[The Sun]

Louis Koo sailed around Victoria Harbour in a yacht yesterday as a guest for a Timberlands promotion and he says that this job has benefitted his whole family: "Because I often go hill walking with my mum and dad, these shoes are non-slip so they are suitable for my whole family!"

Talking of the disciplinary action taken against Jerry Lamb for his criticism of TVB, Louis says: "He just wanted to air his views, TVB should be more understanding. He just said a few words and wasn't over the top. He isn't going on strike, Hong Kong still has the freedom of speech. (How do you feel about it?) TVB artistes should have an internal demonstration to vent their frustrations! (But they might face disciplinary action?) Objection and protest are just terms, both parties should have discussions and the artiste union should stand up. (With executive Siu Siu Ming being moved, will this affect your contract renewal at the end of this year?) There will be some effect, but TVB brought me into the industry after all. I will consider it nearer the time."

Louis adds that he will be heading out to Vietnam next week for a stage appearance and he has prepared some medicines for the trip. He says: "I have had an injection to strengthen my immune system, so I am not even afraid of eating chicken as long as it is cooked properly."

http://the-sun.com.hk/channels/ent/20040416/20040416002753_0003.html



[The Sun]

Myolie Wu and Sammul Chan appeared at a press conference yesterday and with reports that three top TVB leading ladies Myolie, Bernice Liu and Shirley Cheung are fighting for the chance to play Guanyin in Sam Hui's new movie, Myolie says: "It was just a screen test, I still don't know if it was successful, but it will be a unique opportunity to work with Sam."

To be able to meet with Sam, Myolie says it made her a little nervous and excited as she laughs: "Sam is really nice and although it was the first time I have met him, I didn't feel like he was a stranger because ever since I was young, I have been watching his shows." She also expresses that Sam's songs are beautiful: "He says that he watched 'Triumph in the Skies' every night and I was his idol!" Myolie will be flying out to Athens next month to film some reports from the Olympic games and will be away from Hong Kong for a week and unable to celebrate her father's birthday with him.

http://the-sun.com.hk/channels/ent/20040416/20040416002041_0003.html



[Oriental Daily]

Shirley Yeung was filming a travel special in Panyu wildlife park earlier and having always been an animal lover, Shirley had the chance to have close encounters with a baby white tiger, baby crocodile and giraffes. During filming, whilst Shirley was holding the baby crocodile and introducing it to the camera, the animal urinated on her hand and left her arm and body wet. She says: "At the time, I was very embarrassed and awkward because all my sleeve had been made wet by it." Although the croc played a trick on her, Shirley still found it very lovable and stroked it affectionately.

Of the animals that Shirley made contact with, the one she loved the most was the baby tiger, but she indicates that she had to be very careful when she was holding the cub because its claws were very sharp and if it scratched her face, she wouldn't know what to do. Also, when they were filming inside the white tiger enclosure, a six-month old white tiger appeared, scaring them all stiff until the staff came in to take the animal away and they could breathe a sigh of relief.

As well as visiting the animal park, Shirley has also tried a lot of good food on this trip. She says: "Luckily the filming this time was only for three days, so I have not gained any weight, but if we stayed any longer, I would be putting on weight."

http://orientaldaily.com.hk/ent/ent_a61cnt.html



[Sing Pao]

Since her divorce from her husband, Flora Chan has had many rumours surrounding her and linking her with many men including her manager Mike, Bowie Lam, Moses Chan, Joe Ma and even the producer who discovered her Tang Tak Hei. After many years floating in the sea of showbusiness, Flora has learned to deal with gossip peacefully as she laughs that she has not distanced herself from these men, but instead she has got to know them better and become good friends with them.

Flora: F
Reporter: R

R: Before you entered the industry, have you done any other jobs?

F: When I was in America I was a PA and I was also a supply teacher. When I was studying, I wanted to be a social worker and when I was sixteen, I helped my dad to teach dancing and I loved to listen to the children talk about their unhappy things. They really needed someone to care about them and I was their big sister. Ever since I was young, I have liked to help people by sharing their problems with them, including all my friends. Maybe this is because I have an optimistic and happy nature and I love helping other people.

R: Apart from becoming a social worker, was there anything else you wanted to do?

F: Actually, I did think about becoming a dance teacher, but I injured my hip, so then I thought about production or becoming a reporter, however I had never thought about entering showbiz, so to be able to do that now, I am very happy. At the time I was working as a showbiz reporter for TVB Pearl and maybe the impression I gave people was that I was very professional and by coincidence I was asked to appear in "Files of Justice" as a lawyer. Maybe people thought I looked the part and as there were very few female artistes like me at the time, so the result was very pleasing and I really have to thank Tang Tak Hei because it was him who discovered me.

(Flora entered TVB in 1997 and they have managed her ever since, giving her great success. However she signed a new manager last year, who was also her good friend Mike.)

R: What differences are there between TVB management and Mike?

F: I left TVB not because our relationship was poor, it was just that I felt like I was in another world and I wanted to see more. Working for TVB is just too comfortable, but I wanted to challenge myself and give myself the energy to fuel my soul. I also want to broaden my horizons and continuously improve. If I continued this comfort zone, then I am scared my brain will stop working.

R: In the past, your series have been very well received and you have become one of TVB's leading actresses. Some people feel that with your success, leaving TVB was a risky move?

F: Maybe some people will think that, but not everyone will understand what I want because I feel that a sense of satisfaction is important. In fact, this year I have seen many new things from many new angles, so I am very happy because I don't need to strive for a certain position any more. I feel that I have reached another stage in my life that I am looking for a change. What I want is not to get to a particular place, but TVB have truly given me many opportunities. I care for them and they care for me.

R: Filming for TVB means that you can increase your exposure. Hong Kong audiences are very curious, if you don't keep your contact with them, are you afraid they will forget you?

F: I really don't care about these things any more, the most important thing is to be happy and try something I have never tried before to give myself satisfaction. I feel that you cannot reach 100% in everything you do and if I think that I can gain experiences from other places, then even if the Hong Kong viewers forget me, then I am okay with this because not everything can be 100% and maybe at some point, you have to set down what you have first. (Flora smiles.) However, I believe that my fans will not forget me, but they will just miss me."

(Flora was rumoured to be dating her manager Mike earlier and she has also been linked with many male leads such as Bowie Lam, Moses Chan, Joe Ma and even Tang Tak Hei. It would appear that Flora is a rumour star.)

R: Do you feel that you easily attract romantic gossip?

F: It started when I split up with my ex-husband and when I read these reports, I find them very funny. Take Bowie and Joe, there is no chance I can be with them and the rumours with Moses started after he was photographed coming out from my house. The most ridiculous story was with Tang Tak Hei. Maybe after I split with my husband, there was nothing left to write about me, so they wrote these instead. Perhaps this is the culture of the Hong Kong media so I have to accept this. Many people know that it is all untrue, but they still have to write it. These are the rules of this industry and I can only accept them.

R: How do you see your heavily rumoured opposites, like Moses?

F: I think that Moses is very filial and I really admire him. He loves his family and he is very honest, lively and intelligent. He has a dual personality, very clever at acting, but sometimes he can be a bit dim.

(However, the hardest thing is that this rumoured couple can be good friends and her relationship with her ex-husband is still very genial, like family.)

R: How do you maintain your friendship with him (Moses)?

F: We both find it really funny and the rumours have actually brought us closer together because after this test, we both feel that we want to stay as good friends and our friendship has become more stable. Making friends is about offering out your heart.

(Flora rarely breeds negative gossip or rumours and in the past, many people have found it difficult to make true friends in the industry, but Flora has many good friends in showbiz, including Ada Choi, Nick Cheung, Moses Chan and Eileen Yeow.)

R: How do you become a true friend to someone?

F: Maybe because our personalities are very similar and we will not fight against others for things, preferring to keep with our own bunch and not intrude on others. I will not challenge anyone, if you want something, I will give it to you because I feel that everyone will be happy that way. In the past there are people who I have given them what they have asked for, maybe because I don't like to fight against others, then they don't mind being my friend.

*

The impression that Flora gives others is that she is very gracious and professional and in most of her series, she has played professional or business people, such as lawyers and doctors. However, Flora is recently filming a mainland production of "13th Aunt and Wong Fei Hung" where she plays a tailor-made role of 13th Aunt that she is very happy with. The 13th Aunt that Flora plays is very different from the depictions in the past because she wants to create a slightly different version from the one engrained in people's minds. Moreover, this 13th Aunt is a master martial artist, so Flora has been working hard learning Kung Fu and to her, this has been a very new and challenging opportunity for her. She will be filming for two months in the Mainland and although we are yet to see her performance, however don't be disappointed, as TVB has begun airing Flora's new series "Hard Fate".

Flora has been working hard without a break recently because she visited Singapore earlier to film an English drama. You would expect speaking English lines to not be a problem for Flora at all, but she says there is an element of difficulty there because she has never acted totally in English before.

http://www.singpao.com/20040415/gossip/538879.html