Interview with Guo Fucheng： I have no idol baggage and like subversive characters

1905 movie network feature "Talk about what role do you want to challenge in the future?" When the media throws this question to actors, it is often already at the end of the interview. "It is better to look at the script, preferably a role that has not been played and will not be repeated by yourself." They occasionally give "standard answers" and end the entire interview with a watertight attitude. The final scene of our conversation is exactly the same as the above scene.

"Read the script." The answer was impeccable, even a little perfunctory, but when he thought about it, this was not what he said from the bottom of his heart.

Looking at the works of Chengcheng in recent years, from the righteous and awe-inspiring first brother of the police force "Liu Jiehui", to the unhappy fake genius "Li Wen", and then to the financial elite "A Bo" living on the street, the characters he chose, either in high positions or reduced to low status, met his criteria for choosing plays – like subversion.

About two or three years ago, on the night of promoting the new film in Cannes, Guo Fucheng, who was enjoying the sea view, received a script from a new director. Hong Kong stories, Hong Kong directors, Hong Kong filming, local themes first aroused his interest. The heart-to-heart sentence in the script outline hit his mood.

It was written like this, "Ignite hope with faith, rewrite life with hope, but the word poverty can disintegrate your faith…" Or related to the poor experience of youth, he immediately fell into deep thought, dialed the agent’s phone, and told her, "No matter what conditions, I am willing to support this movie." The movie was later named "Mai Passerby" and became Guo Fucheng’s last work to meet the audience.

The script that was handed over to Chengcheng at the same time was also directed. In 2016, Guo Fucheng starred in a film that was overseen by Chen Zhengdao, and the collaboration between the two began. "I like Chen Zhengdao’s style very much, the script story is very good, and the characters are very attractive, so I came here." Talking about the reason for taking on "Secret Visitor", he admitted that it was a hard script to refuse.

In this way, "Secret Visitor" and "Mai Passerby", one filmed in South Korea, the other in Hong Kong, and Guo Fucheng traveled to the two places and started filming simultaneously.Interestingly, in "The Secret Visitor", Guo Fucheng is the head of a large family, wealthy but cold and gloomy. He always keeps exquisite, lives in a castle-like house, and eats top-class cuisine. On the contrary, "Mai Passer-by" is also known as "Mai Refugee". Guo Fucheng plays "Refugee" Abo, poor but warm. He is untidy, homeless, and has no food and clothing all day long.

Playing two very different roles at the same time, Guo Fucheng said, was an interesting challenge.For example, the story of "Secret Visitor" revolves around a large house, and most of the scenes are trapped in the house, and the most important thing to do is to eat. Guo Fucheng revealed that there is a scene of eating steak, which is a real material. After a long time of slow cooking, the taste is so good that it is unforgettable. He tasted it with relish, but in order to cooperate with the rich character of "Father Wang", the play just feels like eating a regular meal.

The filming of "Mai Passerby" was completely different. Because "A Bo" was a homeless man, Guo Fucheng went directly to the scene every day after washing up, without combing his hair, untidying his clothes, and not allowing himself to eat. "I want to feel hungry," he said, "so that even if I eat apples, I can treat it as a treasure from the mountains and seas." According to the revelations on the set, Chengcheng did not eat enough throughout the play, and even if he worked late into the night, in order to insist on presenting the reality of the homeless, he rarely ate.

"During the filming process, I will let the character occupy the real me, and I will not let him leave, even when he returns home." Guo Fucheng admitted that being close to the character himself, experiencing his life, and even letting him "live" in the body is his way of thinking about the character. "When I see my children at home, I will try my best to withdraw from them, and I will not bring emotions to them." He added that filming will not affect the relationship with his daughter, and he is very grateful to his family for their thoughtfulness and understanding.

"A real actor has to try many things." Looking to the future, he said with a smile that there is no idol burden, and the comedy cells in his body can be excavated to the fullest. Although he is currently focusing on the identity of an actor, he cannot rule out becoming a director in the future. The current progress is that the script was conceived three years ago, and he has already found a screenwriter to help write the outline and split the scene. In addition to filming, he promised to prepare a personal concert this year. It seems that in addition to the "actor" Guo Fucheng, the "singer" Guo Fucheng is going to be in business again…

The following is the transcript of the interview:

1905 Movie Network: Can you share the opportunity to star in "Secret Visitor"? What impresses you about this script?

Guo Fucheng: Of course, it was because the script was good, the characters were very attractive, and I really liked the style of director Chen Zhengdao, so I took over the filming.

1905 Movie Network: After "Before Dawn", I worked with Chen Zhengdao for the second time. This time, he was completely a director. What was the feeling of working together?

Guo Fucheng: This time I found that he shoots more accurately and has a very good grasp of art. It can be said that the director’s skills are more mature. I admire him very much.

1905 Movie Network: How do you understand the role of "Father Wang"? What is the difficulty of its performance? What preparations did you make when trying to figure out the role?

Guo Fucheng: Father Wang is very depressed in his heart, and there are many levels of characters. He is an heir to a big family, elegant and stylish, and his skin, eyes, etc. must be handled in the best condition. At that time, I was filming "Mai Passerby" simultaneously, and the character was a raunchy street sleeper, and the two were very different.

1905 Movie Network: The father you played in that year left a deep impression on the audience. What was the experience of working with these two young actors this time?

Guo Fucheng: I think both of them are very talented young actors, very smart, and quickly able to enter the role.

1905 Movie Network: He is a very involved actor. How do you feel about playing with him?

Guo Fucheng: He must be a good actor who likes to study the inner layers of characters very much.

1905 Movie Network: From singer to actor, how do you evaluate your acting career? What are your future plans?

Guo Fucheng: I believe that I am a diverse actor, and movies are now the main force, but I still like concerts very much, and I will continue to do world tours. I hope to have a balanced development in the future, and I will do charity work, because charity is my commitment to myself. Evaluating my acting career, I feel happy, happy, and satisfied. I will continue to work hard, study hard, and do my best in everything.

1905 Movie Network: What are your current acting standards? What type of role would appeal to you more?

Guo Fucheng: It must be a good script, preferably if you have never played it yourself, and you will not repeat your roles. I like some subversive characters.