“Not many people know how to choose, even fewer choose the right person. Don’t feel guilty for making a correct decision.”
When David Chiang spoke this line in “Under the Sun,” he probably never imagined that it could bring metaphysical power to various wandering souls, and even more surprisingly, like tailored clothing, it fits perfectly on actors who continue to pursue their dreams.
Actress Yu Xiangning and newcomer Xu Yuexiang were nominated for Best Actress and Best Newcomer at the 42nd Golden Horse Awards this year for their roles in “Under the Sun.” As the dust settled, Yu Xiangning took a deep breath and walked onto the stage to receive the award for Best Actress. In a dramatic moment, she remained calm and composed, saying, “As a woman, no matter what stage of life, you can always strive to pursue your dreams!” Both on and off the screen, she embodies the hidden message of “Under the Sun”: even the smallest change in the world is a beautiful thing.
Entertainers are not as good as healers
Interview brought back to the countdown of the Golden Horse Awards 3 days ago, at that time, the luck of Yu Xiangning (Jennifer) and Xu Yuexiang (Xiang Xiang) was unknown, but the word “happiness” was definitely obtained just a word away.
On Jennifer: Black knit dress from Tory Burch
Just like Jennifer condensed the progress of getting married and having two children before the age of 30, although she had no ambition to rush, with a family on her left hand and a career blessed by the queen of the screen on her right hand, the genius who handed in the exam paper early without intending to is the most enviable.
Having a family, I feel content, as if I already have the most precious thing. I used to worry a lot about the future, constantly thinking about what might go wrong and how I would handle it if I lost my job… This anxiety clearly extended to my acting, and surprisingly, after giving birth and filming “Yuanlu Mountain Corner,” everyone unanimously felt that I had become more relaxed in my performance. After having children, I no longer need to pursue fame and fortune deliberately, and my mindset and acting have become more relaxed; also, because I can’t connect with my children through language and baby talk, unexpectedly, it has opened up another kind of sensitivity in me, making me more emotionally attuned in acting.
On the other hand, Xiang Xiang, who was originally studying accounting in college, couldn’t convince herself to let boring numbers dominate her life even after two years. She couldn’t connect with numbers emotionally, so she transferred to the drama department of the performing arts school. In less than four years, before graduating from the performing arts school, she had already landed roles in Viu TV dramas “Blossoms” and “White War” as Qu Jia Chun and journalist Jess, respectively.
On Jennifer: Black knit dress from Tory Burch
“APA introduced me to the concept of performance, rather than just learning how to perform. Truly entering the world of theater, although I am still learning various on-the-spot reactions and experiences, I already feel incredibly amazed by the ability to experience different lives through acting work. The fact that ordinary people have the ability to influence those around them is already remarkable, and I never thought before that actors or movies could even impact society.” In this regard, Jennifer, nodding in agreement, also acknowledges that the power of actors is far greater than imagined, especially when facing the audience directly after each performance, providing entertainment for 2-3 hours, and even healing various types of trauma, which is actually another achievement of actors.
On Jennifer: Black tweed jacket from Versace
The actor’s job is to live.
“Meeting a certain character” is a common expression for all award-winning actors. It may seem overly polite, but newcomers like Xiang Xiang can understand that actors are chosen by the character: “Rather than saying you have the ability to be the main character, most of the time it depends on whether you are suitable for the role. Nowadays, directors prefer to choose actors who are close to the character’s personality. If the character’s personality is like this, and it is too far from your own temperament, then other favorable conditions are in vain. Since I am quite sensitive, once I get the role, I can quickly switch to imagining the character’s perspective. To give an analogy, it’s like falling into a barrier.”
Acting is a side issue. In a society where everything is about being “down-to-earth,” the lament is that the public has already extinct stars, in other words, turning actors into stars. Jennifer said, “Actors can blend in, can have a life, because one of the responsibilities of actors is to ‘feel life,’ focusing on daily life in order to apply it to acting. In my mind, a shining star cannot possibly go out without makeup to pick up and drop off their children, occasionally being recognized as a ‘star’ on the street, I would just play dumb and say ‘I’m an actor, I’m an actor.'” It turns out that the busy life of an actor is real, having to do homework while living, unable to separate from acting at any time.
Jennifer continued, “In some personality tests, it has been shown that my level of ‘self-centeredness’ is shallow. In other words, I am more flexible in acting, as I can easily understand the intentions of the characters. In handling characters, I suppress my emotions, especially when I, as Yu Xiangning, look at the real event in ‘Under the Sun,’ which is not the emotional state of the character Ling Xiaoqi. I remember on the first day of rehearsal, I already had emotions that I couldn’t hold back and cried, but the director said Ling Xiaoqi couldn’t cry, so I had to work harder to suppress both my own and the character’s emotions.”
On Jennifer: Black tweed jacket & Washed jeans, Both from Versace
Inspiration from the trail
Looking back on the past of the two, the way they followed life seemed so natural. Like Yu Xiangning, who was tall and beautiful, naturally became a model, and then naturally moved on to acting and singing in the entertainment industry; Xu Yuexiang stepped into the performing arts academy with one foot, and naturally followed suit to step onto the stage with the other foot.
The two of them are so obedient and compliant in nature that they are also criticized for not being bold enough in their acting methods. Xiang Xiang said, “During APA, I was once evaluated by a teacher as not daring enough in my interpretive methods, being in a state of being confined, and not bringing surprises to the audience.” Jennifer also added, “Sometimes in Improvisation, I tend to use a certain positive method straightforwardly, and drama instructor Qiu Songwei (Ah Ji) once said I’m like a model student ‘doing well, but lacking breakthroughs, sometimes a bit too restrained, the audience will be pleasantly surprised. The solution is to constantly learn from actors or artistic works, learn diverse thinking in creation from them. All artistic works, including films, literature, fine arts, etc., pose a question for viewers to reflect on, whether on systems or interpersonal relationships, it will definitely bring about positive changes.”
Xiang Xiang also admitted that she only has a limited understanding of art creation: “Appreciating art is not just about understanding, but also feeling indescribable intangible emotions, which is probably the way art communicates with society.” As she spoke, it turned out that art has been intertwined with Jennifer’s life for a long time. The name “Xiang Ning” is taken from the late Chinese artist and revolutionary He Xiangning, which explains why she subtly exudes a hint of feminism in her acceptance speech at the Golden Horse Awards.
Photographer: Karl Lam
Art Direction: Karl Lam & Mimi Kong
Styling: Mimi Kong
Videographer: Kason Tam & Zenus Ng
Video Edit: Kason Tam & Zenus Ng
Set Designer: Lit
Interview & Text: Ms. A
Makeup: Lavinia Tang (Jennifer), Heisan Hung (Vanora)
Hair: Ken Hui @ Artify Lab (Jennifer), Haffman Cheng @ Yonda Hair (Vanora)
