By Erin Chew
Those who have nostalgia for Canto-pop of the 1990s and Cantonese cinema of the 2000s may recognize the name Nicholas Tse (Metade Fumaca, New Police Story, Bodyguards and Assassins). Currently he stars in new Hong Kong blockbuster film Customs Frontline, where he plays a Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department officer named Chow Ching-lai.
Chow is a principled man who can also be difficult to work with. Luckily, with the guidance of his superior and mentor Cheung Wan-nam, played by Jacky Cheung (Helios, From Vegas to Macau III, Heaven in the Dark), Chow is able to find success in his career.
Playing an introverted and principled character was an interesting experience for Tse, and it took a lot of reflection in his creative thought process to work out the best way to play this character.
“You know I think if I wasn’t in the entertainment industry, I probably wouldn’t really communicate much. I guess I used that thought to play Chow Ching-lai”, Tse told AsAmNews in a recent interview.
“I really had to think outside to get my creative juices working and I knew I had to do this to get this character right. Playing someone like Chow Ching-lai is not a walk in the park, and if I want to do justice to the movie and to my character, I had to give everything I have”.
Debuting as a singer in 1996, Tse became famous along other Canto-pop star legends such as Andy Lau, Sammy Cheng, Aaron Kwok, Leon Lai and Jacky Cheung (who Tse is cast with in Customs Frontline). From the late 1990s and into the new millennium, Tse became an actor and has been doing this since.
Interestingly, Tse has many tricks in his bag, and in addition to being a successful singer and actor, he is also a television chef having launched his food travelogue show Chef Nic in 2014 and opening a cookie bakery in Hong Kong in 2015 – among other food ventures.
“I love what I do, and the career choices I have made in my life. But If I really think about it all of my career choices are attributed to my family, as both my parents were actors. So in many ways, I have been lucky, that the choice wasn’t a difficult one. I am a very creative person and in every work and project I get to do, I try to find different ways to deliver my creativity”, Tse discussed.
A film about the Hong Kong Customs Department coming across a cargo ship full of weapons from Thailand is definitely a riveting film and one full of drama and of course action. Considering Hong Kong is an island and considered a port city where many cargo ships come and go, it is only natural that a film revolving around the customs department is made.
According to Tse, films about the Hong Kong Customs Department are not made enough and for him one that shows the beauty of Hong Kong seas and waters is one worthwhile being involved with.
“In Hong Kong we always receive things at our ports and considering how important it is to know what is coming in and out of the island, I feel more films about this need to be made. I feel that in Hong Kong films focusing on these elements are not made enough, so I am so proud and happy to be part of this project. Making films which involves the sea and ocean is of course not easy, but I feel Customs Frontline has done this well”.
Finally, Tse shared about his experience working with fellow Canto-pop legend Jacky Cheung, who plays Chow’s mentor and superior in Customs Frontline. Cheung is considered a Heavenly King of Canto-pop music and is often dubbed as the God of Songs for how he performs.
Despite intersections in their singing careers, Tse looks up to Cheung and is a fan of his music and performance. It was really a highlight for Tse to be able to work with Cheung.
“You know what? I have always been a major fan of Jacky’s acting, even though the world knows him more as a singer than an actor. He hasn’t acted for a long time now – like literally years, so to be able to work so closely with him on Customs Frontline is an absolute honor and privilege. In the past we have been in the same movies, but never really had dialogue together till now, and knowing that he was cast in this film really encouraged me to be part of this project”.
Customs Frontline was released in Hong Kong on July 5, 2024, and can be watched at selected theaters across the USA. Check your local theaters for showings of this film.
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