** Translator's Note: The following interview was broadcast live on Sina's website a few days ago. Below is the written translation of the interview. For those interested in watching the actual interview in Chinese, here is the link: http://live.video.si...tshow/7487.htmlOn the afternoon of July 19th, Hong Kong prominent actress Sheren Tang visited Sina’s headquarters in China for an interview. During the interview, Sheren shared many interesting stories about her decades-long career in the TV industry as well as certain facets of her personal life.
ZN = Zhao Ning (Host)
ST = Sheren Tang
ZN: Welcome, netizens to today’s Sina live broadcast studio – I am your host Zhao Ning. I am especially happy today, as I have the opportunity to meet one of my idols, Sheren Tang. Welcome to you!
ST: Thank you.
ZN: ‘Man Nu’ [Sheren’s Chinese nickname] – is it okay for me to call you that?
ST: That would be best!
ZN: I was looking at some information about you earlier and in the past, I would only know about you through the various lively characters that you’ve played, so it’s my pleasure today to come here to Sina and be able to interact with you and all the netizens out there.
ST: Hello to all the netizens out there – I’m Sheren Tang.
Portray a character well, need to dig deep into the heart; requires long preparation
ZN: You’ve portrayed quite a diverse range of characters throughout the years, which has brought out many classic and disctinctive ‘images’ – negative, positive, lively, gentle, alluring – so many ways to describe them. What types of characters do you prefer to play?
ST: I don’t really have any special preference for type of character. I feel that as long as she [the character] is three-dimensional, then that’s already very good, since each personality has its own strengths and weaknesses. At this point in my life, if you ask me what type of character I would like to portray, I would say that I hope to portray characters that have an impact on people and triggers thinking – whether it be serious reflection or just being able to discover the inner truth, goodness, or beauty of the character. I also don’t mind playing a ‘villain’ because to me, even a villain or a person who does bad things still has certain desires inwardly motivating them. If possible, I would like to portray characters that have depth and have gone through many experiences.
ZN: I heard that in the past, when you receive the script to a series, you would first doubt yourself and hold back so that when it came time for you to truly act out the character, you are able to release yourself completely. Is that truly the process for you? Or was it just one instance, or one period of time when you would do that?
ST: I would venture to guess that the characters I would ‘doubt’ myself on are the ones that are very different from who I am in real life – for instance, an imperial concubine, Empress, leader of a triad gang, etc. These characters are so different from how I am – plus never having gone through those experiences and not having anyone around me in those situations, it’s hard to know how they are truly supposed to be. I remember there was one other character, a housewife, that was challenging to me because around me, I didn’t have any examples to use as reference – since I wasn’t raised by my mother, it’s hard for me to find a ‘housewife’ type person around me. I also doubt myself because I’m not a very observant person in general and so many things I rely on thinking deeply to search for answers, which makes me wonder whether I would be able to handle it [the character] or not. But I guess it’s also because I don’t have a very good memory and am not too observant that I am able to immerse myself in the character easier. That’s why I always have to do a lot of homework, do research, read up on stuff, etc. to consciously put the information into my memory so that I can convince myself that I AM that character. It’s a good thing though, since I’ve sort of created a process that works for me.
ZN: You certainly do a lot of work to help you immerse yourself in the character.
ST: Yes, sometimes, even with modern series, it’s also necessary to do so. It’s definitely easier when the character is closer to who you are. For instance, my character in "The Drive of Life" is a woman who had never worked a day in her life and doesn’t know anything about what working entails – I am the complete opposite, as I have been working since I was little, so the thought process will be very different. To truly understand a character’s innermost being, it’s necessary to clearly understand her background from childhood. One time, when I had to play the role of a tutor, there was a trend in HK with the phrase "天王老师" [King of Teachers] – I didn’t know anything about it, so I had to go research, go visit the schools and ask questions in order to find out what being a 天王老师 was all about.
ZN: With the intense working conditions at TVB, you actually have time to do all that preparation?
ST: The preparation must be done prior to starting work – if you wait until after you’ve started filming, it’s already too late. It’s definitely necessary to make time for it – don’t accept so many jobs so close to each other…it definitely has to be done beforehand. So if I agreed to participate in a series where I know the character is very difficult to portray or is too far off from who I am, I would not be able to participate in several series at once – it would be too difficult to get off work at one studio and rush off to another studio for another series. I need to spend a long time creating a character and making her come to life.
"War and Beauty" and "The New Huan Zhu Ge Ge" are NOT the same
ZN: Previously, you had an extremely successful perfomance in "War and Beauty" and now, you play an Empress in the currently airing "New Huan Zhu Ge Ge" [aka My Fair Princess]. What are some of the differences between the 2 characters you portrayed? Or could it be that because you have experience in these types of Imperial palace series, this time around, with your Empress role, it’s easier and more relaxing?
ST: Actually, both are very different. Other than the fact that both series are about the Qing Dynasty Imperial Palace, everything else – subject matter, feelings, etc. – is entirely different. "War and Beauty" is about fighting and being constantly locked in a struggle for power, with the catalyst often being jealousy and envy among the concubines. But "Huan Zhu Ge Ge", from my observation, is more light-hearted and relaxing, with a bit of comedic feeling. Plus I don’t really ‘fight’ with anyone in the series – even though my character ‘battles’ with Xiao Yan Zhi, that’s actually not true ‘fighting.’ "War and Beauty" is more about scheming and plotting – everyone has an agenda and there is heavy scheming involved. In "Huan Zhu Ge Ge", the Empress does not do heavy scheming – if she truly wanted to kill Xian Yan Zi, it would be easy for her to do so; if she were truly that ruthless, Xian Yan Zi would not have been able to survive that long. Therefore, I feel that the Empress [in HZGG] is very different from Concubine Yu [in WAB], which is why I took on the role of the Empress in the first place – I didn’t want to repeat the same ‘Concubine Yu feeling.’
ZN: Netizens have stated that your Empress character in the new HZGG series is the one that everyone has been looking forward to seeing the most, saying that the character seems to have a comedic feel.
ST: I believe that the series itself has a comedic feel to it and is very relaxed. There are some scenes where Xiao Yan Zi bullies me and so I react to that, which does create some funny moments. However, the Empress doesn’t just have a funny side – there are a lot of scenes dealing with emotions as well, plus there are times when she acts fiercely, so the character is quite three-dimensional. Simply put, there is a lot of ‘acting’ that can be done and room for development. It’s necessary to understand how the character ended up on that path and why the more she went down that path, the more wrong she was. Actually, if you understand the thought process in her mind and in her heart, you may actually pity the Empress.
ZN: In order for you to be attracted to taking on a particular role, the character must be different from ones you’ve portrayed previously?
ST: Just like with earlier, when we talked about the process of doing homework on the character, that’s actually a process of creating a character – it’s necessary to dig deep into the heart of the character. As humans, it’s normal for our lives to be shaped by everything that goes on around us as well as our personal experiences – what kind of family you were born into, how your childhood was like, what type of education you received, the experiences you went through, what type of marriage you have, what type of love failures or successes you encountered, etc. – all of these will affect what type of person you become. I feel that being an actor is fun and interesting because with each character you portray, you are ‘assigned’ a different life and go through the process of understanding why the character has that particular personality. There are actually a lot of exciting things to discover in acting.
Experiences outside of HK helped to enlighten acting, enriching experiences led to good scripts
ZN: You’ve been in the industry 25 years already.
ST: Yes, this is my 26th year.
ZN: Throughout that time, it was rumored that you had once thought about giving up on acting and leaving HK?
ST: Actually, it wasn’t a rumor – I had given up on it before. In fact, I had left and went to live in the U.S. for 3 to 4 years.
ZN: Was that the period in your life where you felt no motivation in your career? I would think that you are the type of person who especially loves acting as a profession.
ST: Yes – starting when I was a kid, I enjoyed watching good dramas with good actors and actresses. Because I enjoyed it so much, I was lucky that when I first entered the industry, I got the chance to play lead roles almost right away – at that time, I did it for 7 years straight. However, I didn’t understand much back then – all I knew was that acting was fun and I liked it…never once did I think about what it was truly like to be in the entertainment industry. I started to feel a bit insecure and came to realize that as a whole, actors have very passive positions – from the types of dramas you get invited to participate in to whether you become popular or not, it’s all very passive. At the time, many of us were promoted by TVB, but what happens when they stop promoting? If we’re invited to act in a series or movie, what happens when people stop inviting? More and more, I started to feel like I was losing direction. I had no clue what I was doing, all I knew was that day in and day out, I was exerting myself working nonstop – there was no sleep, no family, no idea of holidays, no friends, it seemed like I was cut off from relatives – all because I didn’t have any time. I started thinking to myself: Why did it become like this? Do I truly understand what being an actor is about? Am I getting more lost and confused with my career path? Am I truly happy with where I’m at? Have I strayed too far from the acting career that I imagined? These were all questions that I had asked myself back then when I felt lost. It was getting to the point that it was affecting my life, so I felt that it was time to stop and take a step back – plus I also felt that I needed to learn more and wasn’t knowledgeable enough.
ZN: So in other words, you needed to recharge and replenish.
ST: More like replenish. Since at that time, I still had a certain amount of interest in it and felt brave, so I felt it was a good time to absorb more knowledge and see what else was out there in the world – this would help me decide my next step. Therefore, I left for the U.S.
ZN: So at that time, it was only a short break.
ST: I never thought about it being short.
ZN: You were ready to give up completely?
ST: Yes. I was thinking at that time perhaps I should go back to school and get a degree. I felt that with my life experiences plus a few years of school, perhaps in the future I could…
ZN: You could choose a different career.
ST: I truly thought that way! It’s sad if an actor is afraid to leave the industry, so I truly felt that choosing a different career might be the answer. Perhaps I was too fortunate in that I didn’t have to exert a whole lot of effort and already got to the ‘female lead’ level. I felt that I lacked something internally and it would be very hard for me to get to the next level in my career. I know that my personality can be quite blunt and therefore some things I may not be able to do – going to school and getting an education was more reliable.
ZN: And you later returned to HK because…?
ST: I returned because I had used up all my tuition. Plus I had to face reality, as I recognized that being a college graduate didn’t mean much – even if I got a job, the salary wouldn’t be too high. In the past, I had thought that during the summer months and breaks from school, I could still do some filming on the side, earn enough money, and perhaps remain overseas forever. When I came back to HK, I actually never thought about returning to the entertainment industry.
ZN: But being invited to participate in one series after another caused you to stay?
ST: Yes…I guess that’s life! Sometimes, even when you really set your heart to doing something, things may not always go as planned. However, at that time, I wasn’t ambitious at all – I just wanted to earn enough money to permanently immigrate and leave this industry. I never expected that all of a sudden, when I returned, I would feel different – it’s as though I suddenly felt enlightened and realized that the industry will always be the same, it’s just a matter of whether you are able to let it go and move on. Plus I had already seen a lot of the world and was no longer ‘a frog at the bottom of the well’. When I started thinking differently like that, good things started to happen – I started getting good scripts and good roles.
Getting TV Queen award twice was arranged by God above
ZN: Two successful series in a row earned you two TV Queen awards. Even though we weren’t at the ceremony, we were still very excited because every year, we broadcast the TVB Awards live on the web. I remember when you won the TV Queen award, our colleagues were celebrating with you in our own little corner of the studio.
ST: Thank you.
ZN: We also remember that the first time you received the award, you were deeply moved.
ST: The first time was okay, actually – that first year, I didn’t really know what to say because I wasn’t expecting to win. I’m the type of person who can’t help letting my true temperament come through at times and when I get excited, sometimes it’s hard to control. Plus I’m not a good talker, so that first time, I was constantly reminding myself not to forget to thank each and every person.
ZN: How about the second time?
ST: The second time I didn’t think about it either – in fact, both times I didn’t really think about it, but my manager told me that I should at least consider what I would say in terms of acceptance speech in case I did win. Luckily, the second year, the company [TVB] told us to try not to waste our time in the acceptance speeches thanking people – no need to thank TVB executives or any other formalities -- but rather focus on expressing how we truly felt. That made things easier, as I could focus on the more important points. At the time, I actually did not have any speech memorized – I just spoke what was in my heart…it made the acceptance speech more real.
ZN: You may be wondering why, when you received the TV Queen awards, people as far away as ourselves were so happy for you. Well, it’s because in our hearts, we felt that you should have received it long ago and that perhaps the award was too late in coming.
ST: No, I never felt that way – to me, everything has its opportunity. I’m a Christian and I truly believe that God purposefully arranged the time for me [to get the award]. Even those opportunities in the past when I didn’t get the award, those were arranged by him as well. Actually, the first year I got the award, I did feel that perhaps my hard work contributed to it as well, but the second year, I truly felt that it didn’t have anything to do with me or my acting – I really felt that it was an opportunity arranged by God.
ZN: It was an arrangement by above.
ST: Yes. It’s actually very interesting. There are few artists who don’t get the award, yet everyone around them are so supportive and positive. My fans are very good…they tell me that even if I never get the award, I’m still a ‘Queen’ to them – an ‘uncrowned Queen’. Perhaps the fans see my sincerity when it comes to acting – I’ve always loved acting and nothing can stop me from pursuing it – whatever is given to me or not given to me, however much money I earn, it doesn’t matter – nothing can get in the way of my passion for acting. The motivation for me is when I see that audiences enjoy my performance – everything else doesn’t matter in the scheme of things. Other things [awards], even if I don’t get any, it’s actually fine for me because it makes me work harder in order not to disappoint my fans and the audiences supporting me – I’m the kind of person who doesn’t need an award to feel motivated. Even if I do get an award, I still work as hard because I feel it’s my responsibility to do so. Basically, no matter what, still need to work hard, so to me, whether I get an award or not doesn’t make a difference.
A message to the younger generation: Working quietly and diligently will eventually be recognized
ZN: It’s precisely because of your hard work that after audiences watch your series, they already feel that you are ‘TV Queen’ in their hearts.
ST: You had said earlier that during my acceptance speech, I was quite emotional. I understand that every artist will go through peaks and valleys in their careers – perhaps I got lucky in that I started off with lead roles and later, eventually received awards for my performances. The first year I got the award, I spoke from the heart when I encouraged those who never had the opportunity to stand on that stage or those who never had the opportunity to be nominated even – it doesn’t mean those people didn’t work hard – in fact, they worked very hard and are truly deserving of support! I’m not the best when it comes to acting – there are so many people who are better than me and work just as hard. I remember rambling on during my speech at one point – I was actually afraid I was going to cry, so it was difficult to get the words out….but the message that I wanted to get across was: if you work quietly and diligently, people will eventually see it and recognize it. This has been my mantra of sorts and I use these words to motivate myself – actually, I feel that these words are useful in all careers, not just as an artist. There will always be ‘unfairness’ in this world – it has been like that since the beginning of time, so these words are suitable for everyone.
Sometimes I feel like a ‘warrior’ for those who have worked hard but are rarely recognized. Even if I don’t get the award, I still work hard and the people around me still give me lots of support and encouragement. Perhaps because of this, people feel that I am the best person to respresent that “always work hard, yet not being recognized” feeling.
ZN: Including TV King Wayne Lai – both of the series where he won were collaborations with you.
ST: Yes! The first year, I was very emotional – me winning TV Queen wasn’t enough – I felt that Wayne absolutely had to win TV King! I felt so bad for him because his situation was more miserable than mine – he was never given any opportunity to take on lead roles, yet all along, he’s had a huge passion for acting and worked hard for so many years. Wayne getting TV King was huge inspiration and encouragement for me – whether I got TV Queen or not didn’t matter anymore. There are way too many people ‘toiling in silence’ out there – finally, they are being recognized!
Feels better suited working with older men, wants to collaborate with Director Zheng Xiao Long
ZN: Sheren, currently you have a per-series contract with TVB.
ST: It has been that way for a long time. Only the first 5 years when I started, it wasn’t….afterwards and even now, it is a per series contract.
ZN: Any upcoming plans for new series with them?
ST: The contract hasn’t expired yet, but this year, most likely there won’t be any more collaborations.
ZN: There has been a lot of news recently about TVB artists such as Charmaine Sheh not renewing their management contracts and leaving for the Mainland. There have also been complaints about low wages and overwork…as an artist who has worked with TVB for so long, what are your thoughts?
ST: My situation is different from theirs [the artists leaving TVB]. HK’s market has always been rather small and limited, whereas Mainland China’s market has been expanding rapidly over the years, so there is definitely more of a need for good artists in the Mainland. It’s more of a market issue than anything else.
With my situation specifically, I’ve tried my hand at other things in the past – I’ve left the company before to study abroad, I’ve worked for ATV, I’ve been to Taiwan, etc. – as an actor, I feel that it’s necessary to go out and see the world and see what types of opportunities are out there. Once you understand how things work in the other corners of the world, it perhaps will help you treasure more what you currently have and also help you with your craft – for instance, I was more enlightened with my acting after going to the U.S. Therefore, I feel that [leaving and going to a different environment] is necessary, in fact, it’s even better for the artists because in such a small place as HK, if you are forever working for one TV station only, your knowledge and experiences will definitely be limited.
ZN: My understanding is that at TVB, even lead artists who are very popular get paid much lower salaries than artists who participate in Mainland series.
ST: That’s because in the past, it wasn’t as easy to film series in the Mainland as it is now – it wasn’t until the government loosened up some restrictions that the market really began to expand. The TV industry in Hong Kong is very different from everywhere else – in Taiwan for instance, there are a multitude of TV stations to choose from, whereas in HK, there are only a handful of stations. Out of that handful, only TVB has a consistent focus on filming series – there is no other comparison, no other option – pretty much, you either film for them or you don’t film at all. So nowadays, why are so many people leaving? Well, when you’re given the chance to compare and understand the different options out there, most likely you would choose a market with more opportunity.
ZN: Do you have a lot of plans right now to film in the Mainland?
ST: It’s the same as before – if there are good scripts, suitable scripts, opportunities for ‘sparks’, etc, I would like to try.
ZN: Filming in the Mainland versus filming at TVB is a completely different feeling, I would think. Even the filming methods would be different?
ST: Absolutely – huge differences in fact! At TVB, it’s a smaller environment and we’re already very familiar with each other. Oftentimes, when it comes to filming emotional scenes, we are able to complete them in one shot, which comes out looking better, plus we only need to get into the mood once. In the Mainland, it’s often like filming on location and with the environment, it’s harder to complete everything all at once.
Also, at TVB, due to our familiarity with each other, we already have an idea of how we each work. Plus since we are all in HK, it’s easier for us to all meet and discuss the script or talk about how to portray our characters – it’s easier to establish rapport and harmony. In the Mainland, it’s more rushed – oftentimes, we don’t see the other artists until it’s time for costume fitting or we actually start filming – so there is no time to get together beforehand. Also, in a big country such as China, artists come from all different backgrounds and regions and their personalities are all different, which makes it harder to establish rapport. Often, by the time you join the team, the series had already started filming – you don’t want to inconvenience people by asking them to spare some personal time for you. It makes it even more difficult when the other artist is more passive. The hardest part is definitely trying to establish rapport with everyone you will be working with onscreen – that’s why I’ve learned not to be shy and work even harder to take the initiative and be pro-active.
ZN: How about in terms of performance?
ST: Performance-wise is different as well. HK artists are generally more fast-paced whereas Mainland artists are more about looking deeper and taking time to get into character. It’s something that can be adjusted to, it just takes time.
ZN: Nowadays, the TV productions in the Mainland are quite grand.
ST: And pretty quick too!
ZN: Also, in the Mainland, there are a lot of series with themes about the Imperial dynasties, palace politics, etc. Are there any artists whom you wish to collaborate with in particular?
ST: There are a lot! When I came over to the Mainland, the reporters would always write that I want to make a lot of money and that’s my reason for coming here, but in reality, I don’t see it that way. I feel that having ‘sparks’ and a sense of freshness are also important. In HK, I’ve already been filming for many years, so to find new ‘sparks’ is not as easy – plus most people already know me in a certain way and may feel that there is nothing left to ‘discover’ in terms of my acting. Actually, I feel that there is definitely a lot more to ‘discover’ and by working with different directors, writers, actors, or working in a different environment, different ‘sparks’ can be created. That’s why I said earlier that it’s not good to stay in one place for so long because you start to lose your momentum and passion for your craft. Coming to the Mainland help me renew my passion in acting and also challenged me to overcome certain obstacles that I probably would not have encountered otherwise. Also, with the diversity of the people – for example, people from Northern China versus people from Southern China – there is a lot of opportunity to interact with different people, learn their different cultures and habits, experience how their world is like…it makes you a completely different person.
In terms of who I really want to work with, I would have to say director Zheng Xiao Long – we know each other quite well and were part of the same judging panel once, but unfortunately, I missed the chance to participate in his series. We get along quite well and I know that he is one of those people who puts his heart into his work. I would definitely like to work with him most.
ZN: How about actors?
ST: In terms of actors, there are quite a few. I feel that my personality is more on the masculine side with regard to confidence and a bit of aggressiveness, so I probably work better with men who are older or more mature – the result comes out better.
Hopes "Rosy Business 3" will be a modern series, wants to try different types of characters
ZN: A lot of netizens are concerned about whether there will be a 3rd installment of "Rosy Business".
ST: I hope so. But if there is a third installment, I hope that it will be more light-hearted – the best would be to make it a modern series.
ZN: Filming a lot of tragic series really takes a lot out of the artists?
ST: True…it’s quite painful, especially since both Wayne and I are the type of actors who throw ourselves into our roles. To be in that ‘mode’ every day -- mentally, emotionally – and for a long period of time, it’s very unhealthy. So I feel it’s better to do a ‘happier’ series, something like "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" for example.
ZN: Are there any other types of characters that you’d like to portray?
ST: I would like to portray characters that are closer to my true nature. Right now, I feel that most of the roles I’ve had are not ‘true nature performances’. I’m the type of person who likes to laugh a lot and sometimes can be a little crazy.
ZN: So you mean you’d like to be in more comedies?
ST: Sort of. I’m not good at making people laugh or saying silly things, but I do have a sense of humor and can be playful. A lot of the roles that I’ve been doing recently have been of a serious or strict nature, but in reality, I can also be crazy and playful. Many years ago, I had filmed the "Loving You" series for TVB – there were only 7 actors in the series, but each story was different and and each of us got to play 20 different characters – it was a huge challenge, but rewarding. I’m actually quite open when it comes to types of characters I’d like to portray – I’d even like to try playing a pole dancer if given the opportunity! If I’m constantly typecasted into the serious, strict, valiant tragic characters, I will feel bored. I don’t like repetition.
ZN: You like to be challenged by new and fresh things.
ST: With acting, you are actually ‘living’ someone else’s life. If some personality traits of the characters are similar, but the rest is different or can be approached from an alternate angle, then that’s good. In reality, we may have certain responsibilities and obligations and there may be certain things that we cannot do, but in acting, it’s a different world – you can be as crazy as you want.
ZN: Will you consider doing movies?
ST: There are a lot of movies in the Mainland market right now and I have thought about it being a good time to do a few movies. In HK, the market is smaller and there are fewer opportunities to go into movies – the trend in the past has been having a distinctive group of consistent artists participating in movies and another group in TV because with movies, you need to spend money to buy tickets, whereas with TV, it’s free. Mainland is a little different because the market is bigger.
Talks about her attitude toward remakes; curious about Mainland’s promotion methods
ZN: Recently, I see that you’ve been on quite a few Mainland variety shows. Any further upcoming arrangements?
ST: I just wrapped filming on a series, so this actually should be my vacation time, but coincidentally, "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" started airing. At first, I thought the promotional events for the series would only require a little bit of my time, but this one seems to be different. In the past, we would film a series and it would get sold to a particular station for airing – the promotional efforts weren’t that strong. But this time, because it is a collaboration between Qiong Yao and Hunan TV, with Hunan TV being a major investor, it’s sort of similar to filming a grand production series at TVB – you see how powerful the promotion efforts are and try to accommodate as much as possible. Since I will be focusing effort on development of my career in Mainland, I feel it is necessary to experience how grand promotion efforts in Mainland are like. Plus, "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" is a classic and because of that, there will be a lot of attention – whether good or bad – paid to this remake. I’m actually very curious how things are going right now and what the reaction has been – I purposefully stayed behind longer to see what the audience’s feedback has been so far. This way, I can better understand Mainland audience’s as well as netizens tastes and preferences.
ZN: Since the series aired, a lot of netizens have taken to the discussion forums to express their opinions about the remake. There has been a lot of discussion on various aspects of the remake and it seems that there is more negative feedback than positive. Did you hear any of the feedback?
ST: I saw some of it.
ZN: When you see this type of feedback, what are your thoughts?
ST: I’m actually a bit impartial to it, probably because I don’t have the same ‘feelings’ invested in it as Mainland audiences may have. As with many classics, audiences may have invested emotionally into the series and feel that their Xiao Yan Zhi or Empress must be a certain way. The part I find interesting is how strong the reactions have been, which I believe is due to audiences investing personally [emotionally, mentally] into the series – it seems to be a cultural thing. To be honest, this type of reaction is natural – it’s just like how I would watch a classic Jin Yong series growing up, then when it gets remade, I refuse to watch the new version because I want the classic version to forever remain in my heart. Perhaps that is the thought process of some of the audiences – but at the same time, because the promotional efforts for the new version are so strong, some audiences can’t help watching out of curiosity. I heard a lot of people say that even though they won’t ‘accept’ the remade version of the series, they still want to watch it to see how it was made – it’s pretty interesting….saying that they don’t want to watch it, yet they do end up watching it and commenting on it. It’s funny because a lot of us are actually like that – it’s just like how some of us go through the effort of watching the latest ‘hit’ movie or series just so that we would have something to discuss about with our friends or co-workers. It’s an interesting concept.
ZN: We sincerely thank Sheren for visiting us today! As fans of yours, we look forward to seeing many more brilliant performances from you, however we also wish to see you happy every day.
ST: Thank you! Yes, happiness is most important.
ZN: We’d also like to thank the Sina netizens as well as everyone we made this interview possible.
ST: Thank you to the Sina netizens for your support. I will continue to work hard!
Source: Sina Entertainment
Translated by: llwy12 @ AsianFanatics
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