Tuesday June 5, 2007 Singapore MUSIC & MOVIES GO TOGETHER' Taiwan R&B star Jay Chou says he hasn't forgotten about making music JAY Chou once proclaimed that he lives for music. But that seems to have changed, especially as the Taiwanese pop singer seems to be making headlines for his movies more than his music these days. The singer, who used to be a regular winner of the prestigious Golden Melody Awards, was not even nominated in any category last year. And, since 2005, we have been seeing more of Jay - literally. The year marked his foray into film with the release of Initial D. He played Takumi Fujiwara, a gifted but introverted racer, in the movie which was based on a popular Japanese manga. Critics slammed him for his bland acting but he went on to win the Best Newcomer award in the Golden Horse Awards and Hong Kong Film Awards. Then came the Curse Of The Golden Flower last year, where he acted alongside the likes of Gong Li and Chow Yun Fat. The film, directed by Zhang Yimou, propelled Jay into the international market and his effort earned him a nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Jay's acting skills, sadly, remained questionable. But that is hardly enough to keep him off the big screen. And because of his success at the box office, many perceive him as one of those who will pave the way for a Taiwan wave in Asian cinema. In his latest work Kung Fu Dunk, which is expected to be released in February next year, he plays the lead character Shi Jie, a talented basketball player who fuses gongfu with basketball. Jay has also found time to direct his own movie A Secret That Can't Be Told. Before this, he had directed a few of his own music videos. His Kung Fu Dunk co-star Baron Chen revealed that while the rest of the cast went partying after filming ended every day, Jay would go back to his room to work on his own film. So, during the press conference for Kung Fu Dunk in Taipei last Sunday, we asked the boyish singer whether music has really taken a backseat for him. Without hesitation, Jay replied: 'What they (the other cast members) don't know is I've brought a keyboard and put it in my room too. While I work on my movie, I'm also working on my music.' 'Music and movies go together and neither can do without the other,' he explained. He let on that he has written a few tracks for Kung Fu Dunk. As for his lack of luck at the music awards, Jay said: 'Well, they should use the trophies and awards to motivate other singers who need it more.' 'I feel that the more established singers have other sources of affirmation, such as good record sales.' 'I treat the awards as a game. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Losing in the game doesn't mean you will be a loser in life,' he added. He was more concerned that his fans would be upset by his lack of awards. 'They don't have to be. They just need to continue buying my albums and watching my movies,' he said. He conceded that he is still a newbie in the movie industry, so his expectations for Kung Fu Dunk are not very high. He said that, in this movie, he gave up his image as a pop star and 'let himself go'. He has many bruises on his body because he fought, kicked and jumped so hard. No stuntmen were used at all. THUMBS UP Jay has won the thumbs up from director Kevin Chu Yin-ping, who said that Jay's acting has improved by leaps since Initial D. Veteran actor Eric Tsang was so touched by Jay's acting that he wept when he saw the recording of a scene, said Kevin. Jay's mother has apparently given him the nod of approval for his latest effort too. But Jay has more confidence in A Secret That Can't Be Told, which is apparently based on his own high school romance. He said: 'There are big stakes here because I put in everything that I know. It was very tough, but I want to see what results I would get out of it.' Would fans be able to accept their R&B prince's new image? Jay thought for a few seconds and said: 'There are different times for doing different things. If this is my image when I released my first album, then probably nobody would buy my CDs.' 'But I'm very happy with the change,' he added. He is eager to take on more diverse roles but there is at least one he would steer clear of - a Gambling God like Stephen Chow's claim to fame. 'Who can be as good as him? And if I can't, I'd better forget it. I would be scolded to death,' he said. credits: thenewpaper, asianfanatics.
