Bobby Au-yeung Plays a Villain Again After 30 Years, Eric Tsang Praises Malaysian Film Industry's Progress

Hong Kong actor Bobby Au-yeung, who has been in the industry for over 40 years, stars in his first Lunar New Year film "Half Catty, Eight Taels," where he takes on the challenging role of a con artist. He admits it's been 30 years since he last played a villain and jokes that this film has brought back his memories of playing a bad guy three decades ago, hoping the audience will accept his interpretation of the character.

Eric Tsang mentioned that after knowing Bobby Au-yeung for so many years, it's his first time seeing him play a villain and praised his performance. He also revealed, “Every time I used to come to Malaysia with him, we'd go out drinking every night. But during the filming of this movie, he didn’t go out drinking even once. He was very serious and stated that he wouldn’t go out until the film was done!”

In the Lunar New Year film "Half Catty, Eight Taels," directed by Lai Kian Heong and featuring lead roles from Lin Derong and local group Steady Gang members Zhu Haoren, Tomato, and AY in addition to Malaysian and Hong Kong artists, Eric Tsang, Bobby Au-yeung, and Jordan Chan participated in a press conference on Wednesday with the film’s cast and crew to promote the movie.

Eric Tsang, who served as the film advisor, praised the significant advancements in Malaysian film production after watching the movie, noting how it is getting closer to Hong Kong film standards. “This is not my first time shooting a Lunar New Year film in Malaysia, but compared to the past, there has been significant progress, especially in the quality of the staff.” He also highly praised Steady Gang's three members for their performances, stating, “You have the potential to act in films, spend more time and effort in movie acting,” leaving them flattered and overjoyed.

Bobby Au-yeung said that he began his career as an extra after leaving acting school, playing roles such as villains, corpses, and robbers, joking that he looked like a bad guy back then. "I've played the good guy for 30 years, and finally, in this film, I have a taste of playing a villain again. I hope everyone will accept my portrayal.” He modestly claimed that he didn't dare rate his own performance, saying, "I am quite unfamiliar with this character, and this time I found the feeling of playing a villain from 30 years ago. I used to play 'bad boys' and delinquents, but now I'm a mature villain." He added that the challenge was playing a charitable villain who must appear harmless despite his nefarious nature.

Bobby Au-yeung expresses that he rediscovered his feel for playing villains after 30 years in "Half Catty, Eight Taels."

Jordan Chan mentioned that every time he's visited Malaysia over the past 30 years, it was for performances and concerts, making this first opportunity to film in Malaysia for a Lunar New Year movie feel particularly special. He revealed that before shooting, he had sought lessons from a stage drama teacher and put a lot of effort into his lines, expressing hopes to film a Lunar New Year movie in Malaysia every year.

This Lunar New Year, 14 movies are set to release, and Lin Derong is confident that "Half Catty, Eight Taels" will make it into the top three in box office rankings. “We conducted some market research, and the feedback has been very positive. I dare not say we will definitely stand out, but we are certainly in the top three!” He noted that last year's "Poker King" grossed 7.25 million, becoming the highest-grossing local Chinese-language film in Malaysia, and hopes to surpass that figure this year. He also disclosed that "Half Catty, Eight Taels" is scheduled for release in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan, with some platforms having already purchased broadcasting rights.