From friend to foe

By SETO KIT YAN
[email protected]


Ekin Cheng and Jordan Chan are back sharing screen time in mobster film Once A Gangster.
HONG Kong triad flicks have taken a backseat in recent years, as Hong Kong filmmakers eyed the enormous Chinese market and churned out movies that conformed to China’s strict regulations.
Hence, the HK$15mil (RM6.25mil) Once A Gangster is touted as a revival of true Hong Kong flavour in triad filmdom, by award-winning screenwriter Felix Chong who is directing his first movie alone, with frequent co-director Alan Mak as producer.
$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://ecentral.my/archives/2010/5/21/movies/f_09ekin.jpg') Armed and dangerous: Sparrow (Ekin Cheng) is compelled to pull a gun to prove his point in Once A Gangster.
Both shot to fame with their Infernal Affairs trilogy (which was remade by Martin Scorsese into The Departed) and blockbuster hit Initial D (which marked the film debut for Taiwanese pop sensation Jay Chou).
The story tells of how out-of-touch gangsters Brisket (Jordan Chan) and Sparrow (Ekin Cheng) are compelled by their respective elders to run for the Dragon Head position in the Hong Kong underworld.
However, the two reluctant candidates have found their own calling in life and are anxious to get themselves disqualified. Yet, their followers are not about to give up without a fight so their lives are plunged into mayhem and bloodshed.
Once A Gangster reunites Young And Dangerous (1996-2000) stars Cheng and Chan in a new mobster movie with a humorous twist.
Apart from Chan and Cheng, the cast includes Alex Fong Chung Sun, Michelle Ye, Wilfred Lau, Candice Yu and Conroy Chan.
StarTwo spoke to the two stars in separate telephone interviews from Hong Kong.
Best known for their ever memorable collaboration in the series, Cheng and Chan, both aged 42, also spoke fondly of their previous work on a mainland China’s TV series titled The Legend Of Huo Yuan Jia, where Cheng played the Chinese folk hero and Chan portrayed his famed disciple Chen Zhen.
$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://ecentral.my/archives/2010/5/21/movies/f_09jordan.jpg') ‘Working with Ekin actually doesn’t feel like working at all,’ says Jordan Chan who plays Brisket in the film.
While Cheng is said to be headlining Once A Gangster, it was pointed out that Chan appears to have more screen time compared to his co-star. When asked to comment, both actors said that they enjoyed working with each other.
Chan said: “Working with Ekin actually doesn’t feel like working at all. We’re not bothered with fighting for screen time or other such issues.”
Elated to work with veteran Candice Yu, who plays his glamorous drug addict mother Lady Pearl, Cheng gushed: “I’m so glad to have gotten to know her. She’s very professional and so much fun to work with. We developed such a synergy working together.”
Commenting on his hairdo, actor-singer Cheng offered: “Although, my character had just been released from jail, where they usually give convicts a crewcut, I couldn’t cut my hair as I was due to perform in some concerts.
“I went to see the director with my hair half tied back just like in the movie and he said we’d keep the look.”
Married to his long-time Taiwan-born actress girlfriend Cherrie Ying (real name Ting Man) in Las Vegas on Valentine’s Day, Chan was asked about several intimate scenes he has in the movie with Hangzhou-born actress Ye, who plays his sexy yet feisty wife Nancy. Ye won a best supporting actress award for her role in Accident (2009) at the 29th Hong Kong Film Awards 2010.
Did the hip hop star have to tell his wife or discuss with her his love scenes?
“Of course, I told her straight away. I wouldn’t dare keep something like that from her.”
What was her reaction?
“She only asked who it was. When I told her it was Michelle, she screamed ‘What?’ So, I added that it’s all just acting. After all, as a professional actor, I can’t possibly tell the director that I’m not able to do intimate scenes just because I’m now married,” explained Chan who is working in Wuxi, China, on a movie about fairies.
Although, he admitted to looking forward to fatherhood, Chan dismissed rife talk that his wife is pregnant. “How can that be? She’s still busy filming a TV series in Shanghai now.”
Chan won a best supporting actor award for his acting debut in Teddy Chan-helmed Twenty Something (1994) at the Hong Kong Film Awards 1995 as well as nominations (for best supporting actor and best new performer) for his other breakthrough role in Peter Chan’s He’s A Woman, She’s A Man (1994) starring heavyweights the likes of the late Leslie Cheung (who won for performing the best original film song), Anita Yuen (who won best actress) and Carina Lau.
More recently, Cheng finally won recognition for his acting with a best actor award, shared with co-star Shawn Yue for his policeman role in Kelvin Tong-helmed horror crime thriller Rule #1 (2008) at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival 2008 in South Korea.
Once A Gangster (rated 18), distributed by Golden Screen Cinemas, is playing in cinemas nationwide.



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