Saturday, May 27, 2006

Charmaine Sheh is truly happy


credit: jayne stars


Thirty-one year old (almost 31) Charmaine Sheh See Man entered the entertainment industry via the Miss Hong Kong pageant. She had used her youth as a bet and over the last nine years, has not left the spotlight. She now lives in the mid-mountain levels and drives a nice car. She has her own chair with her name tag on it during filming. Since a long time ago, Charmaine has earned a lot.
The participants who entered the Miss Hong pageant the same year, Yung Ka Shui has long married a rich man and although Lee Ming Wai remained single, at least she had loved passionately once before. On the other hand, Charmaine, aside from attaining fame and popularity, has only gained a bunch of rumors.
At one time, Charmaine vowed to get married by the time she was 27 and have children at 30. However until this day, Charmaine still has to tell the public that "she does not have a boyfriend;" is Charmaine really happy with this kind of lifestyle?
"In the past, I always placed love as my top priority. However as I remained in the industry for a longer period of time, I realized that good [career] opportunities are difficult to come across, even harder than finding a good man." If I don't hold on to my [career] opportunities tightly today, even if I wait for it tomorrow, it may no longer be mine."
"Hong Kong has 7 million people; I truly believe that one day I will find my life-long partner. I am not worried; compared to others who entered the industry the same timeframe that I did, I have been very lucky already."
If climbing to leading lady status and taking the spotlight were measured in years, then without doubt, Charmaine has been lucky, as compared to "senior" actress Gigi Lai Chi who has been in the industry for 20 years.
Charmaine said, "Senior? Haha, that's your wording, not mine. There would be trouble if Gigi heard you. I never saw Gigi as a 'senior,' but only as a colleague, a very beautiful woman...."
Apparently one can judge how much experience a person has by her sharpness with her diction. From Charmaine's perspective, she equated "senior" with old age. But the reporter guessed that Gigi would not mind the term and only see it as a respectful salutation.
When Charmaine entered the industry, her enunciation onscreen was very weak and her voice was very soft. However the Charmaine today enunciates each and every word very clearly. Her voice is elegant but full of confidence. Maybe this is the difference between an actress starting out and a fadan with experience.
Charmaine said, "I have been very busy lately, filming for 10+ hours once the camera rolls. When I return home, I am already very tired, so I do not have time to pay attention to the tabloid news. The gossip headlines such as 'Charmaine Has Taken Center Stage,' I only just heard it from you. In 'Dance of Passion,' Ada Choi, Gigi Lai, Maggie Shiu and I are all lead actresses, where is the competition coming from? Acting is not a competition; what is there to compete about?"
"I already took lead roles when I first started my acting career. In the blink of an eye, 20 years have passed. I have always had fans; they did not just appear recently. Why do you say that I have 'taken center stage?' When I filmed 'War and Beauty' with Gigi, we got along fine. Why are there sudden rumors now that I don't get along with Gigi? The funniest thing is about our alleged fight over singing the sub-theme song, that Gigi lost the round and got 'kicked out;' we are not in a game show!"
"The 'My Favorite Actress Award' is my goal, but I don't think I have higher probability to win this year. 'Dance of Passion' just started broadcasting, so you can't place judgement so quickly. Even if you have a lot of fans and audience supporting you, it doesn't mean that you will win the award. TVB has to decide to give the award to you first."
Charmaine's father died in a car accident when she was only 5 years old. Despite Charmaine's fragile exterior, she has long been independent since she was young. From eating meals to preparing for school, Charmaine's mother never had to say a word. As a result, Charmaine doesn't like to explain to others, especially when it comes to rumors.
"My mother is very open minded. She never asked who I went out with after school. My mother let me decide for myself when I went to Switzerland to study Hotel Management in college. I am very independent and don't like to explain to others. But I don't think it is because of my personality that led to my negative rumors."
"If you think about it, even if you explain once or a dozen times, the tabloids would continue to report negative rumors. Would you continue to explain yourself? But I am used to it, as I am an actress. Among a group of women, it is easy to stir up gossip. In the past, I attended an all-girls school, so I understand this. I have never minded how others see me; if you don't like me, that's fine, I will not go out of my way to gain your favors."
"Maybe it is due to my tomboyish personality. I don't like to discuss make-up nor fashions. However combine that with a very feminine physical appearance, if I were to chat a bit more with male actors, it is easy to stir up rumors."
"Actually I don't even have one rumored boyfriend. When I was in school, there might be a guy waiting for me after classes, but now I don't have anyone waiting for me [after work]."
Aside from dating relationships, Charmaine also is rumored to not get along with several actresses such as, Sonija Kwok, Shirley Yeung and Gigi Lai. But Charmaine insists that she is good friends with all the actresses mentioned above.
"Gigi and I have never fought to sing the sub-theme song for 'Dance of Passion,' so why would we not get along? TVB is a large corporation; even if there are things you do want, that doesn't mean that you will automatically get it. I am familiar with acting, but I never thought about singing. I feel that I am very lucky that TVB gave me so many opportunities. I am a straightforward person and will not employ any manipulative tactics. Even if I were to 'compete,' it would only be a healthy form of competition."
"I have known Gigi for a very long time, of course we will not fight over such rumors. Gigi is a good colleague and a beautiful woman. I am sure that many actresses want to stand out the most in a series. But that is dependent on your character design, so even if you wanted to stand out, it is not so easy."
"I admit that sometimes I will compare myself with other actresses. But this is only on an acting level. If you are not aware of how others act, then how will you improve as an actress yourself? I feel that Ada Choi's acting abilities are excellent; she stands out the most in 'Dance of Passion.'"
"I have several close female friends in the industry. Sonija Kwok is one of them. We talk about everything, including very personal topics. I believe that in the entertainment industry, you can still find true friends."
Epilogue:Charmaine emphasized that she will only focus on acting now. Boyfriend? She said that she doesn't have one yet. Getting married and starting a family? Later.... Charmaine said, "TVB is like a big family; each time I go to the studio, it is like returning home for me."
Is the blood flowing inside Charmaine's body blue, green, and red colored? The reporter believes that Charmaine, who is living in Hong Kong by herself, craves for a family inside her heart. Entering her 30's, does Charmaine want money or love? Charmaine should know well inside her heart....

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