SAMMI Cheng is back, and she’s loving it. The 36-year-old singer-actress has been on a three-year, self-enforced hiatus from the entertainment industry, in which her output consisted of a measly feature film, no albums but a concert tour in 2007.
Nevertheless, be prepared to see more of the Cantopop star in 2009, starting with her first movie since 2005 – Lady Cop and Papa Crook.
Directed by Felix Chong and Alan Mak, the movie features Cheng as Szeto, a police detective who is assigned to help a triad boss, John Fok (Eason Chen), find his kidnapped son. What ensues is a game of cat and mouse as Szeto moves her base of operations into John’s house as he tries to hide his illegal activities from her.
Cheng first entered the entertainment industry in 1988, at the age of 16 after win-ning a talent contest. Her first album, Sammi, was released in 1990, and her film debut was in 1992 in Life Of His Own alongside Jacky Cheung. She has since acted in over 21 movies and released more than 30 albums, and is widely recognised as one of the most successful and highest-paid celebrities in Hong Kong.
Lady Cop and Papa Crook is the first movie Cheng has made since 2005’s Everlasting Regret (in which she earned a nomination for “best actress” at the Venice Film Festival).
In a phone interview from Hong Kong, Cheng expressed delight to be back making movies, though it took a little getting used to at first.
“I haven’t made a movie in two years, so I was stressed out and nervous at first. After the first three days, I had to ask the director to give me three days off,” she said.
“During that time, I tried my best to do things that would calm me down. I got up early in the morning and did a lot of sports to release stress; then in the afternoon I watched movies and TV, and at night I just prayed and read the Bible (during her three-year break, Cheng became a born-again Christian).
“It was strange ... to me those three days off were like a test. If I could not get my act together and try to eliminate the stress, I would not have finished the film.”
But finish the film she did, and she now looks back at it with fondness, especially at her first role as a policewoman, which the directors modelled after Andy Lau’s character in Infernal Affairs.
“They wanted to turn me into a female version of Andy Lau’s character in Infernal Affairs, with the black suits and long trench coats.
“It was fun to be a lady cop, plus this character is actually quite close to my own personality. Work-wise, I’m always rushing around, but when it comes to love, I’m always very blur and very bad at it!” she said with a laugh.
Lady Cop and Papa Crook also marks the first time Cheng is acting alongside Eason Chen, and she is looking forward to working with him again.
“I was very happy to work with him. I feel he has a lot of potential as an actor, and is also good-looking in a very alternative kind of way,” she said. “We got along very well, and we were even complaining that we never got to be lovers in the movie! Hopefully we can get together to do a crazy romantic comedy ... I think it would be quite good!”
For now though, Cheng has plenty of work lined up for 2009, including two movies that were written specifically for her, as well as another major period film which is still in the pre-production stage. She is also planning to complete her comeback with a new album – the first in almost four years – this year.
So be prepared ... 2009 may just be the Year of Sammi.
Nevertheless, be prepared to see more of the Cantopop star in 2009, starting with her first movie since 2005 – Lady Cop and Papa Crook.
Directed by Felix Chong and Alan Mak, the movie features Cheng as Szeto, a police detective who is assigned to help a triad boss, John Fok (Eason Chen), find his kidnapped son. What ensues is a game of cat and mouse as Szeto moves her base of operations into John’s house as he tries to hide his illegal activities from her.
Cheng first entered the entertainment industry in 1988, at the age of 16 after win-ning a talent contest. Her first album, Sammi, was released in 1990, and her film debut was in 1992 in Life Of His Own alongside Jacky Cheung. She has since acted in over 21 movies and released more than 30 albums, and is widely recognised as one of the most successful and highest-paid celebrities in Hong Kong.
Lady Cop and Papa Crook is the first movie Cheng has made since 2005’s Everlasting Regret (in which she earned a nomination for “best actress” at the Venice Film Festival).
In a phone interview from Hong Kong, Cheng expressed delight to be back making movies, though it took a little getting used to at first.
“I haven’t made a movie in two years, so I was stressed out and nervous at first. After the first three days, I had to ask the director to give me three days off,” she said.
“During that time, I tried my best to do things that would calm me down. I got up early in the morning and did a lot of sports to release stress; then in the afternoon I watched movies and TV, and at night I just prayed and read the Bible (during her three-year break, Cheng became a born-again Christian).
“It was strange ... to me those three days off were like a test. If I could not get my act together and try to eliminate the stress, I would not have finished the film.”
But finish the film she did, and she now looks back at it with fondness, especially at her first role as a policewoman, which the directors modelled after Andy Lau’s character in Infernal Affairs.
“They wanted to turn me into a female version of Andy Lau’s character in Infernal Affairs, with the black suits and long trench coats.
“It was fun to be a lady cop, plus this character is actually quite close to my own personality. Work-wise, I’m always rushing around, but when it comes to love, I’m always very blur and very bad at it!” she said with a laugh.
Lady Cop and Papa Crook also marks the first time Cheng is acting alongside Eason Chen, and she is looking forward to working with him again.
“I was very happy to work with him. I feel he has a lot of potential as an actor, and is also good-looking in a very alternative kind of way,” she said. “We got along very well, and we were even complaining that we never got to be lovers in the movie! Hopefully we can get together to do a crazy romantic comedy ... I think it would be quite good!”
For now though, Cheng has plenty of work lined up for 2009, including two movies that were written specifically for her, as well as another major period film which is still in the pre-production stage. She is also planning to complete her comeback with a new album – the first in almost four years – this year.
So be prepared ... 2009 may just be the Year of Sammi.
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