Born in the Year of the Rooster, Nancy Wu (胡定欣) will have to watch her luck for 2017. Though not superstitious, the 35-year-old said she would still follow Chinese tradition and perform the appropriate measures in appeasing the Tai Sui (God of Age), so her luck can be turned around. “I’ll treat it as an activity,” said Nancy. “Have some fun.” Besides paying her grandparents a visit for Lunar New Year, Nancy also managed to find time to hang out with her close friends. “[Wu Clan and Crazy Runner] are my family. We came together through fate. It’s so hard to across a group of people sharing the same passions. We share everything with each other.” 2016 was a year of milestones for Nancy. Appearing in four dramas as the lead actress, Nancy also took home her second Best Actress win at the TVB Anniversary Awards, tying a record with Sheren Tang (鄧萃雯). Drama of the Year also went to Nancy’s A Fist Within Four Walls <城寨英雄>—one of Hong Kong’s highest-rated television programs in recent years. “All those years of hard work didn’t go to waste,” said Nancy, who made her acting debut in 2003. “The audiences have been noticing me after all. I’ve had the opportunity to try out different roles last year. It was definitely a fruitful year.” Fruits of labor didn’t go to waste, and while many sacrifices were made, each and every one of them was worth it. “I’m very fortunate. I’m fortunate enough to have opportunities and to have many people taking care of me. I don’t even remember if the process getting there was hard. I’m lucky! We all have different experiences. Just because you sacrifice more doesn’t mean you’ll get results sooner. But as long as you love your job, and respect your job, you’ll enjoy what you do, no matter the results. I can feel the support from everyone, and that’s good enough for me.” Mentioning her rumored boyfriend Ruco Chan (陳展鵬), who was not only her co-star in Four Walls but also in the upcoming The Unholy Alliance <同盟>, Nancy was asked if dating Ruco would be a possibility. “Even if it is we wouldn’t have time [to date],” she said. “We don’t have enough time to sleep, let alone think about relationships. It’s to the point where we don’t even have time to think about anything else besides work. As long as I’m still doing dramas I wouldn’t be dating.” Nancy would be happy to continue her onscreen relationship with Ruco. Coming across an onscreen partner who is well-liked by viewers is hard to come by. “It’s strange. Four Walls was our first ever drama together and it’s gotten such great results. I’m very happy.” Speaking about her plans for 2017, Nancy said she will continue to focus on her work. Her first big project in 2017 will be Deep in the Realm of Conscience <深宮計>, sister production to 2009’s Beyond the Realm of Conscience <宮心計>. The drama is set in the Tang dynasty, shortly after the death of Wu Zetian. Nancy plays Empress Wang, wife of Emperor Xuanzong. “I was pretty shocked when I heard about my casting,” admitted Nancy. “I never thought I’d ever get an offer to play an empress. But when I saw myself in the costume for the first time, I actually looked okay. So the next step now is to figure out how I’m going to do the role justice.” Nancy will be starring alongside Michelle Yim (米雪), Annie Liu (劉心悠), Steven Ma (馬浚偉), Kenneth Ma (馬國明), Edwin Siu (蕭正楠), and Angie Cheong (張慧儀) in the epic drama. “I also want to go back into singing,” said the actress. Nancy’s first introduction to the industry was through a singing competition, which she competed in 1999. “I love singing, but I don’t have time to practice. Hopefully I can do more of that this year.” Creds: Ming Pao
