Stars come a-calling

Four well-known faces of Hong Kong TVB series were on a promotional trip here and THAM AI MEI put her Cantonese to good use as she spoke to them on their projects and Christmas plans.

FOUR popular and gorgeous Hong Kong Television Broadcasts (TVB) stars were in Kuala Lumpur to promote their latest drama serials recently.

You cannot deny the appeal of the foursome who were perfectly groomed and chatty during the press conference organised by Tai Seng Entertainment, the sole distributor of TVB shows in Malaysia and Brunei.

Moses Chan Ho, Charmaine Sheh Shi Man, Joe Ma Tak Chung and Melissa Ng Mei Heng were accommodating in answering questions from members of the press and they were in high spirits after wrapping up a fulfilling year.

Moses Chan

Moses Chan: "I feel that it's better to be busy than to have nothing going on."
Moses Chan Ho

Moses Chan had been pretty low profile until recently. Donning a loose fitting white sweater, Chan was obliging and all smiles. No wonder as Chan has been on a roll, career-wise.

He talked about his latest TVB series, Riches and Stitches, which co-stars Ng.

“In the show, I am a humble guy who tailors beautiful cheongsams for the cabaret diva (played by Ng). There is a lot of dancing and singing in the show too.”

We were curious as to whether this good-looking actor actually had a hand in doing any genuine sewing and stitching in the show.

Chan explained: “In fact, I did try to do some sewing on the show. This is the best thing about acting as you get to experience things you would otherwise not get a chance to.”

The affable actor was clearly impressed with the cheongsam maestros that worked on the set.

“A real sifu (master) does not even need to take measurements to come up with a fabulous cheongsam. He takes one look at a person and immediately he would be able to produce a perfectly fitting cheongsam.”

Currently, Chan is besieged with film offers but the discerning actor is now more careful in choosing his scripts.

“In the past, I was not so fussy when choosing my scripts as I did not have much choices then. But now, I am hoping to find a breakthrough role that suits me. A character that is very ‘Moses’, in other words,” he explained. “I would rather not be too rash when making a decision to take on a film role. For now, I think I will be concentrating more on TV serials.”

Apparently, this model-turned-actor is a regular visitor to our shores.

“I have some friends here,” Chan said with a secretive smile. “I really like Malaysia, mostly because it’s filled with sand and sun and nice weather. I love the food here, like the Indian lemak rice. Oh, and Naan too,” he laughed.

Chan’s idea of a perfect Christmas gift is a Christmas tree.

“I am a very simple guy. I’ve been meaning to buy a tree but I’ve just been too wrapped up in my work.”

However, the diligent rising star is not complaining about his lack of personal time.

“I feel that it’s better to be busy than to have nothing going on, for an actor. For actors, the best time to work is during festive seasons and I feel that it’s worth it because you will be rewarded with fame and wealth for giving up your holidays,” he said.

Melissa Ng

Melissa Ng: "I was dancing for 10 days in a row and the hours would start from four in the evening right up till the next morning."
Melissa Ng Mei Heng

Melissa Ng revels in her job as a TVB actress. And she loves the travelling and promotional work too.

“I have worked with Moses and Joe before but on the set we hardly talked to each other as we were so wrapped up in memorising our own scripts. So most of the time we would just see each other and go ‘Hi!’ and that’s it,” she lamented.

“When we go travelling together for promotional work, we have more time together so we get to communicate and build a camaraderie, which I think will make work more enjoyable should we work together in the future,” she reasoned, and it was apparent that this was one lady who loves socialising.

Ng had just wrapped up a drama series entitled Riches and Stitches that also stars Moses Chan.

“I had a great time filming the show,” Ng said enthusiastically. “The story is set in the 1920s and I get to play a cabaret girl. Of course there’s a lot of singing and dancing on the set and I happen to love dancing,” she said with a smile.

The former Miss Chinese International runner-up went through a lot of hardship filming the series.

“I was dancing for 10 days in a row and the hours would start from four in the evening right up till the next morning,” Ng explained to her incredulous listeners. To add to the gruelling hours, Ng also suffered blood clot in one of her toes due to the long hours dancing in high heels. “My toe turned black,” she said with a horrified look.

Ng has a particular interest in the 1920s Shanghai fashion.

“I really love the vintage look of the 1920s, especially the western dresses. I have limited resources to do research, so I would love to get my hands on some books on ’20s fashion,” she said.

Ng is now working on a period costume drama serial with Charmaine Sheh, as well as other very experienced stars such as Yu Kei.

“Working with such experienced stars, I do feel a bit intimidated. I just hope that I can live up to their expectations,” she said.

Ng loves the Christmas season. According to her, it’s a season for the family.

“I love everything about Christmas – the presents, the decorations. Everything about Christmas just makes me feel very warm and fuzzy inside. It’s a time to celebrate and for me, every year’s Christmas has been fantastic,” she said with a laugh.