogant and it would be a great loss to TVB if he is demoted. I have been watching TvB dramas for quite s number of years and to be honest, there are very few siu sangs that could make me notice and wanting to watch their dramas again and again. But Ruco manage to do so and admire him for his talent and hard work . But it seems that TVB just does not appreciate him. !!wtf
@thpk I respect Ruco for the fact that he worked his way up the hard way and not on riding someone’s coattails.
Just watched Forensic Heroes 3…ruco was in it as psychiatrist Jim Fong…very mesmerizing. For someone who worked his way up, ruco deserves the recognition. Hope tvb cherishes him.
If TVB freezes Ruco, I will boycott TVB all together!
He started out at TVB at the beginning of his career but was not used by TVB. Then he hopped over to ATV where he worked hard to get promoted. I was so happy when he went back to TVB.
TVB needs a male lead like him. He is a hard worker and will put a lot of effort into bringing out the good and bad in his roles, regardless whether it is a lead roles or a guest role or even a lesser villain role. He deserves his popularity.
Sometimes , I feel that luck play an important role.
Recently, 2 fadans( don’t feel like naming them but I believe u people know who they r)have left TVB.
Having watched TVB for so many years, I am surprised and at times fustrated why they are so popular and always landed as main lead. For info, I seldom follow them drama unless the storyline is exciting . They r just average imo.
Instead , chen fala whom I felt that she has the look and of course her acting might not b very fantastic , still fare better than these 2 fadans. But the most , she would only land as 2nd lead.
Same for Tony Hung, if he was not given opportunities to land one lead role after another, frankly speaking, who would have noticed him??
But for Ruco that is different, I think he solely depend on his ability to be what he is today but it seems that he lacks that luck factor to be given more opportunities by TVB.
For the past 10 to 15 years, there is no siu sangs who would make me sit up and follow almost all their dramas , but Ruco succeed in doing so.
Since he was cast as 2nd line actor in “every move u make” I already felt that he was underrated. And it just took one opportunity for producer Amy Wong to give him the opportunity that he so deserve to break through. And having said that, I think he deserve more today giving his talent and hard work.
@thpk
“But for Ruco that is different, I think he solely depend on his ability to be what he is today but it seems that he lacks that luck factor to be given more opportunities by TVB. “
Those second and third line actors who still have not got their break will beg to differ. Honestly, lady luck has already been shining on Ruco. He has already been given many opportunities that many other TVB actors can only dream of.
As for solely depending on his ability, that is also not true. He has help from Amy Wong who cast him in big roles in 4 of her series. Without Amy Wong giving him the opportunity to show his stuff and thus increasing his popularity and letting other producers notice him, he might still be languishing as a 2nd, 3rd line actor.
No one in the entertainment industry can be successful solely by his/her own effort/ability. More so with the passive role of an actor.
@kidd Very true. In practical life and reality, every artiste needs some opportunities from producers/management to show off his/her acting ability. Unfortunately, luck plays a very important part in life.
Some good examples are: Priscilla Wong and Tony Hung who got highly promoted by Sandy Yu.
@kidd I agree wif u that every artists need some one up there to give them the opportunitiy for them to shine.
What I am trying to imply was that unlike other artists who shot to fame v fast and r not lead materials yet, Ruco work very hard based on his capability and hard work . If more luck is with him, I suppose he would have been given more opprtunities.
@kidd @orchid agree that there must always be someone backing you up if you want to come far in this circle. but in the end its the actor himself wether he can stay there or not. if he doesnt met the expectations( tony hung) he will receive many backlashes from the audience and have indirectly influence on the ratings.luckily for tvb there is ruco,he single handedly saved cpt( tony hung).
@kolo
TVB working is very strange sometimes. They push an actor who is not ready to the lead but when he/she fails, they drop him and never gave him/her another chance. That’s not very fair to the newbie.
Further to my comment posted earlier on, juz to share my thought.
For siu sangs like Kevin Cheng, Moses Chan, Raymond Lam, Raymond Wong, Bosco, Kenneth, or even Ron Ng. For them , when they just started out, they are more or less being fixed to be groomed to be siu sangs by TVB.
Of course, we know that Ron has faded recently and Raymond Lam has left.
For Ruco, his starting line is far behind these siu sangs as he was “dipped” in 2nd or 3rd line status for quite sometimes. I think not many people would have thought that he would become a siu sang. But becoz of his persevence, hard work and capability, eventually he was pushed to leading status. To me , this is something not easy . My view, in the entertainment industry, once you are in a 2nd or 3rd line status for a long period of time, it is very difficult to emerge as a leading status becoz very often, viewers and top mgt have already form a perception of you as a 2nd or 3rd line status. But Ruco successfully did which is why I see so many bros/sis share the same sentiments that he shd deserve more opprtunities given this talent.
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@thpk Agree that Ruco Chan worked hard and showed that he could act. However, timing is super important too.
A typical example is Nancy Wu. Her acting was well recognized by tons of audience, but she never got promoted until now because all the good veterans are gone and TVB are short of siu sangs and fadans. They need to promote those good supporting artistes desperately. If TVB do not have any shortage of artistes, I doubt very much that Nancy Wu, Edwin Siu, Ruco Chan, Vincent Wong would get so much promotion lately. All these were good supporting artistes who acted very well in the past but only stayed as supporting artistes for years.
@thpk Agree that Ruco Chan worked hard and showed that he could act. However, timing is super important too.
A typical example is Nancy Wu. Her acting was well recognized by tons of audience, but she never got promoted to 1st lead until now because all the good veterans are gone and TVB is short of siu sangs and fadans. TVB needs to promote those good supporting artistes desperately. If TVB does not have any shortage, I doubt very much that Nancy Wu, Edwin Siu, Ruco Chan, Vincent Wong would move up to 1st lead artistes so easily and quickly. All these were good supporting artistes who acted very well in the past but had to stay as supporting artistes only for years.
@orchid123 Sorry. It is a duplicate of posts.
@thpk -> I agree with you. I am not Ruco’s fan at first but after watching his movie last year, I feel he is very talented. He is really dedicate into his roles that you can feel his eyes, motion & speech is align with his character he is doing.
Glad that there r more and more Ruco”s fan. It is not easy to be crowned 2 years in a row as he is the first actor to do so. Despite not many opportunities given to him during this years,yet he is able to capture so many fans heart. Recently read an article and understand that he was v popular in South East Asia and it was it was also mentioned that he stand a very high chance of clinching the Astro TVB Leading actor award come next month. I hope he get.
Last but not least, I believe most of them like me, would feel uneasy without his drama after COD.And wondering what TVB has lined up for him that now he is so popular. Any comment anyone:)?
@thpk: Ruco is now filiming Brother’s Keeper 2 (where he is appearing as a guest star) and Hero Within Walled City with Nancy Wu. After COD finished, I have rewatched all of Ruco scenes a few times already. Then after this, I will rewatch his old dramas all over again. Totally no motivation to watch the other TVB dramas. This guys is just so addictive…