TVB’s new 30-episode period drama All That is Bitter is Sweet <大藥坊>, starring Linda Chung (鍾嘉欣), Ruco Chan (陳展鵬), and Raymond Wong (黃浩然), will premiere on September 8. Ruco promoted the drama at an event, where he spoke about his filming experiences earlier this year. “It gives me a very special feeling. I have only filmed two Republic-era dramas since my debut – the first one was ATV’s Love in a Miracle <愛在有情天> ten years ago, and the second one was All That is Bitter is Sweet.” Ruco added that the drama was filmed locally, so there would not be outstanding scenery in the series. “The scenery would be prettier if we filmed it in mainland China, but the producer wants to put more emphasis on the storyline rather than aesthetics.” Earlier this year, while promoting the crime drama Ruse of Engagement <叛逃>, Ruco had rumors that he underwent plastic surgery. Ruco clarified that his bloated appearance was due to All That is Bitter is Sweet’s underwater scenes. “This series broke my record. I had four to five underwater scenes – I submerged in sea water, fresh water, and even lake water.” Ruco said he filmed the underwater scenes at the beginning of the year when Hong Kong’s weather was at its coldest. “The weather was around 37 degrees Fahrenheit and I had to be in the water. I got sick and had bloating because of water retention. That’s when the plastic surgery rumors started.” Ruco said All That is Bitter is Sweet is a good series, but asked when he feels confident in winning the Best Actor award this year, he said, “It depends on the right timing.” During the filming of the drama, Ruco and Linda were rumored to be dating. Paparazzi photographed Ruco taking good care of Linda on set, and even saw Ruco driving her around the city. Ruco maintained that they are only good friends. “Linda is a great colleague and partner.” On the discussion of Raymond Lam’s (林峯) departure from TVB, Ruco was asked if leaving TVB meant better opportunities. He said, “TVB has always given opportunities to newcomers. I am not exactly a newcomer, but this year’s Miss Hong Kong winners had a lot of chances to appear in dramas.” Has TVB asked him to renew his contract? “If the company wants an early discussion, we can do that. But I still have a lot of time left in my contract. It wouldn’t be that soon.” Creds: Oncc
