张学友英文访谈：娱乐圈“不老的神话”
Plasma shot -- clip from movie 'As Tears Go by' (1988)
LH: Welcome back to TalkAsia - that is a clip from the 1988 movie 'As Tears Go By'. Jacky Cheung's performance as a frustrated, low-level triad member won him that year's Best Supporting Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
LH: Jacky you've obviously done a number of films and obviously won accolades for it, but what takes precedence -- singing or acting?
JC: I love singing...if I had to chose one between singing and acting, I would have to chose singing, of course it's more personal. But I like acting, too. You can be another person, that's kind of fun.
LH: Now, you had several desk jobs, one I read was with Cathay Pacific when you first started. How did you keep that dream going that maybe one day you would make it in the entertainment business?
JC: That's not my dream (LH: really?) and I dare not to dream about it, you know. I have no relations, I never know any people that were related to this business so you had no way in actually, so I love join singing contests because I loved the excitement that I can get through the process. So, that's the only thing I can get, I think. And accidentally I got a contract and that's how I'm in. I'm a practical person actually, so I stayed with my job until I really got a big success with my first album. Then I start creating it. So I was in both careers (LH: at the same time?) for the same time, for a few months, actually.
LH: Wow amazing. Now what about your parents, what did they think from suddenly desk job to, you know, a singing sensations?
JC: As long as I can give enough money back to support family. My mum always says 'it's ok for a boy to get into the business'. We heard a lot of rumors about the business for the girl, better think more think deeply. You might have to give up a lot of things. But for boys, what you got to lose? Just go!
LH: So they were supporting you all the way?
JC: My mum, yes, all the way. (LH: Good, your Dad?) My daddy is an engineer on board -- he's traveling everywhere and all year. So I didn't have much time to talk to him and of course he didn't say anything - didn't say any 'no' this (LH: right, right)
LH: Now, I've read that in the 80s, latter part of the 80s, you had some tough times, and things weren't doing so well. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but you started drinking and your career was going down -- is that true and how didn't you manage to pull back up?
JC: That's true, and it's all printed (LH: you never believe what you read, right?) Well, those days you can believe some. Well yes and I picked up some bad habits at those times I started drinking with some friends. The worst part was I couldn't control myself after drinking. Yes, and at that time my career was going down, but it's a normal trend, I think. You couldn't just keep your career all the way up there, so it goes down a bit then you start to pick up something...somebody's mistake, you know what's wrong and then you correct and you climb up again, so this is how it goes. Again, the thing is, you've gotta keep working you know that movie that you just showed, that year that's the worst year of my singing career actually, but I'd been doing a lot of movies at that time. So you've got to keep yourself busy, either doing this or doing that. So, of course, if you have a chance you've got to grab it and keep doing it -- no matter what it is.
LH: And how did you pull yourself back up again?
JC: Face. You've got to face the reality; I mean you can't just bury your head into those bottles. After you're awake, you're still the same person. You're still facing the same problems and the same difficulties. So you just stand up and face it, and start doing everything from the very beginning, check what's wrong and fix it.
LH: What has been the biggest price -- you would say -- that you have had to pay for fame?
JC: Well, I'm not this "star" kind of person -- I don't want to be a star. I love singing and I love acting, and I want to live a normal life. And that's why I'm actually sending my kids to school and doing every what all the parents did. If I had to say one thing, that I couldn't be as normal as everyone (LH: so privacy would be...) I'm ready to give up some of my own privacy, but not my family -- that's the bottom line.
LH: and what is the best part of being who you are?
JC: The best part is you are doing something you really love to do. That will give you a better standard of living and that's good (LH: And making money for it?) Well, of course, I have to clear this point that I'm the lucky one and there's a lot of other singers that I know, or knew before and they've just gone (LH: who didn't make it, who didn't survive).
LH: Jacky, we're going to take another very short break when we return a brand new role for Jacky Cheung
