周德邦 JACKIE CHOW, Hong Kong ACTOR. "Working Hard is FOOD for the SOUL. And yes, TOMORROW can always BE BETTER."

STOP PRESS.

Here's a personal piece on JACKIE CHOW from HONG KONG,

Rookie actor maybe, but I'll vouch for this dude anytime,

For one, he's a jolly nice fella,

In a city known for its continual bustles-and-bustles, notwithstanding the loud and bullish people, JACKIE assails you like a welcome breath of fresh air.

He'll listen to your questions intently, and answers them with zeal and zest.

His tone is genteel, earnest, without pretensions.

The lyrics of the song, "For he's a jolly good fella" couldn't have been more apt to describe him.

And he's firm about his convictions:

"I EMBRACE POSITIVISM,

I TRY TO BE HAPPY WITH MY LIFE,

I WORK HARD,

I STAY HOPEFUL," enthuses JACKIE CHOW, Hong Kong rookie actor.

AND YES, IN ALL THAT I DO, I GIVE MY BEST."

NOTHING VENTURED, NOTHING GAINED is his doctrine.

"As long as you are alive and in good health, there's always hope - even with the ruts and obstacles along the way.

I aim to stay healthy and positive with my body and mind

by keeping the 'chi' energy in balance - the ying and the yang ....

I only have one body this life time, and if I don't take good care of it, then who would?

GAMES AND HOBBIES?

I dig baseball since I was 10. Baseball shows what teamwork, camaraderie and fighting spirit are all about. From baseball I learn about how to cope with failures, about how not to make excuses in life.

I sing to release my soul (chuckles) and I compose lyrics to express my pent-up feelings.

EXPECTATIONS IN LIFE?

I wanna be free, like an eagle taking flight. I abhor boundaries and restrictions. I seek to be an artist, expressing my views of human nature through music and films ..... I do not see life through rose-tinted glasses. In fact, my formative years as an adolescent had not been easy, being brought up by strict parents. I have always wanted a creative job, something out of the normal 9-5 normal routine. And yes, I have always aspired to perform.

VIEWS ON SEX

Sex is a desire, a motivation to me sometimes (laughs). You can understand a person more through sex, yet sometimes the sexual act can destroy you morally if you are addicted to it. I lost my virginity to my second girl friend during high school. Since then, I have matured greatly ....

YOU ACTED IN A GAY GENRE FILM CALLED 'PERMANENT RESIDENCE'. YOU GET TO KISS THE LEAD OF THE FILM. WHAT WAS YOUR FEELING THEN?

Hey, I am as straight as a rod. But when I accept any challenging role, I give my all. I'll psych myself in any difficult part, to adopt the screen persona. If the script calls for me to "fall in love" with a guy, then I'll go all the way out to make myself fall in love with that REEL person, irrespective of gender or creed. That's the name of the game in acting. That's being professional.

WHAT KIND OF ROLE WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY IN FILMS?

I'd like to be experimental, to play all kinds, good or bad. Dark and comedic characters, a paradox, so to speak.

WOULD YOU APPEAR FULL FRONTAL IN ART HOUSE FILMS?

Why not? What do I stand to lose? But only if the camera flatters me, if the camera makes me look artistically good.

SINGLE OR ATTACHED?

Happily single for now. Falling in love saps up latent energy, makes me do stupid things and I cannot afford this.

Heard of this poem by SRI CHINMOY called THE BREATH OF NEW HOPE?

Day and night I shall swim

In the sweetness – hope – river.

May my mind every morning become

As beautiful as hope – dawn – rays

Peace begins

When expectation ends.

Each sacred hope

Is a blessingful gift

From Heaven’s heart.

Hope abides; therefore I abide.

Countless frustrations have not cowed me.

I am still alive, vibrant with life.

The black cloud will disappear,

The morning sun will appear once again

In all its supernatural glory."

That's summing up Hong Kong actor JACKIE CHOW in a nutshell.

"Working hard is food for the soul. And yes, tomorrow can always be better."

PHOTOGRAPHY by NORM YIP from HONG KONG for this special interview.

Thanks, NORM for the jolly nice pictures!