Exclusive Interview with Stephen Chow

(From left to right: actor/director Stephen Chow, actress Xu Jiao and translator Diana Lee)

This interview is unfortunately a result of mind-over-matter. That’s not a good thing. I ignored the reality of the situation and chose to believe I’d get more out of a one-on-one with Stephen Chow than I knew I would. CJ7, Chow’s latest project isn’t like Chow’s past films considering that it doesn’t feature him in a lead role. Dicky (Xu Jiao in her debut) wants CJ1, the new toy that the school bully loves to show off in class. Dicky’s father (Chow) wants to give him the world but can’t afford to give him a decent pair of shoes, so it’s off to the dump to find a quick fix. While there, he finds CJ7, a cuddly little CG toy dog….from space!

Dicky’s dad isn’t a deadbeat; he’s just poor, which is only natural considering that Chow’s been playing coolies, bums, losers and poor schmucks in general for years now. This time however the coolie isn’t the star but rather his son. Regardless of the focus of the film he was promoting, I reasoned could always ask him about his ego—you know, in a subtle way. Part of me was stupid enough to think that I might get something noteworthy but the smart but silent remainder of my mind knew I probably couldn’t get any earth-shattering questions without having Chow kick my teeth in first.

Chow’s reputation for being a prima donna off-screen precedes him. The most recent example that comes to mind was the eyelid surgery brouhaha that happened during the filming of CJ7. The situation went something like this: actress Kitty Zhang Yuqi had eyelid surgery. Stephen Chow objected, saying it would disrupt filming and would cause continuity problems. Eyelid surgery or not, Chow has had issues with co-stars in the past—including Eva Huang Shengyi, Cecilia Cheung and most recently, Ng Man Tat, Chow’s regular straightman. When Chow and Yuqi barely looked at each other at CJ7’s Hong Kong premiere and the rumor spread that Chow was blocking her from a role in the Will Smith-produced “The Karate Kid” remake, many just chalked it up to Chow’s over-the-top personality. At the same time, while he’d supposedly buried the hatchet with both Cheung and Tat, Chow’s recent catty spats made me think that his self-absorbed celebrity personality from God of Cookery may be more grounded in reality than he would have us believe.

With that in mind, I set out to get some answers but clearly didn’t get the ones I wanted. Why I thought Chow wouldn’t stick to a series of scripted answers is lightyears beyond me. Not only did I fail to allot a reasonable amount of time for Chow’s answers and my questions to be translated into Mandarin, but I also pretty much ignored Jiao entirely, because, well, she’s not Mr. Shaolin Soccer.

In brief, I see this interview as an admirable bust. When push came to shove and Chow saw what I was up to—right around when he asks, “What do you mean by ‘public image?’”—I favored self-preservation to getting my questions answered. One memorable moment was when Chow started coughing on his tea and Jiao was innocently slapping him on the back with a devilish little grin. After a good ten seconds of this, Chow waved her off; he clearly wasn’t amused. Another priceless Kodak moment was when both my translator and Chow laughed at my miserable pronunciation of ‘Ng Man Tat.’ I would have laughed too but I was pretty busy trying to look serious. And now that I’ve put you to sleep, let’s get to the interview, shall we? A big thanks to Jessica Uzzan for giving me the opportunity to sit down with Chow and to Diana Lee for providing translation.

Simon Abrams (SA): How would you describe the way you approach working on a project as an actor and a director?

Stephen Chow (SC): As a director, I usually start with an idea, then I start the script and then I look for actors. I don’t necessarily feel like I have to be in the movie. If I’m unable to find actors, then I’ll play the role (laughs).

SA: That feels like a change from how you’ve made your films in the past. In CJ7, you have less of a role and that goes along with how the film is a different kind of comedy from the projects you’ve directed and starred in previously. Why was that?

SC: As a director, I wanted to challenge myself by working with children and by bringing out their talent. It’s more important for me to focus on other actors, more about the actors rather than him as an actor himself. I’m always looking for challenges and that was the challenge I gave myself for this movie.

SA: Do you consider yourself to be more of an actor or director and does it make that make much of a difference to you as a comedian?

SC: I’m more interested in being a director because that’s what’s interesting to me right now.

SA: You said that part of the inspiration for CJ7 was E.T. Why that kind of project and why now?

SC: I really wanted to make a family-friendly film, one that parents could take their kids to. Although E.T. is really popular in the United States but in Asia specifically, there aren’t really movies specifically like this. Kids don’t really have that many choices so I really wanted to make a movie for kids in Asia. I like E.T. so I also wanted to make something along those lines.

SA: What other contemporary or older influences aside from E.T. do you see in CJ7? What actors, comedians, filmmakers or any other influences have had the biggest impact in your early and recent career?

SC: I’m influenced by a lot of Japanese manga and Hong Kong cartoons. Hong Kong culture is definitely a mixture of East and West. Growing up, there were a lot of Western culture but also a lot of kung fu and martial arts films. In terms of directors, Steven Speilberg, because his films have that child-like quality that impresses me.

SA: Over the years, you've developed a reputation as a very particular performer, which is an image you seem to enjoy sending up in your films. How seriously do you take your public persona?

SC: I think the public see me now not just as an actor but as a director and as someone with ideas so people are always wondering what I’ll come up with next. I think they see me as someone that now has a reputation for directing and acting.

SA: Does your public image play a role in developing your characters?

SC: What do you mean by ‘public image?’

SA: Well, the way the public associates you with your characters.

SC: I’m always trying to challenge myself and I’m always trying to do something different as an artist. As a director, the perfect way to do that was with CJ7, which is very different from what I’ve done in the past. It’s doing pretty well throughout Asia, which speaks to the fact that it’s well accepted and while audiences are surprised by a film like this, but nevertheless they really take to it. I’m really happy with the results and so it’s something I want to continue to do.

SA: It seems like the stereotypical Stephen Chow character goes from rags-to-riches and sometimes back. Do you see that transformation from prince to pauper as part of the appeal of your characters?

SC: I understand the process of being poor and living in poverty. That’s something that’s close to my heart so it’s something that I like to explore in my films.

SA: It’s taken several years for your last few projects to come together. Why is that? What are some of the advantages of working on a single project for such a long time as compared to making films over a short period of time?

SC: It’s very strenuous to create a project from concept to completion and because I’m directing and acting in it, it will take a long time. I definitely want to collaborate on other projects just as an actor or just as a director but I feel that, right now, because of the project I’m working on, I end up having to do a lot of the things so it takes a long time. I’d like to do multiple projects at once but it’s not possible. No one has asked me to collaborate though.

SA: In that vein, is there a perception of a larger-than-life “Stephen Chow” personality as opposed to how you’d like to be perceived amongst the actors and director of the Hong Kong (film) community? Is that something that’s propagated by the Hong Kong media?

SC: I don’t think I’m perceived like that. I’m seen as an actor, director and an artist and if I do a good job in the theaters, audiences will come out and support me. Of course, if I don’t do a good job, maybe the box office won’t be as great. I’m just a regular person.

SA: How does working with an ensemble cast of fellow Hong Kong stars like in All’s Well That Ends Well compare with working with regular collaborators or new talent?

SC: I enjoy working with new talent because I feel like that’s a necessary (step in) the evolution in the industry. I was fortunate enough to have directors approach me when I was coming out so I also want to give new talent a chance. I also get a lot from working with them and I enjoy working with them, because they give me new ideas. More seasoned actors tend to be a little more predictable or technical. I’d rather have new talent that can bring out different things in my movies.

SA: Ideally, what do you look for in a co-star and what has been the foundation for your long-standing collaboration with Ng Man Tat?

SC: Ng Mat Tat is in China right now working on several different programs and we haven’t had the opportunity to work together but I’d definitely like to. With regards to working with co-stars and actors, there are really no prerequisites. It depends on what I’m looking for at the time and on the script.

SA: What did you see in Xu Jiao when you decided to cast her? Did you ever hesitate about casting a first-time child actress as a boy?

SC: When we were looking, it was very difficult to find a child actor. When we were working, we found that there were definitely more girls than boys to fit the role; girls also tend to be smarter. We felt Xu Jiao had everything: looks, personality—so the only thing was the gender, but other than that, we were willing to work with her and giver her the role.

SA (to Xu Jiao): What was working with Mr. Chow like?

XJ: My impression was that most directors are strict and will yell at you and that they’re their scary. When I first met him, I thought he’d be scary but as the production went on, she realized that he’s really nice and kind. It was very different from what she expected.

SA (to both): What are your next projects going to be like?

(XJ and SC confer and after laughing)

SC: We don’t know what our next project is going to be.

SA: How far along are you in terms of making a Kung Fu Hustle sequel?

SC: I am thinking of creating a new project similar to Kung Fu Hustle but it’s not going to be a sequel because I want to give myself a lot more room to explore and create new things in that vein.