NYAFF19 HAN DAN George Wu Exclusive Interview by The Lady Miz Diva (June 30th, 2019)
The career path of George Hu has been a serendipitous one: The native New Yorker was talent scouted whilst on a family visit to Taiwan, despite being unable to fluently speak Mandarin, or Taiwanese. That didn’t stopHu from becoming one of Taiwan’s most popular television and film actors.
胡宇威 能进入 演艺圈 都是 机缘巧合。 出生在纽约， 说不出一口流利的普通话 或 闽南话， 却在和家人一次来台湾探亲时 被星探看中。虽然有语言障碍，却没成为他的绊脚石， 如今 他已是台湾著名的影视人之一。
In Director Huang Chao-liang’s semi-biographical opus,HAN DAN, Hu seethes volcanically as the good boy bullied into going bad. Hu sat for an exclusive chat withLMD about the movie’s combustible mix of internalised rage and firecrackers.
在黄朝亮导演半自传作品 电影《 寒单》里， 观众能看到了宇威在角色里的多层变化， 因为一直被霸凌， 从一个乖巧的男孩 渐渐地黑化。
在此很荣幸能与宇威做了独家专访 谈谈他在戏里的火爆演出 和 内心深处的煎熬 。
The Lady Miz Diva: How did the role of Lin {Zheng-Kun} come to you?
你是怎么接触到 "林正昆" 这个角色的？
George Hu: Well, we {Director Huang Chao-liang} worked together {SUMMER FEVER}, so he had the image of me playing this role. He was just trying to connect my own personality to this character. There’s two main leads in this film; and they’re each a shadow of him. They are both sides of him, my character is his good side gone bad. The other character is the bully becoming the good guy.
其实 我和导演 之前合作过 (恋夏38度C) 。他觉得我的性格很符合这个角色。电影里的2个男主的各自性格 其实都是导演心里的影子。我的角色是导演 "从好人变坏" 的那一面 而 人硕的角色 是他的 "坏变好" 那一面。
So, he would give me one word in Chinese, which translated means “hide,” or “buried.” I didn’t understand until I started looking at the character’s background story and the script, and it felt like I knew what he meant afterward. Because there are areas where, if, for a regular person -- for instance, like me -- if you would come across a conflict, sometimes you would explode. Sometimes you would react towards the person that gives you these negative comments, or negative behavior toward you; but Director wanted his character, Lin -- he’s burying all those emotions, and it got me sick. It got me sick to the point where we were filming, and I was like, “Why? Why?”. {Laughs}
所以 导演 给了我一个字 "藏"。起初我不明白 直到我 研究人物的背景 读完剧本 之后 才真正体会到导演要的感觉。 因为有些剧情 对我本人 不太理解， 当人遇到困境 被恶意重伤 被欺负时 自然都会发火，但是 导演却要我把情绪藏着 埋在心里 这使我好难受 甚至常在开拍时 有疑惑 会自问 "为什么？" "为什么？"
LMD: This film has enough character development for four different movies. Your Lin is the quintessential “good boy,” Yet, throughout the duration of this film, his emotional arc is like a roller coaster. How did you work with Director Huang Chao-liang, to keep a steady line through so much upheaval?
在电影节影展的4部电影里 角色都经历过变化 而你的角色 就是个 典型的"乖乖男" 却在戏里 情绪变化就像坐 过山车一样。这样的角色情绪起伏，你是怎样和导演 在合作上 取得平衡？
GH: Before filming, we were reading the script probably three or four times, back and forth, back and forth. So, in every scene would talk about, ‘What do you think this character would do?’ In his mind, Director has his own story, and I would have my own story; and we would just try to meet in the middle. He wouldn’t go too overboard in saying, ‘I want this,’ or ‘I want that.’ He would be more lenient. So, when we found our point, it would be easier to film this character.
在开拍前 我们已经大概研究剧本有3到4次吧 来回不断地讨论。"你觉得他(林正昆)会怎样做？" 导演会有他的想法， 我也有我自己的，我们会试着找出共通点。 导演不会那么野蛮 坚持一定要跟着他的说法， 他比较 随和 宽容 ， 这样演起角色 也容易多了。
There were times when we would go off the roller coaster; I would go straight sometimes, and he would say, “No, no, no, you gotta take it back in. You have to wait for this moment to explode”. So, that was why when I exploded, it felt so good. I finally exploded, because there were all these emotions buried deep within this character.
有时 我的情绪 还是会控制不了， 他就会说 "不 不 不， 你需要把情绪埋藏着。 要等到对的时刻才能爆发出来" 所以 当那刻一到 我整个情绪就引爆了 那种感觉很舒服 终于能把 埋藏在心里的感受 全释放了。
LMD: Knowing that so much of the film is based on the life and personality of Director Huang, was he open to your interpretation and suggestions about a character that was essentially himself?
据了解 大部分的剧情 跟导演的生活 性格 有关联， 导演有因此对你 以自身为例 讲解人物 并且 给于意见吗？
GH: He was definitely open to my suggestions, and I was definitely open to his. Plus, because this character is based on his self-memory, as well, I would definitely have to listen to his side of the story and mesh it with my side of the story to make it more reasonable for me to be comfortable acting this character as a role. So, at first it was a little bit {tricky}, but then afterwards, it was like, ‘You know what? It does make sense, because he’s been through it.’ He says it’s been through it, so I’m not going to question that. {Laughs}
我们彼此之间都会沟通 给于想法 加上这个人设大部份来自导演的记忆 我一定会听从导演的想法 再融合我的理解 这样我诠释起这个角色也容易多了。 起初 我会觉得有点。。。但是后来想想 "其实也很有道理 毕竟他经历过" 竟然他说 他经历过 ， 我无需质疑。
LMD: There is not a lot of dialog in this film, and we have to sort of study your character’s face to understand what he’s thinking. In that climactic scene, before Lin finally does explode, you can see the moment when his heart breaks watching the girl he loves with his trash rival, and then the bottled up fury when the rival taunts him. In that moment you keep waiting for him to haul off and rip the guy to pieces, but he never does.
这部电影没有很多台词 大部份 都是 靠演员的脸部表情 来表达。 有个高潮的一幕 就是 当林正昆 亲眼目睹 心爱的人和讨厌的人在一起时 还要 被对方嘲弄 那种心碎 又一直强忍着愤怒的眼神 很到位。 当时大家都在等着正昆把对方打倒 但是最终他没有。
GH: This character, I would say, can backstab a person, if he wanted to. He doesn’t want any confrontation up front; he wants confrontation in the back. In that moment when he just wants to punish that bully, he didn’t want to really kill him. He just wanted to punish him. Lin wanted him to deal with the pain that he dealt with, that he had to go through. So, he pretty much lights it up on fire, but he didn’t think that that situation would happen. He didn’t think it all through.
如果他心想要做 他确实有能力在背后伤人。他不想当面对质 只想默默对抗。 发生那场意外的当时 他一心只想惩罚 那个恶霸 没想要他死 只想对方也能感受到他经历过的痛 所以点燃了火 没预料会造成意外 那时他真没想清楚
LMD: You mentioned how you were becoming physically sick of having to internalise so much of Lin’s emotions. Were you able to leave Lin on the set at the end of the day?
你说过因为角色的内心戏太重使你感到难受。拍摄结束后 是否能抽离角色？
GH: I thought when it was the huge wrap -- when we were done with the film -- that I was leaving him, already. Back when we were filming the first film together, that got to me after two years. Looking at the trailer, I broke down. I thought I was over it, because it was two years after that film, why am I being upset and really blue when watching this trailer? So, I’m not totally over it. So, I reminded myself not to get too deep with this new character.
当时电影杀青后我以为我就此离开了正昆。记得第一部合作作品， 那次的角色不知不觉足足跟了我2年。 当预告片在播放时 我莫名奇妙地哭了 心想都已经过了2年 为何看预告 还会感到难过 悲哀呢？ 后来发现原来我没完全抽离。所以之后我常提醒自己不要将自己 太过投入角色里
Luckily, it was only a month, because after wrapping filming, I was doing some photo shoots and commercials, and I was looking in the mirror and seeing something wrong. There was really something wrong with me. {Laughs} It was definitely not me. {Laughs} It’s something like possession, but it’s not. I have to learn to get rid of all this. {Laughs}
这次 还好 只维持 一个月。电影杀青后 就开始忙于一些宣传摄影 有一天 我望着镜子里的自己 就觉得不对劲 (笑) 那个肯定不是我 (笑) 好像中了邪但也不是。 我就慢慢地学着抽离 (笑)
LMD: Tell us about filming the firecracker ritual. Please tell me it was all CGI?
可以聊 拍摄那场 "炸寒单" 的过程。 请告诉我 这全都是 电脑合成
GH: Okay, it was definitely CGI, but we had to make it more realistic. We were still on the podium being carried around, and they would light the firecrackers from about three yards away. I mean, it’s kind of far, but not too far, because firecrackers, they don’t have eyes; meaning when you light them up, they can shoot up anywhere. So, you still have a little bit hitting your skin, but it wasn’t anything too severe, but the feeling actually helped my character.
确实都是电脑合成 但是为了演出逼真 我们 还是需要站上抬轿 他们还是会在远处 点燃鞭炮 三码外吧 说远也不算远 鞭炮不长眼睛 它都会乱射 所以还是会被烫伤 还好不严重 这种痛的感觉反而帮助我更了解角色
LMD: I’m curious about what motivates Lin to not only take responsibility for A-yi {Ming-yi}’s rehabilitation, but to keep him nearby and really bring him into his life and business? At first it seems clear it’s guilt over the fireworks incident, but then there is bonding that occurs between the pair of them. Talk about the arc of their relationship.
我很好奇 正昆 除了要帮 阿义 戒毒 为何留他在身边 还带进他的生活里 而且一块经营生意？ 起初以为是因为愧疚 但是 过后又发展了兄弟情。聊聊他们之间的情感究竟是什么
GH: In my version, I would say it’s because he didn’t have that many friends back then. Even though A-yi was his childhood bully, Lin found his other side. He see this other side, where, if we were best friends, A-yi would do anything for me: We would protect each other, he would protect me, I would protect him, and it’s sort of like a brotherhood to him. He saw this in him.
剧我的理解 正昆应该没什么朋友 就算阿义是曾经欺负他的恶霸， 他也渐渐发现他的另一面。 他查觉到 "一旦他们成为 好朋友 阿义都会为他做任何事 他们互相保护着 他会保护正昆 正昆也会保护阿义" 就是这样的兄弟情 这就是正昆在阿义身上感受到的
But, when Lin calms down, and just thinks back -- because he can’t let go of the past, he thinks back a lot -- he thinks, if you didn’t bully me, I wouldn’t be the way I am right now. It’s because of you that I’m me, and it’s because of me that you’re you. So, he can’t forget the past, and once he thinks about it, it’s to the point where he’s hiding all the secrets behind him, and keeping them away from A-yi until he found out.
虽然如此， 但是一旦正昆 静下来 回想过往 就是因为放不下 所以会时常想 他会想 "如果不是你欺负我 我应该不会像现在， 是因为你 才有现在的我， 也是因为我 才有现在的你。" 他无法忘记过去 也就一直隐瞒 直到被发现。
LMD: That relationship is just plain weird…
他们的关系好微妙。。。
GH: It’s weird, yes. It’s like, either it’s betrayal, or brotherhood. It’s like a mix between those two.
的确是啊 好像是 背叛和兄弟情 2个情感的混合
LMD: So, how did you and the other actor, Cheng Jen-Shuo work together to build that strange bond? Did you spend time together off the set, or extra rehearsals?
你和另一位演员 郑人硕， 是怎么培养这种微妙的情感？ 你们时常在场外互动 还是 有格外的排练？
GH: Not really. I mean, before shooting, we got the chance to meet with each other, and there was a spark that went off every time we’d meet each other. It was like, ‘This is weird, but it’s nice,’ because we’d known each other for a long time, but we started work not too long ago, and we were buddy-buddies off set all the time.
并没有耶 ， 我是说。。在开拍之前 我们有见过面 一拍即合 说也奇怪 但是感觉很好 我们一见如故 虽然只是刚开工不久 我们已经像是 "死党"了
For the brotherhood part, it was easy to act. We would always kid around. When it got intense, that was when we would really give it 110%.
演起兄弟情方面 就得心应手 我们时常胡闹 但是一旦剧情变紧凑时 我们还是会给于110%的关注的
LMD: As HAN DAN is based off Director Huang’s real-life experiences, were there particular memories he shared with you from his real life to help you develop your character?
电影《 寒单 》是导演 亲身经验 ， 他有没有和你分享 旧时的记忆 来帮你 诠释你的角色吗？
GH: Throughout his childhood, everybody was also looking up towards him. Out of his siblings, everybody was looking at him, saying, ‘You have a bright future. I can tell you have a bright future.” But at the same time, when he would go to school and deal with being bullied, he said to himself that he didn’t want to be the one protecting the bullies, so, he had that mentality to fight back. So, that’s the part where the other side of his character comes in.
在导演的童年 他常被敬仰 在兄弟姐妹当中 常常被说 "你将来必定有大好前途" 但是在那时 他也在学校遇到霸凌 他不想一直纵容恶霸 所以随时都做好反击的准备。 这部分就像足 林正昆的心情
Plus he’s from Taitung, which is the ceremonial area; it gives him an aspect of writing the script for four years. So, he gave me a lot of inferences from back in the day, where he wanted to fight back, but if he fought back, it would affect his family’s name. He told me things like that.
导演是台东人 台东也是炸寒单这个习俗盛行的地方 他足足花了4年的时间写剧本 导演会和我分享往事做参考 他说过 他曾经想过还手 但是他没有 因为他知道 如果还手 只会带坏家的名声
In the end, I understood what he was saying about this character where you cannot do anything at all. You will have your chance, just not the way the other character behaves towards fighting back. Lin fights back smartly.
最后 我终于明白 为何正昆 会感到委屈 而选择强忍着。 心里了解 终有一天 会轮到你反击 但是 不是像对方那样 以爆制爆。
LMD: Your career is fascinating: You hadn’t intended at all to become an actor, or singer, or any kind of famous anything, yet here you are. Are you pretty much settled on professional life in Taiwan, or are you interested or pursuing acting roles here in the US?
你的演艺事业好精彩啊 你从没想过要成名 当演员 歌手 什么的 但是最后却意外地进入了这个行业。 你在台湾的演艺生涯还算稳定吗？ 有想过回来美国发展吗？
GH: I’ve always been interested. After landing my first steps in the entertainment business, I was always like, my first language is English, and if I can use that to my advantage, I would actually try to land a role over here. I’ve been trying, and so far, I guess it’s lost in translation, I dunno.
我一直有想啊。 自从踏入娱乐圈 我就常想 英语是我擅长的语言 所以希望能借此在这里演个角色。 一直有尝试 就是没结果 可能就迷失在翻译中吧 我也不晓得
I’m based in Asia right now, so if I were to land a role over here, in my point of view, I would have to move back here. There are collaborations with Asia and America, where there are Asian films being filmed in America. I haven’t had that chance to be a part of that kind of role.
现在我的发展都在亚洲 所以如果想要在这里发展 我必须搬回来 发现现在有蛮多亚美(亚洲 美国)合作机会， 亚洲影视也有在美国取景 拍摄 可惜 到目前我还没有机会
Chinese translation: 77 Creation
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