Plasma shot -- clip from movie 'As Tears Go by' (1988)

　　LH: Welcome back to TalkAsia - that is a clip fromthe 1988 movie 'As Tears Go By'. Jacky Cheung's performance as afrustrated, low-level triad member won him that year's Best Supporting Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards。

　　LH: Jacky you've obviously done a number of films and obviously won accolades for it, but what takes precedence -- singing or acting?

　　JC: I love singing...if I had to chose one betweensinging and acting, I would have to chose singing, of course it's morepersonal. But I like acting, too. You can be another person, that'skind of fun。

　　LH: Now, you had several desk jobs, one I read waswith Cathay Pacific when you first started. How did you keep that dreamgoing that maybe one day you would make it in the entertainmentbusiness?

　　JC: That's not my dream (LH: really?) and I darenot to dream about it, you know. I have no relations, I never know anypeople that were related to this business so you had no way inactually, so I love join singing contests because I loved theexcitement that I can get through the process. So, that's the onlything I can get, I think. And accidentally I got a contract and that'show I'm in. I'm a practical person actually, so I stayed with my jobuntil I really got a big success with my first album. Then I startcreating it. So I was in both careers (LH: at the same time?) for thesame time, for a few months, actually。

　　LH: Wow amazing. Now what about your parents, what did they think from suddenly desk job to, you know, a singing sensations?

　　JC: As long as I can give enough money back tosupport family. My mum always says 'it's ok for a boy to get into thebusiness'. We heard a lot of rumors about the business for the girl,better think more think deeply. You might have to give up a lot ofthings. But for boys, what you got to lose? Just go!

　　LH: So they were supporting you all the way?

　　JC: My mum, yes, all the way. (LH: Good, your Dad?)My daddy is an engineer on board -- he's traveling everywhere and allyear. So I didn't have much time to talk to him and of course he didn'tsay anything - didn't say any 'no' this (LH: right, right)

　　LH: Now, I've read that in the 80s, latter part ofthe 80s, you had some tough times, and things weren't doing so well.Now correct me if I'm wrong, but you started drinking and your careerwas going down -- is that true and how didn't you manage to pull backup?

　　JC:That's true, and it's all printed (LH: you never believe what you read,right?) Well, those days you can believe some. Well yes and I picked upsome bad habits at those times I started drinking with some friends.The worst part was I couldn't control myself after drinking. Yes, andat that time my career was going down, but it's a normal trend, Ithink. You couldn't just keep your career all the way up there, so itgoes down a bit then you start to pick up something...somebody'smistake, you know what's wrong and then you correct and you climb upagain, so this is how it goes. Again, the thing is, you've gotta keepworking you know that movie that you just showed, that year that's theworst year of my singing career actually, but I'd been doing a lot ofmovies at that time. So you've got to keep yourself busy, either doingthis or doing that. So, of course, if you have a chance you've got tograb it and keep doing it -- no matter what it is。

　　LH: And how did you pull yourself back up again?

　　JC: Face. You've got to face the reality; I meanyou can't just bury your head into those bottles. After you're awake,you're still the same person. You're still facing the same problems andthe same difficulties. So you just stand up and face it, and startdoing everything from the very beginning, check what's wrong and fix it。

　　LH: What has been the biggest price -- you would say -- that you have had to pay for fame?

　　JC: Well, I'm not this "star" kind of person -- Idon't want to be a star. I love singing and I love acting, and I wantto live a normal life. And that's why I'm actually sending my kids toschool and doing every what all the parents did. If I had to say onething, that I couldn't be as normal as everyone (LH: so privacy wouldbe.。。) I'm ready to give up some of my own privacy, but not my family-- that's the bottom line。

　　LH: and what is the best part of being who you are?

　　JC: The best part is you are doing something youreally love to do. That will give you a better standard of living andthat's good (LH: And making money for it?) Well, of course, I have toclear this point that I'm the lucky one and there's a lot of othersingers that I know, or knew before and they've just gone (LH: whodidn't make it, who didn't survive)。

　　LH: Jacky, we're going to take another very short break when we return a brand new role for Jacky Cheung

　　LH: That's another one of Jacky Cheung's famous hits, 'A thousandheart-breaking reasons'. Luckily his real life is not so heartbreaking,he's happily married and a proud father of a four-year-old daughter.Earlier this year, Hong Kong Disneyland appointed Jacky as their spokesperson and they say Jacky stands for everything that makes Disney so special。

　　LH: Jacky, why Disneyland? Why be a spokesperson for them?

　　JC: They come and look for me and I think, I've been watching a lotof Disney movies with my kids. I think it's about time for me to dosomething that I can share with my kids。

　　LH: What do you hope to achieve, raising the profile or bringing to the attention?

　　JC: I just want to do something that I - you know, I've been in over60 movies and sing a lot of songs, but most of them I couldn't sharethem with my kid -- for the moment, actually. Now, as a spokesperson

　　of Disneyland I can tell my kid what I'm doing now (LH: and she canrelate to it, right? JC: Yes, she can totally understand and I can showher everything that I'm doing for them

　　LH:You have done so many things in your life, acting, singing, andmusicals. Is there something else that you'd like to do that youhaven't done yet?

　　JC: A lot. I don't know, I'm thinking of traveling. Really lookinginto the world. Yes, I've been traveling to many many countries -- mostpart of the world, yes but I just work (LH: that's not the same, yes).When I have some time off, I would like see the world with my family,maybe when my kid is getting.。。(LH: a bit older, yes so she canappreciate it, right?)

　　LH: When somebody picks up a Jacky Cheung CD -- anywhere in thisworld -- what do you hope they will get out of it? What do hope theywill feel when they get into your music?