Chow Yun-fat: The Simple Way from Actor to Star, Acting and Success

The movie 'Don't Call Me 'God of Gamblers'' held a 'Theatrics in Life' press conference today, where lead actor Chow Yun-fat shared his secrets of shaping characters over the years. He also expressed his view that actors nowadays tend to overcomplicate their performances, stating, 'Nowadays, being an actor is different from being a star. Being an actor is hard work, while being a star is much simpler.'

Chow Yun-fat: It's simple for us as actors. Don't overthink it. Just follow the script, listen to the director's instructions, and don't add unnecessary embellishments. Stay focused and keep it simple. Acting is actually quite straightforward. I feel that actors today make it too complicated. Do you understand what I mean? Don't act too much. Don't show the audience that you're acting and how well you're doing it. You're living a life, not acting. That's success.

There's only one thing: when you're on set, you must know both your lines and the other person's lines by heart. In the past, we didn't have many retakes. We would perform the entire scene before doing additional shots. So, you have to be precise. There was a scene where I wasn't the main character but a supporting role. You have to fulfill your responsibilities and not steal the scene. It's about the collaboration between two actors. Nowadays, some actors go overboard and don't know their boundaries. We are in the service industry, and our job is to portray the characters written by the screenwriters.

Nowadays, being an actor is different from being a star. Actors and stars are not the same. Being an actor is hard work, while being a star is much simpler.