Picture: Simon Yam was attacked in Zhongshan earlier and returned to Hong Kong for treatment. He is currently recuperating at home and hopes to return to filming as soon as possible. The picture is taken when he was discharged from the hospital on July 24\Ta Kung Pao file photo

When a person has a lot, he will eventually trace the origin and pursue a simple life. Simon Yam is an example. \Ta Kung Pao reporter Wen Yingzhi (text) Cai Wenhao (picture)

Simon Yam (Brother Hua), who is 64 years old this year, has been in the entertainment industry for more than 40 years. He has filmed more than 200 films. He once won the "Best Actor" at the Hong Kong Film Awards for "The Thieves". In addition, he owns more than 30 properties around the world with a total market value of hundreds of millions of dollars, and has a happy family. He has a happy marriage with his supermodel wife Qiqi, and has a beautiful and well-behaved daughter. Hua Ge has been well maintained over the years and is in excellent condition. In the eyes of outsiders, he seems to have everything, but in fact he only pursues a simple and honest life and hopes to enjoy more family fun besides filming. As he regards Hong Kong as his home, he also hopes that society will be more tolerant and loving.

Strong observation is helpful for acting

Having worked in the entertainment industry for more than 40 years, Hua Ge has moved from the television industry to the film industry. He has made more than 200 film works alone, many of which have become his masterpieces and have left a deep impression on the audience. Regardless of whether he plays a thief king, a policeman, a gangster, a gigolo, or a minor character, Hua Ge is able to portray the essence of the character. In the new work "Little Q", he played a blind man for the first time, which was a new challenge, but he still acted like a blind man and convinced the audience.

Over the years, has he developed his own method of acting? Earlier, Hua Ge accepted an exclusive interview with a reporter from Ta Kung Pao and shared his acting methods. For example, when he played a blind man in "Little Q" this time, he went to a school for the blind to learn lessons and observed the daily life and diet of blind people for two weeks. Brother Hua said: "At that time, I just sat quietly and observed. Every time I filmed, I wanted to find out the sense of life in it. I didn't want to deliberately create it. Every time I played a role, I would observe the real side of these characters and then integrate the characters."

He loves to travel. Even when he goes to the Russian border to see the snowy scenery, he will look around carefully and pay attention to the local people and things. He said, "I have strong observation skills and love to observe people and things in different places, which helps me perform different roles. This is my acting method for many years. The acting method should come from life."

In the movie "Little Q", Hua had many scenes with the guide dog "Pudding". He is also a dog lover. He used to have a wolfdog in the house, but now he has a paparazzi, and let his daughter take care of it, so as to cultivate her sense of responsibility. He said: "My daughter is responsible for taking care of the paparazzi's meals and sleeping time. From this, she has learned to be responsible for the paparazzi. She will also learn to have a sense of responsibility for her parents, classmates, friends, and teachers, and will not be too self-centered."

Family comes first and refuses to be a strict father

Ren Dahua’s daughter Ren Qingjia (Ella) is 14 years old this year. When talking about the relationship with her daughter, this 24-year-old father said: "I will not be a strict father. I am a good friend with her. Everyone can communicate with her and understand her thoughts. I attach great importance to communication as a family. When our family eats or watches movies, we all have mobile phones. Keep it down. My daughter likes to watch Wu Kris, so I can understand what she likes. So now I have a better understanding of what teenagers like. They like lively things. At this age, we have to work for life and family, and their responsibility is only to study. "Brother Hua gives his daughter a lot of freedom and lets her try whatever she likes. Many fathers regard their daughters as lovers. Do they worry about their daughters dating? He laughed and said, "No, she is very sensible and loves to study. I will not peek at her social media such as Facebook and Instagram, and she seldom plays with them."

Life is simple and honest, which is also the family education that Simon Yam has given his daughter since she was a child. Ella has long been accustomed to such a life and will not pursue too many material things. Brother Hua said, "Our life is so simple. We usually watch movies, do sports, plant flowers, take pictures, and draw. We go to the beach to swim and travel when we have free time. Qiqi and I don't like nightlife and don't pursue material things."

Fourteen-year-old Ella has inherited the good genes of her parents. She has a tall figure and a sweet appearance at a young age. Earlier, she took a series of photos for a magazine, which attracted a lot of attention, and her long legs became the focus. Brother Hua said that he wanted his daughter to be a model and take photos because he wanted her to experience a different growth process. It was just a series of photos and he would not object. But if his daughter wants to make a movie and become an actress, he said with a smile that it is best not to, and said, "If she is filming and I am filming, wouldn't we often not see each other? A family should be together and should not be separated for too long. If my daughter wants to fly to another place, I will give up everything for the family and fly over to be with her." After being a father for 14 years, Simon Yam joked that in fact, he has become his wife Qi Qi as a daughter, and now he has to take care of two "daughters". But he enjoyed it and felt very happy.

Hong Kong is my home, I don’t want to immigrate

I have a career, a family, and stable financial capabilities. What else are I pursuing at this moment? Brother Hua thought for a while and said, "I just pursue simplicity. I'm so happy that I can continue filming. I love acting so much." Judging from the current film market, Simon Yam still made seven or eight movies last year, which is really prolific. He admitted that he had never thought about cutting back on production because he was very passionate about movies and it was a job he enjoyed. He enjoyed every shooting process. For example, when he was filming "Operation Icebreaker" in Zhongshan, Mainland China, he swam, exercised, and enjoyed delicious food outside of filming. Brother Hua said: "From the preparation to the completion of a movie, I will absorb a lot of new knowledge like a sponge during this process. Every time is different, because the background of each character is different. I really like to learn new things."

Everyone has to retire at some point, and asked if there are any plans to retire? He laughed and said, "I don't even know how to write the word "retirement". I can't write these two words." He also laughed and said that Hong Kong people need positive energy. He will continue to film more movies, such as "Little Q", which can bring out positive messages. Although Brother Hua owns many properties in other places, he admitted that he has never thought about immigrating. He said, "Hong Kong has always been my home. I have been to so many places, and there is no place like Hong Kong. I was born and raised here and am very familiar with this place. Hong Kong people are so enthusiastic and love to help others. I just hope that everyone can be more loving and tolerant."

On the day of the interview, Hua Ge was not attacked in Zhongshan. On July 20, he was stabbed with a knife by a stranger who suddenly came on stage. The incident shocked the entertainment industry. After the accident, Brother Hua returned to Hong Kong for medical treatment and suffered injuries to his abdomen and fingers. Fortunately, he did not suffer major trauma. When he was discharged from the hospital, he stated that he would not pursue those involved. Brother Hua's open-mindedness is evident here.

Venue: Royal Park Hotel, Shatin