While Louisa was busy performing the 20 shows of A Serenade, her boyfriend Poon Chan Leung got another job, which was a series of SM photos for Teresa Cheung, portraying a policeman.
Although Ms Cheung thanked her co-star for getting her into character, she didn't even know his name, only saying: "He is an actor with the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, I think his last name is Poon."
Coming from the theatre world, no matter how well you act, in the end you only have a last name.
Back then, Louisa and her boyfriend joined the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre in the same year, one chose to leave, one chose to stay. She left because she clearly knew a drama would attract only a few thousand people, while television would attract a few million audience members each night. So she decided to leave her stable government-owned Repertory Theatre job and joined TVB to film Kindred Spirit.
"In the end, people who act want more people to watch their performances."
Afterwards, she was considered for the second lead actress role in the movie Hu Du Men. Josephine Siao recommended Louisa to the director, but she lost to guaranteed-box-office-hit Anita Yuen.
Louisa will not fight for screen-time, but within her own boundaries, she will work hard for something. (fighting or working hard for something, is described by using a pun on two words with the same pronunciation hei, film and air)
Working hard for twelve years, she has finally become the Best Actress in a Musical, with A Serenade ending on a high note. Although when she returns to television, she frequently plays middle-aged roles, she has a fan club. She is regularly praised for her intelligence and dedication. The Miss Hong Kongs need to sharpen their acting, and she has been forced to act as a coach. Also, she has just become a homeowner, and the value of her property has increased by ten percent....everything is going smoothly, finally she has fought back something.
Deciding to buy property after a change in attitude
Louisa has recently bought property, which is a townhouse in Clearwater Bay. The day when she went to the solicitor's office to sign the contract was the morning of the 11th performance of A Serenade. She didn’t sleep well the night before, and the next morning when she woke up, she was really worried that she wouldn't perform well that night.
Arriving at the solicitor’s office, the realtor told her: "You bought this house at the right time, property values are in a downturn, and now with the freedom of mainlanders to come into Hong Kong, property values have risen, and until now, your house has increased its value by ten percent."
The feeling of being a first-time homeowner has its ups and downs, and hearing those words, she has calmed down. Luckily the performance that night was without a hitch.
Living by herself, she has rented for 8 years, and has moved wherever she liked. She never thought she would be connected to a house. Her attitude has suddenly changed this year, wanting to setting down.
"This change has come suddenly. I don't even know why this has happened. Maybe its because I am getting older."
She has dated boyfriend Poon Chan Leung for eight years, and their relationship is stable. Asked if she bought this property jointly with her boyfriend, she replied: "This is a secret, but we have no intention to marry yet. We like our current situation, and we are really happy. We don’t think marriage will make us any happier. Over these past eight years, we have thought about marriage at different times, but these thoughts have never surfaced with either one of us at the same time."
Love lost and being found
Poon Chan Leung is a full time actor with the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at this year's Hong Kong Drama Awards, with which Louisa won Best Actress in a Musical for Between Life and Death.While she was on stage accepting her award, the presenters asked if she would marry her boyfriend if he also won his category. She laughed and said: "Ok..." Later, she changed her words and said "If he gets the award, I will be dead."
The love story between Louisa and Poon Chan Leung, is one of love lost and being found. They were classmates at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, where both of them were acting majors. At the time, she had many guys chasing after her, with Poon Chan Leung being one of them. He made a gold "Louisa" keyring for her to show his love. Although she was touched by that gesture, she thought his personality was too dull, and she chose another guy.
After graduating in 1991, they both joined the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, and in this awkward situation became colleagues. After 5 years, each broke up with their respective other half, and their relationship began while filming The Umbrella Story.
Louisa said she has had two relationships. Her first love was near obsessive, and after separating from her boyfriend, she moved to the same apartment block he was living in, and hoped that he would change his mind. After this, she thought she was too crazy. She clearly understood herself the second time. "Actually I should have chosen him the first time. At the time I saw wrong. He is actually great. I don't want to lose it one more time. When he chased me again, I immediately accepted."
Not satisfied with the Chinese Opera audience
Louisa is a girl that clearly spells out her character. She won't fake her feelings. A Serenade won critical acclaim, with film critic Shek Kei writing: "Louisa's performance as Tong Suet Hing is most outstanding, from a colourful star transformed into a famous wife, having a strong character, it was a big challenge, meeting her arch enemy and third party played by Myolie Wu is really the extreme. Louisa is able to portray the success and pain of a successful woman, and she is able to release and retreat." Telling her about this critic's review, she doesn't seem too excited, only calmly saying: "Ok la"
Continuing to speak, she seems to have a lot to say. The male lead is Chinese Opera veteran Lee Lung, and this attracted a lot of opera audiences that are not used to watching drama, making Louisa feeling not too pleased. "These people basically don't know the rules for watching drama, talking loudly while watching which has really affected the actors on stage.
Maybe they are used to watching the operas with the large props and drums. The performance continues on stage, while the talking continues in the audience, and when they come here they talk continuously. There was a scene when the male lead hits me, and when he hit me, I could hear someone in the audience say "He hit well!" This really got to me. "
"Early on I already told the director, we had to deal with the age issues of the male lead. In the show, he needs to be about twenty something. I thought the actor and character's age gap was too great.
"The performance location (Polytechnic University Jockey Club Auditorium) basically was not suited for dramas. There was an insufficient number of lights, and not able to install enough lighting. Moreover, the acoustics was bad. The attention of the actors is really important. On one night, there were alarm sounds coming from an unknown place, and we couldn't continue with the performance."
Don't want to be idle in one place
In the end, the stages that she feels most deeply for are those at Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. As a student, she already performed many heartfelt dramas there. The acclaimed work I have a Date with Spring also began there. There were 70 performances of this musical, which became a record for Hong Kong, and also a record for her. It was also because of this musical that she performed on the silver screen, and was invited to TVB for a screen test.
The fate of the four female actresses of I Have a Date with String, Louisa, Lo Koon Lan, Alice Lau and Fung Wai Hang were all different. In reality, they have experienced many changes. Portraying Lin Sai, Fung Wai Hang has continued to work at Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, and her position has been elevated to Assistant Artistic Director.
Louisa says: "If I was one who was satisfied with my current situation, I would have stayed at the Repertory Theatre. Working there as a civil servant, I could have been elevated to the position of lead actor, and my life could have been trouble free. But I am the type of person who doesn’t want to be idle in one place. Ever since I was small, I've always wanted to try new things, and like challenging myself. People ask me: "Do you belong to drama? Or do you belong to television?" I don't belong to a particular thing, I belong in the world.
"There have also been television people asking me wouldn't it be good to have continued acting in dramas? Why did you have to go to the television industry? Is it better to "slave away" here? I don't like using the phrase "slave away." I respect each job, if you use "slave away," it means that you are not passionate about your job, and only think of money."
Not distinguishing the size of the role
She did not feel any strangeness when her boyfriend filmed some controversial photos with Teresa Cheung. For a professional actor, there are no questions of embarrassment. Previously, when she performed in Madame Butterfly, she had to wear some revealing undergarments, use profanity and do various pestering actions, but she wasn't fazed.
After entering the television industry, she has been usually playing characters that are mature and close to her age, for example when she first joined TVB, she filmed Kindred Spirit and her onscreen husband was played by Cheung Chi Kwong, and together they had a son and a daughter. At the time she was twenty six/seven. Later she filmed The Awakening Story, and she was the love rival to Liza Wang, while her male costar was Damian Lau who was about twenty years her senior. Although she plays these mature roles, she does not feel wronged.
"Having come from a drama background, it is sometimes hard to determine who is the lead actress like in I Have Date With Spring, where there was only one male lead. So who was the female lead? If you say it this way, then it was my first time as the lead actress when I played the role of Bai Lu Su in Love in a Fallen City two years ago. In my eyes, characters cannot be distinguished by their size, and can only really be distinguished by how good it is to watch them."
The TVB Anniversary has "Outstanding Extraordinary Awards" with newspapers calling this the so-called "Golden Oldies Awards." Louisa entered the top five, joining Angelina Lo, Nancy Sit and Law Lan.
"When you are young and work hard, you should feel excited. Being chosen for the lead actress award should feel strange, because does that mean you don't need to work hard when you are a lead actress?"
From Stewardess to Performing Arts
Louisa graduated from Ho Tung Girls School, and was head prefect. From public speaking, recital to drama, she was always a part of these activities. After Form 7, she selected to enrol in Communications at Hong Kong Baptist University, but she was not chosen, and went to Cathay Pacific to become a stewardess, only to work there for nine months resigning because it was too laborious.
After when she studied theatre at HKAPA, she didn't think she would become an actress, and studied there out of interest. In those three years, her professors kept saying: “You're really bad! You won't act!” She was almost going to drop out.
"At HKAPA, I didn't understand anything said in class, it was too abstract. It was only when I joined HK Repertory Theatre, where I was performing and learning at the same time, did I slowly understand what was acting."
The real person is prettier than onscreen
Floral baskets filled the performance location of A Serenade, with one from "Louisa So Fan Club." Although the other lead actress Myolie Wu is a TVB Fa Dan, a "Myolie Wu Fan Club" was nowhere to be seen."
Outside the makeup room, there was another floral basket from a doctor. On the card were two phrases one beginning with the middle character of Louisa's Chinese name, Yuk, and one ending with the end character of her name, Wa. [rough translation: Classic beauty]
In regards to the 8 words that make up the two phrases, Louisa responds: "I don't think I am pretty, and I don't mind if I am pretty or not. However, a lot of people say I am pretty, almost someone everyday."
On a particular day turning on the radio, hearing Sheila Chan talking to Louisa :"You are prettier in real life than onscreen. Your skin is so smooth and your eyes are pretty."
Louisa doesn't have much of a reaction, its really like she hears this everyday.
She says: "Someone told me maybe because I don't think I am pretty, so this makes people think I am pretty."
Understand? A little. I only think she is quite firm on her wardrobe selection. We helped her borrow a large bag of clothing for her photo shoot, and she didn't want to wear any of them. Also, when she opens her eyes wide, she looks evil.
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