Director Feng Xiaogang tries a career in acting
- By Zhang Rui
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E-mail China.org.cn, September 7, 2015
Chinese director Feng Xiaogang has become an actor for Chinese director Guan Hu's latest work, "Mr. Six," which will hit screens in December.
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| Cast and crew, including director Guan Hu, director-turned-actor Feng Xiaogang, and new star Wu Yifan, pose for photos at a press conference in Beijing to promote the new gangster film "Mr. Six," on Sept. 6, 2015. [Photo / China.org.cn] |
"I'm director Feng no more, now I'm actor Feng," said Feng Xiaogang at the press conference held in Beijing on Sunday. "I'm newcomer to the world of acting."
Recently, many actors and writers have decided to become directors. Feng has acted in the opposite way, which has made people very curious about how he’ll deliver and how he discussed his new role with the film's director Guan Hu.
"I'm very excited," Feng said of why he agreed to act in the film, "Guan's script is very good and is very challenging for actors. And Guan, a great director, can carry on the good practices from the last generation of filmmakers and inspire the next. He gave me, as an actor, a great feeling of safety and he is trustworthy. He also taught me a lot as a director."
Feng denied he had intervened in the directing job. "I'm an actor now, I have been thinking about my performance and there is no room for other things." He added he might not pursue his acting career in the future. "I felt I would prefer being a director in the future. I can't act in other film genres aside from that of 'Mr. Six'. "
Feng Xiaogang previously had several memorable and funny cameo performances in blockbusters such as Jiang Wen's "In the Heat of the Sun"(1995), "Let the Bullets Fly" (2010) and Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu Hustle" (2004).
"Mr. Six" tells the crime story of an old gang member, a group of people often referred to as "lao pao'er" in the Beijing dialect. In his 50’s, he realizes that he has been slowly abandoned by society for adhering to his traditional ways. Though left feeling emotionally empty when his mischievous son causes trouble on the streets, the gang member gathers his old pals and teaches the younger gang members a lesson they will remember for a lifetime.
Director Guan Hu said he was afraid to work with Feng at the beginning, "I'm in awe, because he is a big shot director. But we are both exploring how to work together."
Guan said Feng immersed himself in the role very quickly, "In three to five days, he found it. And he made me feel like he wasn’t acting. He was actually the man; the character seemed to really exist. He has helped me learn more about acting performances overall."
The film, starring Feng as well as rising stars Wu Yifan and Li Yifeng, will close the 72nd Venice International Film Festival in a non-competitive screening. The festival runs until Sept. 12.
"Mr. Six" will debut in China on Dec. 24, 2015, during the Christmas and New Year film season which was once perennially dominated by Feng Xiaogang's blockbuster comedies.
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