Elanne Kong and Michael Tse became friends after collaborating in TVB new series
Relic of an Emissary. Their ages and backgrounds are different, but that did not stop them from having common topics. In reality, they are very compatible, when they get together they can bicker too and talk about what's on their minds. No wonder they are a pair in the new series, and even had a 'roast goose love story'.
Good Fit Partners Elanne: I'm very happy to have invited my big brother to do this interview with me. We can continue our collaboration from
E.U. Although back then I only had 1 scene with you, two years later I can collaborate with you again in
Relic of an Emissary. This time we have a lot of scenes opposite of each other, I even have to fall in love with this courageous bodyguard.
Michael:
E.U we had one scene and it was the shortest one too, so audience don't know we had that one scene.
Elanne: Haha! Yes, we spent 3 months together shooting for
Relic. The most memorable scene for me was when we were stuck in the bottom of the well. It was 40 degrees in there, I saw your face turning green, lips turning white, very difficult. And you even told me to hold on.
Michael: I clearly remember that scene too, it was about you falling into the well, I had to suspend myself on a rope down there to get you. It was honestly very hot in that well, when I was hanging down on the role, I felt like a roast goose. At the bottom of the well, there was another roasted goose waiting for me, adding me, that makes two roasted gooses!
Elanne: That time we were so hot, we really got 'cooked' in there! You told me to hold on, and said if we could get through this, there are many things we can withstand. I really admire you! How can you act out any look or expression and there are even so many people watching. Exactly how can you figure out that character?
Michael: We have friends around us, each with a different personality. Drawing from that resource, already got the differences. Also, every role is designed to have character, just magnify it and make it stronger, then there will be a solid role.
Hard to communicate with some people Elanne: When I first saw you, I was pretty scared. I felt you were very cool looking, plus your role in
E.U is very rude, walking out you are a good big brother, very frightening! However, collaborating with you again this time, I learned that you are actually a very funny and playful person.
Michael: I feel that it's best to think of work like entertainment, time will go by faster, the atmosphere is more relaxed and everyone will get into character more. You and I have so many scenes together, we have to see each other day and night for 3 months, we have to have feelings and be able to chat in order to feel happy while working. It's like some scenes are hard to get deep into, so with good communication, we will be more natural when its time to film. But honestly, it's not everyone that can be communicated with, some people really are all scattered, put up all their gates and when this happens, you will just have to deal with it yourself!
Performance Bounces Up Elanne: You really know how to communicate with people and make atmosphere. One time after long hours of work and lack of sleep, I was so exhausted I was lying on desk, you told me: "Hey, wake up and eat." And then you tried your hardest to make everyone laugh and boost the spirit. My nickname in acting is "Kong Fu Keung" (Rich & Powerful). You told me to make a song called "Kong Fu Keung" and then you always said: "Kong Fu Keung 2011 Master Piece Super Low Energy, Very Funny" Then you sang "Super low energy energy.... very very funny funny funny...." When you kept singing that, no matter how tired I was, I could still stay awake. One time I was unhappy about something, you used your own experiences to comfort me, I am greatly thankful of that. We both collaborated in two series, how do you think I changed?
Michael: I feel that your acting skills have gradually matured. When you portrayed Yau Yau in
E.U, perhaps it was your age, you were a little too narrow. Until recently when I saw you as Princess Wing Yeung, you played a role that went from simple minded to mature. You had good sense of arrangement.
Elanne: You portrayed so many roles, Laughing Gor and the Jean Man (Cheap Man) in
La Femme Desperado, these two roles were done very well. Which one did you like more?
Won't calculate which roles to accept Michael: I really like both roles. Jean Man made many women love and hate him. At first he deserved to die, but in the end it turns out that he was a good man after all. I felt that people had a huge change of reactions, I really enjoyed the results. As for Laughing Gor, he is also a character that I deeply admire. He was an undercover that no one cared for, but in the end when the truth came out, the burst of reactions really made floated into the second floor. These two roles both gave me the same feeling of accomplishment. If I were to choose one between the two, I liked Laughing Gor more because he attracted the audience more.
Elanne: Have you thought of this echo when you accepted the script?
Michael: I do not know how to calculate these kind of things, so why not spend more time to try and figure out how to portray the role. I know some people who would first calculate everything before deciding whether or not to accept a script, I feel that is basically trying to escape from reality. Every role I accept, I will think of all the ways I can to make the role pretty, that's how I get a great sense of accomplishment.
Dancing Makes a Rainbow Elanne: When you first entered the industry, you were a TVB dancer. You really love to dance, always dancing around on the set in your ancient costumes.
Michael: Yes, I was already very jumpy when I was a kid. When I saw the people on TV dancing, I just followed them. When I was in form 5, there was an announcement that the TV station was hiring dancers, so I applied to try it out. If it didn't work out, it didn't hurt to try.
Elanne: Once you started dancing, you did it for 5 years. When you left was your salary only HK$4000? How could you survive at that time?
Michael: The living expenses at that time wasn't that high, but I had to suffer a little, but I was enjoying the process because I liked this profession and I learned a lot, worth it.
Best friend is his wife Elanne: Is your wife very helpful?
Michael: Yes, she helps me a lot. We work and work, no time to think. At home, she does everything, so I could stay focus on work. I just sleep every day, as long as there is work to do.
Elanne: Then do you have time to be romantic with her? Like cook up a few dishes?
Michael: When I don't have to work, I cook at home. I cook the common dishes, like Cantonese dishes, meat patties, water eggs, and things like that. Nothing special, but I put my heart into the dishes, she and my son love it.
Elanne: You are married for 6 years, would you think of any special way to celebrate your wedding anniversaries?
Michael: Our first wedding anniversary, we went to Macau for bungee jumping. That time, my wife asked me why are we celebrating like this. I told her, I'm not scared of marriage, why would I be scared to bungee jump? Also, it's a special way to celebrate, we will definitely remember it. It's because that is our first anniversary. Later in our 2nd and 3rd year, I forgot how we celebrated. It's usually celebrated with a normal dinner after work.
From slacking to being competitive Elanne: About dancing, in 2007 when you participated in
Strictly Come Dancing, at the time there was some doubt. You haven't danced in public for a long time, how come you participated in that competition?
Michael: At the time, I was forced to participate, I sid I haven't danced for several years, I don't know how to do it anymore! But in TVB's standpoint, of course they hope to send out an artist who has background in dancing. TVB then told me to go and see how the situation was, that time I just finished shooting a Qing dynasty costume drama, I stuffed myself quite a bit and was chubby, how can I go out in public like that? So I went on the show with an attitude that I'm doing it for fun. I thought it was very possible that on the 2nd or 3rd round, I'll be voted out. Surprisingly, I realized that all the other contestants were very serious about it and preparing as much as they could. That show was really serious, at the time I felt that we were all representing Hong Kong, no reason for us to lose, then my competitive heart came alive. I spent 2 months participating in 9 competitions, in the end I was lucky to have won the first prize.
Elanne: Was the whole process difficult?
Michael: Not too bad, just exhausting. We were rehearsing day and night, every day our clothes are soaked in sweat. When I got back to the hotel room, I was sleeping like I fell into a coma and mostly spent life like a student. I thought it was quite fun actually, nothing too difficult. It was rehearsing in Hunan, then go back to the hotel to sleep. There won't be any friends asking you to go out for a drink at 2-3am, life was very simple and clear, a type of discipline.
Michael is a hypocrite The day Elanne interviewed Michael, he had a motorcycle's helmet on and choked his way into the restaurant for the interview. It turns out that he just passed the driving test for motorcycle. With a rookie license, Michael was not to have any passengers for a year. He said that he still won't drive anyone even after a year has passed because he's worried of an accident that may affect his passenger.
When it was time to do the interview, Elanne asked him the same question, Michael answered the same: "Motorcycles are toys for me personally, I am quite selfish, don't want to share with people." Michael was a hypocrite, in fact he just didn't want to brag that he was good and was considerate. This is the cute side of Michael!
