“薇积分”全解析

Southern Metropolitan Daily

July 18th, 2006

Zhao Wei shows her mischievous expression during the gap between the shooting of the different scenes.

Only under the direction of Pan Hong, Zhao Wei was able to look right when holding the baby in her arms.

She plays the role of a strong mother with winding fate.

Exclusive visit to the set of [Thank You For Having Loved Me] Zhao Wei goes in detail about recent rumors

Since [Moment in Peking], CCTV's major tv series which held the top ratings, and September's newly aired tv series [Che Shen], Zhao Wei once again accepted a new tv series [Thank You For Having Loved Me]. Written by Wang HuiLing, the personal script writer of An Lee, this urban drama is currently in the process of shooting in Shanghai. Zhao Wei plays the role of a magazine editor called Tan YuWei, while Pan Hong portrays her mother, Qin HaiLu her romantic rival, and Zhou YiWei her suitor. The cast is quite amazing.

However, at this time, Zhao Wei is surrounded by all kinds of "incidents". She is the "topics queen" and "boxoffice poison" according to the media, and the "poor fish" in the eyes of her fans. The major production [Thank You For Having Loved Me] became one of the major point-accumulation project of Zhao Wei. It is just as how Zhao Wei always does: no matter what you say, I do what I do. She works hard to oppose all kinds of negative rumors. People within the industry suspect that (this tv series) will once again fight for the highest ratings after [Moment in Peking].

This tv series is temporarily arranged to be aired in January of next year. On Southern Metropolitan Daily's exclusive visit to the set of [Thank You For Having Loved Me], (we) chatted closely with Zhao Wei first about the various times during the last 6 months when her Wei points were substracted, then about how many points [Thank You For Having Loved Me] can add for her.

Interview by: Qi Shuai (special reporter in Shanghai) and Wen Xuan (intern)
Photo: Ji Dong (special reporter in Shanghai)

The boxoffice poison and the false driver in media reports
--- "the boxoffice for my movies are not bad"

She was given the title of boxoffice poison, but the person who gave her the title probably doesn't even know how much her real boxoffices are. Our reporter checked the related files: the national boxoffice for the movie [Goddess of Mercy] 5 million, higher than the movie [Subway] which was in theaters during the same period; the national boxoffice for [Heroes of Heaven and Earth] is 38 million, and it was the boxoffice winner of 2003; The boxoffice of the romantic film of the literary genre [A Time to Love] is higher than [The Beauty Remains] and [A Westlake Moment], two other movies of the same category. As for TV, [Moment in Peking] created the record high ratings for CCTV last year. No wonder Zhao Wei said: the boxoffices for my movies are not bad.

Southern Metropolitan Daily (abbreviated as SMD below): Lately, it seems that you accepted to shoot quite a few works, and the roles are somewhat different from the ones before.
Zhao Wei (abbreviated as ZW below): Very different. I feel like in the recent two years, I have made a lot of improvements. This is due to the fact that I chose some roles with great potentials. The simple taxi driver in [The Longest Night in Shanghai], the girl from the northeastern province in [The Postmodern Life of My Aunt], and the single young woman who has exceeded the lawful marriage age in [Thank You For Having Loved Me], each of these role have refined me a lot, making each and every film challenging.

SMD: It seems like you are used to the title "boxoffice poison"?
ZW: I know that I am an actress. If one day I become the producer, then please accuse me for the guilt concerning the boxoffice. The boxoffice for the movies that I have performed in are not considered to be bad. Out of all the movies that I have performed in, is there one that everyone doesn't remember? Their boxoffices are either number one or number two when comparing with movies of the same genre. Of course, don't compare with Zhang YiMou's hundred-million blockbusters. The amount of the investments makes the different. The movies that I performed in are mostly of the literary genre. When people are analyzing (boxoffices), a lack of objective and scientific attitude makes the results very misleading.

SMD: Which of your works are you most satisfied with?
ZW: I'm quite satisfied with all my works. This is not bragging. [Princess Returning Pearl], there is no need to say more about it. I like [Chinese Odyssey 2002] , [Heroes of Heaven and Earth] and [Goddess of Mercy] a lot. I don't feel like they are not good, rather, they are quite good. There are some not so good ones. For those, you don't even want to talk about them. The audience would not even know about them.

SMD: Lately, during the shooting of [The Longest Night in Shanghai], (you were) accused of not knowing how to park the car?
ZW: I drive quite well. The reason that I did not park was because I wanted to come down to see if my placement was right, and to save time so that I can discuss with the director about whether there should be a retake. It (refering to the incident) was probably because people don't know how we work around here. Also, the shooting takes place at late night, there are basically no one on the streets. Beside my car are the cars of the staff. So there is no danger of any kind.

SMD: Apart from filming so many movies and tv series, you also release music albums, read books, and take the entrance exam for the master's degree. Would all these make you loose your focus?
ZW: I usually sing in my everyday life. Bascially, I listen to all kinds of music everyday. This way, when you (meaning herself) receive the songs to be recorded for the music album, you would have an idea as to how you would sing it. I mostly listen to instrumental music. I also like to listen to the radio. Reading books is also to satisfy some needs for my work life. I often discuss with friends about what kind of stories to film. Procuders get headaches about what to film. If you can give him suggestins, he would be very excited. I also want to find works that I would want to perform in. So I read novels like how I would read scripts. As for pursuing a master's degree, I want to make myself more professional.

SMD: Did you take out time to review for the master's exam?
ZW: I reserved two weeks to review, but I didn't have to stay up late. For exams, it would nly be hard if you don't know it. A lot of the things tested were things that I knew. For example, for politics, you would know that it would for sure test you on the major events this year, such as the Three Representatives (political slogan). The direction of the exam would be known by just watching the news. The artistic courses are mostly related to the accumulation of knowledge from my career. Lastly, I had to write an essay, which was not hard for me. We learned of the theories when we were in university. Perforning theories are the literarition or the scientific explanation of the performing thoughts. If you have understood the essence of performing, it would only take you once to remember the professional vocabulary. (I) learned the theories in university, and proved those theories continually through performing roles. This is why the testing of professional theories for performing and directing is very easy for us.

SMD: Would you reduce your workload when you start to do your master's degree?
ZW: It would take 3 years to do it. It is based on credits, so it would be more free time-wise. I don't necessarily have to reduce the number of works I perform in. When (I am) not studying, performing in a movie to see how the director shoots the movie is just like going to class to learn. Now, everything I do has something to do with my profession: reading books, watching directors shoot movies, chatting with script writers.

The rich girl and the hellcat in the eyes of the media
---"My home is one bedroom and one living room" (conventional way to describe a 3 and a half in Mainland China, meaning the apartment has one bedroom and one living room), "What's wrong with chewing gum?"

Apart from her work, there are endless negative reports about Zhao Wei. Some say that she bought several mansions in Beijing, others say that she bought a 20 million mansion in Shanghai recently, also owning two BMWs, a Dodge Ram, an Audi A6, and a 3 million Porsche. She is described as a hellcat, hitting and swearing at reporters, and calling 110 (equivalent of 911). She is also accused of not having a good physical posture since she chewed gum while she was attending an fashion event......at the same time, there are media analysis which states that Zhao Wei's value is no less than 7 million. How can someone buy a 50 million mansion plus 5 luxury cars? When she chewed gum while attending a fashion event in June, she was described to be fat. Apart from the fact that there is no relevent links between chewing gum and being fat, Zhao Wei who appeared in front of the eyes of our reporters is quite slim.

Reporter: Recently, there has been rumors about you buying mansions. Are these all yours?
Zhao: None of these houses are mine. I live by myself and my parents are not nearby. Why would I want so many houses? Even if I wanted to promote for real estates, this would not be the way to do it. Now I can tell everyone, my home is just one bedroom and one living room. It is very small, and it located in an apartment in Beijing. I use the living room both as a living room and a study. It is very comfy, and wouldn't make people feel empty. Many of my friends who have came to visit my home all thought, how come your home is so small.

Reporter: What about those cars?
Zhao: How is it possible? I don't like to drive. I have a driver, so I rarely drive by myself. Although I do have a van.

Reporter: (You) clashed directly with reporters a while ago, and called the police?
Zhao: Yes. I don't believe that celebrities can't do what an average person does. Some people feel that celebrities should be available for photos to be taken, and be in working mode 24 hours a day. I feel that it is wrong to be unable to live like an average person in the 24 hours. The situation that day was that I was with friends when we saw reporters. I wanted to bypass them so I went to the parking lot. Then a few built men came up to me, with the microphone directly pushed to my chest, and the cameras shooting upward from my feet. I feel that I was harassed, so I called 110. I think that the media and the artiste should respect each other. There were no chance to discuss with them. My first reaction was that the two of us were in danger. Also, I was not in working. Calling 110 is my right has a citizen.

Reporter: What about the incident with gum chewing? The report said that both Lam ChiLing and Kim YoonJin were kept company by the upper management of the brand. You were the only one by yourself. Was it really like this?
Zhao: Aye, I really don't get it. What's wrong with chewing gum? Is there any problem with it? I closed my mouth and smiled when I was in working mode to let the media take pictures. I only chewed a bit when I was by myself in a corner. How is this without manners? I can say that it is to have fresh breath so that I can be more respectiful to others. Also, I was definitely not on my own. There were people keeping me company all along.

Using [Thank You For Having Loved Me] to unfold the equation for Wei points

Good script + challenge + work seriously + role with hardships

She trusts Wang HuiLing's script +5 points

Zhao Wei chooses plays mostly according to the script. She goes to perform in it when the script is interesting. She would not go if only the role is interesting. It is because she believes that a play is something that's comprehensive. When Zhao Wei read the script for [Thank You For Having Loved Me], she felt that it was hard to portray, not as easy as her role in [The Longest Night in Shanghai]. She trusts Wang HuiLing's scripts because she likes the emotional aspect of Wang's scripts. This script portrayed the relationship between the female protagoinst Tan YuWei and her mother, father as well as three very different men. These relationships develops the different layers of the protagonist, making her character especially rich. Zhao Wei feels that the dialogues are especially brilliant in depicting the emotions of the characters, and not being shallow.

"Fell in love with a married man" quite new +4 points

Like [The Longest Night in Shanghai] and [The Postmodern Life of My Aunt], [Thank You For Having Loved Me] also has things that Zhao Wei had never tried before. One example would be that she has never had so many men loving her in any of the previous works. Married man, boring man and the subordinate played by Zhou YiWei, they all fell in love with her. In the same residential region, often it would be one of them who escorted Zhao Wei home while another came to pick her up. The leading actress doesn't change, while the leading actor changes endlessly. For Zhao Wei, fell in love with a married man is something that she has never experience before. Another challenge is for her to play a woman who has never had a boyfriend at an age where she should have had quite a few boyfriends. If not well controlled, such a role would be hated by the audience, because people's sympathies are with the leading actors who truthfully gave their love but didn't get anything in the end. Zhao Wei's biggest challenge would be how to portray her to be cute and beautiful for the audience.

Tightened shooting schedule, just as she wished +3 points

The shooting process for [Thank You For Having Loved Me] is as follows: the director assigns homework after a day's work has ended. Actors and actresses go back to memorize their lines and think about each action, facial emotion and position that would be filmed tomorrow. The next day, it would be communication time first. (Zhao Wei) communicates with the director and the actors that she will be performing with. There would be two test runs before the actual filming of the scene starts. When problems arise during the process of shooting, everyone stop to discuss about the problem. Zhou YiWei revealed that when they were not shooting, the most that they talked about is still about the series. This has been Zhao Wei's way of working: very serious. When she is working, her life is very healthy, so simple that it is boring. There would be nothing else that she would do apart from sleeping, reading scripts, filming, and eating. She feels that work is not a play. She likes a serious working environment. She especially dislike playing around while shooting. Little jokes here an there are ok, but everyone should combine their energy to do one common thing.

"Being through hardships" It would be just right to confront it +3 points

The charming part of Tan YuWei is her sincerity and persistence. There are no lies in her life. This are not only the reason that she suffers the most, but also the qualities that Zhao Wei consider to ressembles herself the most. The character grows up in a single parent family and becomes pregnant as a single mother herself. She gets engaged to someone she doesn't love, and remains by herself in the end. And her mother passed away on the day that she resolves their conflict. All these qualified for Zhao Wei's rule of thumb to choosing roles: confronting difficult roles. Zhao Wei feels that if a character goes through hardships and uneasiness, the audience would enjoy watching it. In contrast, if there's nothing significant about the role, then the audience wouldn't feel anything significant about the role.

Comments from the crew

"I wouldn't have accepted (to direct/to perform in) this drama if Zhao Wei was not here" +5 points (bonus)

Direcot Fu DongYu: If if was not for Zhao Wei, I would not have wanted to accept this tv series. The emotions in this series is very complicated, requiring actors to have a lot of potentials. Zhao Wei is someone who demands a lot of herself. She has the simplicity and innocence of a child, so (her emotions) can be easily manipulated and she expresses (these emotions) naturally. She is very smart, and she especially live to communicate with the director. Out of this 30-episode series, at least 7000 shots were planned beforehand. Zhao Wei also gave 110 days for the series, giving us enough time to get into the feel.

Pan Hong: I have collaborated with Zhao Wei back in [Moment in Peking]. She has great potentials. In recent years, she has been transforming from huadan roles to qingyi roles. Now she can portray either kind of roles. She learns and understands really fast.

Zhou YiWei: when we are together, we basically always discuss about the series. She is super serious. I feel that it is rather easy to communicate with her. The thing that touched me the most was that she would be into her role even if the camera was not taking her, so that she can spark the emotions in her partner (who is being filmed).

A list of the Wei points in 2006 (100 being the perfect score)

Date---Incident---Points

End of last year to beginning of this year: participated in the movie [My Aunt's Postmodern Life]. Directed by An Hui and starring Chow Yun-fat and Si Qingsowa. +10 points

January: Won the most popular female singer award for "the 12th Chinese Music Awards". +10 points

May: Shot the movie [The Longest Night in Shanghai]. Directed by Zhang YiBai and starring (Masahiro Motoki), Naoto takenaka, Guo PinChao, and Takashi Tsukamoto. However, the scene that she asked someone else to do the parking for her was also caught on camera by the reporters, thus her driving skills were been questions. 0 points

May: On the news conference for [The Longest Night in Shanghai], the title "boxoffice poison" was brought up again (by the media). -10 points

May: Won the favorite singer award for the China region at MTVASIA Awards. +20 points

May: Selected as one of the 100 beautiful people in the world on United States' People magazine. +15 points

June: Chewed gum during a fashion event. -5 points

June: Accused of giving attitudes to reporters and calling the police to protect herself. -5 points

June: Shot the tv series [Thank You For Having Loved Me]. Script written by the renown WAng HuiLing, and Pan Hong, Qin HaiLu and Zhou YiWei participated in the performance. +15 points

June: Passed the entrance exam to becoming a graduate student in directing with high scores. +20 points

June: Won the most populter female actress award for Mainland China at the "Top Chinese TV Drama" awards. +10 points

July: Rumored to have a 20 million mansion in Shanghai plus 3 mansions in Beijing. -5 points

July: Rumored to have bought a 3 million Porsche on top of the existing 2 BMWs, a Dodge Ram, and a Audi A6. -5 points

Current score: 70 points

Notes from Interview

Those rumors, she talk about them like jokes.

Before interviewing Zhao Wei, (I) didn't have an idea about how it would be. There were just too many rumors about her that I couldn't tell beforhand how she would react. The relationship between the "problem queen" (title given by the media) and the media is quite at swords' point. Yet what I was going to talk to her about were those negative news that got her to be a poor fish. I was ready to have her gave me attitudes and pretending to answer yet not giving me any precise answer.

When first seeing Zhao Wei, she was among the crew, wearing a simple white t-shirt and grey shorts. It was hard to recognize her. Later on, I interviewed her in an empty room in the hospital. Zhao Wei and I sat face to face on the hospital beds. She's very relaxed and free, doing what she wants to whenever she felt like it, whether it's crossing her leg, smoking or playng with her hair... She's not distant (from us). Straightforward, natural yet cute, the interview proceeded like chatting, which was a great relief on our part.

For those rumors that were suppose to bring uneasiness upon her, she didn't try to avoid those at all. Rather, she spoke of them like jokes, then seriously expressed her thoughts. She was not overprotective of her opinions and didn't avoid anything. She also had some very straightforward pet phrases such as "aye-yo" and "mah-yah". Nonetheless, she was also very protective of herself. She knew very well what can be said and what should rest with her. When it came to her love life, she said nothing about it, though her refusal was quite polite. She told the reporter that indeed she doesn't know how to manage her relationship with the media, although now, she started to study and to read the newspaper. She also tried to be more efficient and to say more about some things.

On the set, she is not a big shot. She is only a big-eyed actress who tries very hard to play her role. (She) carefully ponder upon each expression, and doesn't turn down the director's request to do a retake during critical moments. (She) repeatedly retake the crying scenes, letting her tears roll down repeatedly. The shooting that day was very tight since the set was located in a real hospital where there are strict regulations about the time periods that the crew can film. The crew was also disturbed by enthusiastic audiences who came out of nowhere from time to time. The scenes (that day) were quite heavy (emotionally). Under the huge lighting which gave off a lot of heat, the temperature inside the room climbed up drastically, making the whole crew irritable. Zhao Wei, who was concealed in the bed quilts, was sweating endlessly, but she didn't complain at all. She happily kissed the 2-month-old baby who was "borrowed" for filming purposes.

Such a Zhao Wei is drastically different from the Zhao Wei that people would get to know if they read all kinds of news. She is maturer than how she was back in the little swallow period and simpler than how she is in rumors.

reporter Qi Shuai

Translated by ShenXianMeiMei (Canada)