[2011.02.08] ERIC TSANG URGES TVB TO VALUE ITS TALENTS

Eric Tsang Chi Wai has always given a helping hand to the younger generation. Whether on or off screen he would try to give new comers chances as much as he could. In the New Year, his wish was to make more movies and discover more new actors in the Year of the Rabbit so the

Hong Kong film industry would not continue to shrink due to a lack of successors.

To coordinate with the Mainland market, now most Hong Kong films are co-productions. More than half the cast are Mainland actors as fewer and fewer are Hong Kong film stars. Chi Wai of course noticed this situation so he hoped to make more movies. He said, "Hong Kong needs more Hong Kong films. Aside from Lunar New Year films, I hope to be able to direct more movies this year and they don't have to be comedies." Chi Wai also would like to cast more new actors and transfer his acting experience to them. Did he have anyone in mind? He said, "Not yet! I will look depending on the situation then, I myself like Bosco (Wong Chung Chak) but as soon as he got popular, the television used him excessively. So I also thought about street recruitment, people without any acting experience could too."

Chi Wai pointed out that TVB actually had many good actors but they were never free. Fala Chen for example recently made one series after another. Thus he would remind her to give herself a break, then make some good movies to increase her worth. Chi Wai said, "Aside from

Fala, (Kate) Tsui Tsz Shan is also worth cultivating. Ah Sheh (Charmaine Sheh Si Man) also, but she at TVB gets no rest at all." He hoped TVB would cherish its artists and raise their worth, which would not only benefit the artists and the company but also the audience.