Huanghe Road, Shanghai, Tong Chenjie, who was born in 1981, has heard adults talk about it since she was a child. This was Shanghai's "top trend" in the 1990s, a bustling place where people drank and drank. In 2000, she debuted as a model and participated in a Shanghai promotional film. One of the night scenes was on this road. It was bustling at night and seemed to be separated from the surroundings.
html After 2020, the period drama "Flowers" directed by Wong Kar-wai and adapted from the novel of the same name will be launched, and the scenery of Yellow River Road will be almost restored. Tong Chenjie never thought that she would "come back" again and witness the ups and downs of Shanghai in the early 1990s as an "insider" - Manager Pan of Zhizhenyuan Hotel.
Being selected to play the role of "Manager Pan" by Wong Kar Wai, Tong Chenjie felt that it had something to do with her physical advantages as a former model. But this time she couldn't walk in graceful steps, and it had nothing to do with being a fashionable beauty. In the words of director Wong Kar-Wai, she should be a "British housekeeper" who moves quickly and has no sense of gender.
Manager Pan wears the most fashionable anti-warp style in the 1990s. He wears a work uniform from beginning to end, with almost no personal emotions. At the same time, he must have very accurate micro-expressions to convey the character's personality. Many people didn't recognize Tong Chenjie, which made her feel a little happy: her portrayal of the character was successful.
"Everyone wants a Manager Pan." The series of "Flowers" is about to end. Manager Pan of Zhizhenyuan's "Thousand-Hand Guanyin" has been performing steadily, causing netizens to call for joining the "Manager Pan Training Class" to learn Learn to build a career through aura.
html On January 7, actor Tong Chenjie accepted an exclusive interview with a reporter from Xiaoxiang Morning News (reporter WeChat: xxcbbaoliao) and revealed that although Manager Pan is a very rule-abiding "professional manager" throughout the show, in the last episode you can "see to some summary of the character."
reporter : How did you come into contact with the role of "Manager Pan"? Is auditioning for stressful?
Tong Chenjie : I just knew that "Flowers" was recruiting actors from Shanghai, but I didn't know that this role existed. Everyone knows the style of director Wong Kar-Wai. He doesn't have a very specific script. People from the casting company will also tell us that maybe the director needs to meet with you a few more times, and then he needs to try out more roles and clips.
It was almost a year before I met the director at the beginning of 2020. At that time, Zedong Film set up a "Night Tokyo" set in Shanghai, and almost all auditions were in this set. I feel quite honored that they are the first actors that Director Wang and others really want to meet.
I was very nervous when I met him for the first time and could hardly act normally. Director Wang needs you to improvise a lot. The requirements for you on the scene are constantly raised. Constantly raising them may completely break your acting habits, but you still have to perform. Once after the performance, the director called me aside and said, "You don't seem to be doing well today." I said yes, but I was still a little nervous. He said you have to find your own way of acting, and then he recommended a video of an actress to me, American actress Anjelica Huston (starring in "The Addams Family", etc.). After reading it, I knew what he probably wanted.
△ Personal photos of actors
The most difficult time is the audition. You are not so sure that you will get a certain role in this play, because no one knows who will play whom in the end. Ling Hong, Lu Meilin, other proprietresses on the Yellow River Road, and even the little sister-in-law, I have tried all these roles. "Manager Pan" only appeared in the later stages. It was confirmed that I would play the role when filming started, and the character's image and personality were slowly revealed after filming started.
reporter : shooting according to the plot progress bar ? It has been nearly three years since was launched. Will you be anxious about the actors?
Tong Chenjie : As a film that took three years to shoot, may have a progress bar in the director’s mind.
We often have to reshoot. However, there are fewer and fewer reshoots in the later period. It is common for one shot to be shot many times. This is also a characteristic of Director Wang, because we all shoot with a single camera, and the requirements for light are very, very high. The lighting of the characters at different stages There will be very subtle changes.It's actually okay to repeat it. You know the director is pursuing the most perfect state. If he says it can be passed, it means it's okay.
△ On-set photo
The crew is so big, you have to have one person who makes you very reassuring and feels that no matter what difficulties occur, they can be solved, then this person is Director Wang. All the actors feel that we are doing something to be proud of, and the process will be worthwhile. Hu Ge said in a hot search a few days ago that "Flowers" is a film school. I think it is very appropriate. Even if you go to school for two or three years, you still don’t have so much time to practice and have so many professional people give you advice.
I also celebrated my birthday on the set. It's the scene where "Brother B" (well-known Hong Kong singer and actor Zhong Zhentao, who plays the famous Hong Kong chef "Golden Chef" in the film) comes to Zhen Yuan's kitchen to cook. It was already five or six o'clock in the morning after filming was completed. Director Wang asked me, how did it feel to celebrate my birthday on the set? I said I was very happy to have more than two hundred people with me. I have never had so many people accompany me on my birthday. The cake was also shared with Brother B. I was also happy that he ate my birthday cake.
reporter : How understand "Manager Pan" ? What do you think of the female group portrait in " Blossoms " ?
Tong Chenjie : Many friends around me told me that everyone wants a Manager Pan. She has a relatively typical Shanghainese personality, just seeing things through, and has very high requirements for herself and others. She also said to Li Li, I will work with you only if you are a qualified boss lady. Then since I have decided to do it with you, no matter what decision you make, I will help you and I will accept it.
I remember the assistant director said something to me during the audition, saying that there are many female characters in their thirties and forties in this play.
Miss Wang, Lingzi and Li Li, Minmin, Xiao Jiangxi and Ruth, as well as Lu Meilin, Mei Ping, etc. I think all the female characters are very grand, and everyone is looking for their true foothold in this era. s position. Even I can't imagine how so many female characters of different ages can shine in it and be so plump in such a small space. Director Wang's group portraits of women really made us feel very comfortable.
△ Off-screen, Min Min (played by Zeng Meihuizi), Li Li (played by Xin Zhilei), Manager Pan (played by Tong Chenjie)
Reporter : The role of " Manager Pan" is out of the circle , What does it mean to you? Will worry about being typed ?
Tong Chenjie : The role of is actually easy to be functionalized, but it is presented in a very three-dimensional way in the play. Overall I like it, no regrets. Although Manager Pan is not a main character, throughout the play, many viewers gradually develop a liking for her. I saw a comment saying, "Can I say that I love Manager Pan the most?" and I got dizzy (laughing).
I started out as a model and didn’t have much acting experience, so my transition wasn’t as smooth as I imagined. In the process of being an actor, there have been times when I wanted to give up. I felt that there were not many roles that might be suitable for me. When people came to me before, they always said that you should play a domineering female CEO, or a beautiful woman with all the stars in the sky. In fact, this is how they stereotype me.
I am fortunate to be able to work with Director Wang this time, and I have benefited a lot. I feel that it has strengthened my career as an actor. I also hope that the broadcast of "Flowers" will allow more directors to see that actresses of our age can be It comes in various forms and can be done very well.
△ Model Tong Chenjie
reporter : What are your next personal plans?
Tong Chenjie : After shoots this, there will be another movie group. It's strange to say that the recent film appointments are pretty good. Before "Flowers" was aired, I joined several groups.
I am 43 years old this year, but I don’t feel like stopping at all. At present, I am still very confident, it can be said that I am more confident, to find my own position in such a market, and at the same time find more, such as A role similar to Manager Pan. Well, I feel that I am full of confidence and yearning.
Xiaoxiang Morning News reporter Wu Chen Xingzi
