[2010.01.01] NICK CHEUNG, NICHOLAS TSE: MARKET DECIDES SALARY

Nick Cheung Ka Fai with THE BEAST STALKER (JING YUN) won six Best Actor awards. The original cast worked on the Dante Lam Chiu Yin directed film THE STOOL PIGEON (SIN YUN) yesterday officially wrapped up its production on New Year's Eve. The cast including Cheung Ka Fai, Nicholas Tse Ting Fung, Liu Kai Chi, Guey Lun-Mei, Lu Yi and Sherman Chung Shu Man attended the champagne bottle opening ceremony. Reportedly the salaries of Ka Fai and Ting Fung have jumped several levels. They both declined to the other and joked that in the end they depended on market decision, they could not make US$300 million just by saying it.

Yesterday was New Year's Eve. Ka Fai expressed that at night he would head to work in Guangzhou but his wife would not tag along; Ting Fung also stated that he would not be able to go to the countdown. As for the production, did they suffer any injury? Ting Fung expressed that in the end he would suffer a little. Ka Fai pointed out that fight scenes ultimately would not feel comfortable, then he pointed at Ting Fung and said, "Especially for this type of action superstars, who performs without any concern for his life." Ka Fai pointed out that Ting Fung's BODYGUARDS AND ASSASSINS (SUP YUET WAI SING) performance received uniformly good reviews as he became a new superstar. This time when they worked together they had more chemistry and the collaboration was much smoother.

Would they like to win more awards with this film? They both expressed that no one should think like this. Ka Fai pointed out that if he thought like that work would not come first. Filmmaking would not have a formula. With a formula it would instead be much easier. This time whose scenes stole more attention? They said actually they were close, like Uncle Chi also stole a lot of attention. Ka Fai expressed that this time had too much content. After shooting three hours worth of movie, almost every scene could not be cut as everyone's drama was very strong; but neither he nor Ting Fung played a villain. Earlier Ting Fung revealed that he and Guey Lun-Mei had bed scenes. Ting Fung pointed out that they had a little intimate scene. Did he refuse any bed scene? He said, "After negotiation we feel this is the most appropriate." Ka Fai asked, "Then what is the standard?" Ting Fung said, "A wet kiss that not all wet." Ka Fai joked, "Did you take a sip of water and wet your mouth then kiss?" Ka Fai pointed out that Ting Fung dared to jump off a building but cried for help when he made intimate scenes. Ting Fung honestly said that he was not used to such performance, and jumping off a building was an individual's matter. Ka Fai asked Ting Fung, "If you have to make LUST, CAUTION, then what?" Ting Fung honestly said that he could not do it.

Yesterday a Mainland report claimed that their salaries rose drastically. They immediately deferred to each other. Ka Fai felt that he could not start the bid on his salary, as it was market determined. Reporters pointed out that he was a six time Best Actor so he would get a raise. He said, "It's not calculated like this, a lot have to be balanced. It's not like you hold the award then you can." Ting Fung expressed that with a script that could not be better, he would work for the sake of wanting to work. He said, "Whether the singer wins an award or not, what can the song sell?" Ka Fai honestly said that sometimes he would think if every time he won he received a raise, the awards became a money making tool. Reporters jokingly asked whether he felt that was the reality. He said, "Of course it should be like that, but it depends on the market. I can't just ask for US$300 million per movie." When asked whether Ting Fung would go to the countdown with his wife and son Lucas, he said no. His son did not know how to count down

yet, he only counts up. Did he know the sex of their second child yet? He expressed that the doctor refused to say. His wife said if the doctor would not say next week she would throw a tantrum. He understood that many doctors were reluctant to tell until the time was right.

Guey Lun-Mei spent her first New Year's Eve in Hong Kong. she would go out with her co-workers for the countdown, but she heard that Lan Kwai Fong had a lot of people and she was afraid she could not enter. Siu Mei expressed that last year she went to a countdown in New York and earlier she attended a countdown in Taipei. This year she would not be able to count down with her boyfriend Leon Dai Lap Yun. She joked that this was a work day. Did he come to Hong Kong? She expressed that he did not.

As for the kiss scene with Tse Ting Fung, she said that everyone would know when they would see it. Did she think Ting Fung was very bashful? She pointed out that Ting Fung was very professional. The emotions and characters required this scene. It only took three or four

times and ended very quickly. Ting Fung would rather jump off a building than any intimate scene. Siu Mei said, "When he worked on it he was very open, very professional." Siu Mei in the film also had many action scenes. Although she had injuries all over, she felt it was rather fun.

Now with the wrap she instead felt reluctant to leave and hoped that the shoot could keep going. Did she fall in love with being an action actress? She honestly said that she was rather happy about action scenes and felt that she had quite a knack for it. This character was very different from her previous ones. In the film she hit people and got hit. In one scene she had to keep hitting Keung Ho Man on the head with a bag of rice. He was dizzy from getting hit. She at first was very sorry and could not start. Yet action director Chin Kar Lok told her not to be afraid. After the shoot she kept apologizing to him, "I'm very sorry."

Would she be able to accept any nude scene? Siu Mei honestly said that would not be a problem, but she has not considered full frontal nudity. reporters asked her to think a minute to think about it. She said, "I may have to adjust a little." Was her boyfriend concerned about the fight scenes? She said, "No, we are both actors. Sometimes he would ask me to be more careful, but when the mood arrived a lot was beyond anyone's control." In addition, Chung Shu man played Ting Fung's sister and also had many fight scenes. She thought they were a lot of fun. The most memorable for her was pouring left over water. She was not poured on but the vehicle's roof window opened. After the shoot when she went to the vehicle she saw her bag had two wet strains of vegetable that stank. She no longer dare to look at that bag from then on. Deep Ng Ho Hong in the film played a villain. His most unforgettable scene was a gunplay scene. Before the shoot he did not learn to shoot because he played a criminal this time. Criminals just shot randomly.