Gallen Harbour

Continued from Transcript (1)

The following transcript is not a news article, so please do not repost elsewhere. Thanks.

Cross-references:

• Vietnamese Transcript by Uyentam

• Chinese Transcript by 粉色梦呓

Photos: Baidu

The “Wooden Figure” Lo Ka Leung

S: When you first started, many commented that Lo Ka Leung was (as stiff as) a wooden stick. Upon hearing such criticism, you must have felt terrible.

G: Yes, of course.

S: What did you do to overcome?

G: I didn’t think I was so bad…

S: You thought those criticisms were unreasonable, perhaps?

G: Something like that. I thought since I was trying my best already, it didn’t quite make sense that it wasn’t there. But a year or two passed by and those criticisms didn’t go away. I wanted to cry out - all of us needed a way to earn a living, you used a pen, I sold my act, why couldn’t you possibly leave me a way out? Then later while chatting with a close friend, it suddenly dawned on me “But they might very well speak the truth. If so, I probably need to try even harder, make it even better, right?” Thinking back years later, I thanked them for what had been written. It truly was a motivation.

S: Did you ever think of reaching out, mingling with those reporters, giving them friendlier treatment, and hoping they would not write so harshly about you? Have you ever done so?

G: No, I haven’t. I do, however, have friends who work as reporters. Whenever we meet, we are nice toward one another. But so far I’ve never purposely set up appointments with them. I believe the only one you could count on is yourself. You have to do what you do well, you have to show everyone that you could do it, then naturally people will acknowledge your effort.

S: Which series or scene was it - when you felt that you’d improved and learned how not to be a wooden stick? What was that turning point?

G: “Vengeance”, since…

S: Ah, Kiu Lik!

G: Yes, Kiu Lik. He was an antagonist, very evil, but it made sense how he became such a person.

S: Weren’t you worried about the challenges of (portraying) an antagonist?

G: I wasn’t. The fact is I had stuck with the good characters for years up to that point - 8, 10 years into my career, and…

S: And yet no breakthrough? hahaha

G: No breakthrough, I was so sure I was doomed, haha… So when Kiu Lik came, I just, well… When the series was aired, my character was doing fine. But after that came nothing much, not a single note-worthy role. That wasn’t a very optimistic period of time.

10 Years of Struggling

S: After you finished with Kiu Lik and no other good role came along, you continued to struggle. Has it ever crossed your mind - the thought about leaving showbiz?

G: No. I wouldn’t have known what else I could do (once I left showbiz), would I?

S: Dead end?

G: Yes, dead end! Then I was thinking, no, more like trying to convince myself - This was my job, a job. And the pay was okay…

S: But you were miserable! I’ve read some tabloids who said you had to save a lunch box for both lunch and dinner?

G: Well…

S: That was true?

G: The worst for us actors back then was attending function. Unlike nowadays when everyone has sponsors, back then we didn’t. Whenever there was a function, half of your monthly salary would go into your attire. From about $3000 (HKD) you were left with $1500, and you’re doomed. We dreaded those press conferences and functions, but there was only one option left: you have to act really well, you have to make a name for yourself, or else you’d have to play with the (financial) balance.

S: Someone commented that the reason Gallen Lo Ka Leung had to wait for such a long time for a chance to make his name was because of his lack in socializing skill or rather, his lack of socializing. How do you think? Is it correct?

G: Yes, it was like that for a long period of time. Back then the first floor of the TVB building was for us actors, while the fourth floor was for directors and producers… I can’t remember exactly when, but one day it shot through me… “Hey Lo Ka Leung, shouldn’t you try to come up to the fourth floor more often?”

S: Just passing by so at least the directors and producers could learn about your existence, huh?

G: Just passing by, haha… It wasn’t so bad, was it? But it all depended on your perspective. A very close friend of mine once teased me “Gallen, I was walking so far away and you still said hi? Isn’t it a bit too obvious?” What could I say? He was a friend and I really did want to say hi. I felt okay, and since then I tried to become more initiative.

S: Did it really help?

G: Somewhat. I thought of each series I filmed as a harbour I had reached. Once a person got to know me, he would recognize my ability, and that mustn’t be a bad thing… At least I wouldn’t be out of jobs.

S: At least they’d think of you?

G: Yes, exactly. The most important thing is still how you treat others.

S: You have reached so many harbours, which one was particularly helpful to you?

G: I can’t really pinpoint…

S: Hey, be honest, will you?! Which one?

G: I guess that must be uncle Tommy [Leung Ka Shu]

S: “Cold Blood Warm Heart”!

G: Yes, “Cold Blood Warm Heart”. I talked to him quite often, chatting, asking for advices. When filming of CBWH wrapped up, he gave me some suggestions. “If you would like to earn the audience’s affection, consider switching to comedies!” That was his advice. “Old Time Buddy” had yet been announced at the point, so he asked me whether I’d like to try “I haven’t told anyone”, he added.

S: And he told you?

G: Uh huh

S: I think what he tried to say was “I think you should try, but any consequences won’t be my responsibility!”, wasn’t it? hahaha…

G: No, hahaha… Well, such a chance would revive or it would kill, but I felt since my life wasn’t so significant, let me just give it another try. It went something like this “Geez, I’ve been on this line of business for 9, 10 years and couldn’t make a decent name. I deserve to just disappear. Haizzz, nobody would ever invite me to be on the cover page. That’s it. I’m done.”

S: Even when you divorced, and still, nobody asked you to be on the cover, hahhaha

G: See, I just am not worth it, hahaha… But, well, thoughts like that just… came.

The Tear Has Once Dropped

S: Have you ever compared yourself with your peers? How everyone had been moving well ahead, while you dragged behind?

G: The closest must be On Chai [Roger Kwok Chun On]. He had plenty of opportunities and established his name much sooner than I.

S: Have you thought out the reason why?

G: (My guess was) during “The Final Verdict”, his character was acted out much better than mine. I still remember very vividly that one scene we had on a boat, a director - who doted on and admired On Chai for his acting - told him to “Please be careful, don’t let yourself drop into the sea… If anything ever happened to you…” That instance left such a deep impression and a feeling like “That’s the attention you get for having acting well and being famous”. It felt almost like a pang.

S: Attention, don’t fall into the sea! hahaha…

G: You can’t fall into the sea. We couldn’t do without you. It was just natural for me to feel that way that day, but if you ask me whether it was envy or jealousy, then I must say neither. I do think On Chai acted very well there, it was really touching.

S: Even if there was some jealousy between you, I think it’s fine. After all you two are peers. You roomed together, and even shared a (roasted pork) rice bowl!

G: No, haha, no, there wasn’t. It did feel a little awkward, however, when you had too much time during breaks on set where no one bothered to interview you. I had to go find someone I knew to talk to… It was all about, well, how to face it. Back then sometimes I would think about the Four Heavenly Kings, wondering how they would be oh-so-famous.

S: Which one exactly? Kwok Fu Sing [Aaron]?

G: No, I think…

S: Lai Ming [Leon]?

G: I…

S: Jacky? hahaha

G: … (smile)

S: Who, exactly?

G: Well, one of them. I think…

S: Come on, just say who it was. It’s been ages, no one would mind.

G: Well, take Lai Ming for example…

S: hahaha, he didn’t sing well?

G: Oh no, not that. We filmed together once, and I thought “Well, what he could do, I could, too. He sings, I sing. He’s good-looking, and I’m not so bad”, hahaha, I was…

S: I’m good-looking too, you know!

G: I actually thought I was okay. How can I have such thinking? Well, I actually thought this world really wasn’t so fair, hahaha…

S: Many would think the same way!

G: Of course later when you had time to think back, you began to realize what people had and you really lacked.

S: What did he have that you lacked? What did you think Leon has?

G: What he had was charm. I lacked charm.

S: You were very thin then?

G: Very thin, and my acting was indeed horrible. He was deservingly well-known.

S: Since you were so thin, let feed you here!

G: lol

The One I Would Challenge

S: Before you became famous, which artist would be your choice to be challenged?

G: I had none. I didn’t want to be compared to anyone. When reporters asked me if I had a favorite HK artist, I boldly said that I didn’t have anyone in mind, and hence I wouldn’t be able to answer the question, lol.

S: You probably thought of yourself as the most suitable one?

G: Sometimes I caught some rumors about other artists on tabloids, and the feelings I had were, well, something similar to… satisfying. It was just human nature that I succumbed to. I knew it was terrible to admit such feeling, and that I should never ever think that way. See, at the end of the day, one’s most formidable enemy is… oneself. If you yourself can’t take good care of your own business, it wouldn’t matter how worse or better off others are.

S: So during those days at rock bottom, had you a best friend in showbiz?

G: Yes, Al Wai.

S: How about On Chai?

G: On Chai and I seldom met during this time

S: Didn’t you room together?

G: Yes, we did, for a while when it was tougher…

S: You were together when it was tough, and no longer so when he was famous?

G: It must be quite tough for him still after becoming famous.

S: Him? How can life be so tough for someone famous?

G: Yes, it can.

S: Why so?

G: Well, take my case for example. In 1997 “Old Time Buddy” was famous, but if you think I would afford to buy anything I’d like or eat anything I’d wish, then well it’s way too early. Whether we were at that point of being financially stable as we might have appeared so, I can say no, we weren’t.

Three Best Actor Awards: Didn’t Come Easily

S: With your success came fame. From 1996 you have won Best Actors three times, with “Old Time Buddy”, “Secret of the Hearts”, and “Golden Faith” in 2002. People said it was amazing how you collected that many, haha…

G: Yes, I’ve heard. The second time I got the award for “Secret”, I stayed home with an article which made me burst.

S: What was said in that article?

G: Briefly about how the award was rigged, and how I didn’t deserve it. I closed the paper, asking myself why it must be so. It was true that everyone had tried the best, but then I, too, had also tried my best. I came that far, I achieved something… Must you comment so negatively? Must you put such spins? Then in retrospect, I must admit there were a few things which happened around that time, things that I myself couldn’t accept. As if a portion of my inner world had collapsed. People asked to my face whether I knew ahead of time that I would win. Many suspected so, but I really did not know, and I could take an oath on that. Of course I felt honored and lucky, very lucky, to have won thrice. Then when I decided to leave in 2003, I told myself “Three awards, that’s quite enough!”, haha

S: hahaha, must leave then…

G: Leave or die!

S: That was the reason you left TVB?

G: Of course not. I was just trying to be a little adventurous, hoping to step another step, learn a few new things.

S: And this’d better be the main reason!

G: It is.

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