Steven Ma Lets Go of Dark Times and Finds True Happiness

The Steven Ma (馬浚偉) today is much different than who he was at the turn of the new millennium. Besides establishing a new purpose in his career, he has also learned to break away from his dark personal past. In an interview, Steven recalled the difficult times in previous years and how he has managed to attain his present state of true happiness.

Suffered Depression After Mother’s Death

When Steven was only nine years old, his mother was diagnosed with cancer. Since then, he and his sisters lived in darkness, constantly worrying over their mother’s health. Throughout the years, they unintentionally neglected their father, as their mother was made top priority. Steven expressed, “It’s not that we didn’t love him, but our mother was ill for a long time, and so we placed all our energy on her. I believe he never blamed us for it.” But despite his father’s understanding, Steven still felt a tinge of regret.

The worst came in 1999, when Steven’s mother passed away from illness. Steven immediately sunk into a state of depression and worked hard to take care of his father with the rest of his siblings. It was not until 2012 when one of Steven’s elder sisters revealed their mother actually left a message the night before her passing. Afraid that Steven would be extra miserable, she did not disclose the letter at the time. Steven shared, “My mother mostly emphasized we should take good care of our father after she leaves. However, we never told him about the letter because I don’t want him to misunderstand and think we’re only caring for him due to our mother’s words. It is our job to do so.”

For Father’s Day this year, Steven specially created a song titled “Warrior Dad” <爸士> to thank his father, who is a retired bus driver. The song comes with a music video embracing childhood memories, which will be played while the family enjoys dinner that night. Steven expressed, “We grew up in a village, and my father loves to gather with our old neighbors there. He would stare at our old house and reminisce the times with my mother. I understand why some elders would rather live in a village although their children can afford luxurious homes. They spent more than half their lives there. So what if they live in a big beautiful place? Without precious memories, it’s nothing more than facing four blank walls.”

Steven: “I Now Do What I Want”

Dark past left behind, Steven shared he is now living one of the most happy times in his life. Instead of working hard in the industry to earn money, he now allows himself more freedom and does what he truly wants and enjoys. While Steven’s singing career continues to advance, he also hopes to branch out to new acting opportunities.

After the success of Steven’s Cherish album last year, he released Cherish Volume Two on June 12. The new album is Cantopop style and not only highlights romantic love, but also fatherly love, sibling love, and God’s love. “My song, ‘The Right Hand Doesn’t Know’ <右手不知道>, is derived from one of my favorite Bible verses. Those who are also Christian will understand the lyrics. Others can just enjoy the album as normal Cantopop. I hope everyone will use their hearts to feel the music.”

Steven admitted to rejecting several television roles in recent years, because it is time for a change. He explained, “I don’t want to portray unrealistic saint-like characters anymore. I wish to take on the role of an ultimate villain. It doesn’t matter if I only appear in a few episodes, as long as it’s a memorable performance.”

Initially, Steven even thought of turning down Storm in a Cocoon <守業者>, thinking that his character, Poon Ka Yeung, is another virtuous fairytale figure. But after hearing the entire story, he realized there is a dark side to the role, since Ka Yeung has post-traumatic stress disorder and is willing to do anything to reach his goals. Steven thanked viewers for their support in making it the second highest-rated TVB drama so far this year with a peak viewership rating of 35 points.

Source: 3 Weekly via kuangaitvb.com

This article is written by Shirley for JayneStars.com.