BONNIE FU INTERVIEW

Bonnie Fu worked as an actress in Hong Kong during the 1990's. Despite only working in the region for six years, she still appeared in twenty films, including her most famous role as the deliciously sleazy henchwoman Virgin in Ringo Lam's 1992 action classic Full Contact.

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Was being an actress something you had planned on becoming since a young age? What were some of the first Hong Kong films you remember watching before you became an actress?

I didn't plan to be an actress when I was young, but I did get a lot of encouragement from the people around me and I thought it wasn't a bad idea, so I went for it. My dad loved movies, so he would bring us to watch movies whenever he could. I used to remember a lot of the Hollywood actors and actresses' names in Chinese. As for Hong Kong movies, I think Bruce Lee's movies are really cool.

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Did you find the Hong Kong film industry to be a fairly closely knit community? Do you still keep in touch with any of the people you worked with over the years?

Hong Kong's film industry is a very close knit community, so I still keep in touch with some of my colleagues in Hong Kong.

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What was your favorite movie you did in your career, and any specific reason for why it's your favorite? Did you prefer working on action or drama scenes more?

I enjoyed all the movies that I have made. It's the process of creating the character that makes it so fun. I prefer to act out different characters rather than being typecast in a single style. I like drama and action scenes equally, so it all depends on the script.

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Did you enjoy working with Jacky Cheung on Pom Pom & Hot Hot? He is a great singer, and seems like he'd be fun to work with.

Jacky actually is a very quiet guy, but he sang all the time when he was on the set.

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What did you think of Ringo Lam's directing style? I've heard he can be very demanding, but he seems like a film-maker that's passionate about their craft.

I loved to work with Ringo Lam because he knows exactly what he wants for his movies, but he would also give his actors and actresses a lot of space for creativity. He is very professional.

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You worked with Chow Yun-Fat on a couple of films. Any specific things you remember about working with him?

Chow Yun-Fat always had a lot of ideas on the set, not only for his part, but for others too. He is a very professional actor.

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How much input did you have on your character from Full Contact? I've seen an interview with Simon Yam which suggested that the actors in that film contributed a lot of ideas to their characters. Was there a finished script or was a lot of the film created on the set? Do you remember your first impression of that film when you finally saw the finished version?

There were a lot of actresses auditioned for this role. I remember Ringo Lam told me to gain some weight after I was cast -- he said I was too fit for the role. I didn't know what character I needed to portray until I got the full script. We filmed the whole movie according to the script.

As I mentioned before, Ringo Lam allowed me to put a lot of different elements into the character. It's a total transformation from the roles I had before. When I saw the finished version of the movie for the first time, I knew this character would be very controversial to the audience. I felt really good though, because I accomplished what I wanted to create.

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Was there any actor or director that you never worked with that you wish you could have?

I would love to have a chance to work with JJ Abrams [director of The Force Awakens]. I admire his work, because he seems to make all the actors and actresses better, whether they're in a drama or action scenes.

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Do you come across many people in the U.S. who are familiar with the films you made in Hong Kong? If so, which seems to be your most popular role?

Yes, I came across people in the US who had watched my movies, my TV series, or talk shows before, and they seem to know me quite well in all my projects.

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It sounds like your Wushu school is concerned with providing young individuals some of the necessary training they would need to become action film stars. Do you think that the Hong Kong film industry should be concerned with trying to cultivate more young action stars in order to uphold its tradition in regards to the action genre?

My school, Phoenix Wushu Academy, is focused on traditional training of Wushu and we push our students in their physique, mentality, and mainly their character, so that they can excel in everything they do, whether they are shooting to become an action star, professional athlete, or both.

I agree that the Hong Kong film industry should be much more concerned with cultivating more young action and drama stars. It's the whole package: you can't do one without the other.

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You had a role in God of Gamblers' Return. Were you excited to appear in a sequel to such a classic? Any idea why Andy Lau didn't return in it?

Maybe Andy was too busy. He always is.

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How many aspects of the film making process did you pay close attention to, apart from your performance, on the films you made?

The script writing, the directing, and the production crew.

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Do you keep up with current Hong Kong cinema? Do you ever think of making a return to appearing in films one day?

Yes, I keep myself current with Hong Kong cinema, and hope that the films will get better soon. I never stopped making movies, because that's my passion, whether I am acting or directing. In fact, our school has a couple movie projects that are drama and action packed. One of them will be directed by Teresa Woo, a native director from Hong Kong. You can get updated on our progress by checking out our website at phoenixwushu.com.

If you are interested in seeing Ms. Fu's films, some can be found at Amazon. If you are a member of the Fandor streaming service, you can view Full Contact there.

Interview conducted by Mark Shaver via email. Editing and page design (c) 2016 Neil Koch. Related multimedia content featured herein is used solely in the spirit of publicity and remains the property of the respective copyright holders.

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