[2009.07.07] JOSIE HO: MAD FOR MURDERER

courtesy of takungpao.com

Josie Ho Chiu Yi and Aaron Kwok Fu Sing starred in MURDERER as siblings. Chiu Yi even picked Sing Sing for Best Actor nominations with this film. Having won the 23th Annual Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2004, she overlooked herself and pointed out that although this character was rather optimistic it was hard to get into and leave behind. Fortunately her husband Chan Chi Chung was rather understanding, they did not fight over this.

Chiu Yi in the film had many scenes with Sing Sing. In the film the actors mostly had to maintain a depressed emotion, in particular Sing Sing was the darkest. Only she had to perform with optimism and she found it very hard to get into character. She said, "Previously I underestimated this character and thought it would be very easy to play, but actually no one made a sound except me who kept on talking endlessly. It was very difficult. In one scene Sing Sing closed all the drapes and turned off the light. I was the first one who threw a tantrum at him, but his expression threatened me. He truly was mad, with a knife in his hand as if he wanted to eat you. I took several takes before being able to complete it." However, she praised Sing Sing's influence. Thus she picked him to win the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor with this film. As for her own performance, Chiu Yi gave herself 70 points. She even said that this time Sing Sing picked her to be his sister because he felt that they both had thick brows and big eyes so they looked quite similar. She agreed, if they played a couple then they would not be as such.

Earlier Sing Sing said that after finishing this film he had a hard time leaving the character. Chiu Yi agreed. "I was mad too. Actually I would find every character to be very hard to leave behind, I need at least three to four months before I can leave them. However, the hardest to leave for me was the PURPLE STORM character. Over a year later when I made FOREVER AND EVER (DEI GAU TIN CHEUNG) I was able to leave it." Although the character affected her, she expressed that she never had to see a doctor for that because she was very certain that she was not truly mad. In addition exercise and going to sea helped her leave the characters. Chiu Yi at the same time thanked her husband Chan Chi Chung for being so understanding. She pointed out that if she threw a temper tantrum, Chi Chung would know that it was the character. In addition they agreed to never bring work home. She said, "When something happened to us we would talk about it and keep an eye on the watch. We knew that after 3AM I couldn't talk about work anymore. Thus we are great."

In addition, Chiu Yi received financing from her father Ho Hung Sun to start a film company. She expressed that after that more people approached her with roles because they felt that she would have even more promotion. Chiu Yi said that this year she will make five movies. Though she might not necessarily star, she would play a part in every time. She had no plan to direct though. She said, "Directing requires a lot of talent. Previously some told me I could get others to make the film and I would be a director in name, but I didn't want to. If I want to, I want to make a movie that I participated in the screenplay process. If I was unfamiliar with the subject then it would be very hard to make. If I truly want to direct, I have to take several years off to study. Then I would make a story that twists morals as a satire of the times."