The media never seems to be tired of asking Bosco Wong (黃宗澤) the same breakup questions over and over again. Will you reconcile with her? Will you find new love soon? Are you sure this is a permanent breakup? Is this a trick? And over and over again, Bosco will give the same answer, “We are still great friends. Now, my focus is work!” Bosco: “I’m Not a Qualifying Boyfriend” It has been six months since Bosco and Myolie Wu (胡杏兒) announced their shocking breakup, shattering the hearts of all Boscolie shippers. The TVB ex-golden couple mutually agreed to end their eight-year relationship, but Bosco later admitted that he regretted his decision. Myolie has clearly shown signs that she has moved on, but what about Bosco? Is he using work as an excuse to numb himself? “Don’t take it the wrong way! My birthday was two months ago, and many reporters kept asking if I felt miserable because I didn’t have a girlfriend to spend it with. I definitely did not feel miserable. Almost every year, I would spend my birthdays working because that is the month when we begin our filming for Lunar New Year movies. Filming dates always land on my birthdays. In the past three years, I’ve spent my birthdays with Eric Tsang (曾志偉), Wilson Chin (錢國偉), Stanley Fung (馮淬帆), Kate Tsui (徐子珊), and Joyce Cheng (鄭欣宜). “Honestly, ever since I joined the industry, I rarely spent my birthdays with my [ex-] girlfriend too. At most, we would go out for dinner. Sometimes, my mom would be invited. That’s why I do not have much romantic memories of our relationship!” If boyfriends have a ranking, then Bosco will definitely be among the lowest. He knows that he is not very romantic. He knows that he is not very caring or gentle, either. Not only does Bosco not know how to take care of others, he is often the one who is getting taken care of. “Maybe it’s because I really am very insufferable. I always look angry and I am very quiet when I’m at home, so it was difficult [for my girlfriend] to communicate with me. I also like to be very organized. For example, my closet and drawers are always color-coordinated. I always keep my shoes in the proper shoe box. When I have time, I will clean and dust them. I’m fine if my mom, girlfriend, or friends mess up the orders, but I do think that I am a little obsessive. “I rarely give surprises to my girlfriend. My best surprise was probably cooking for her when she was upset. I don’t really give her flowers either. I am also the type who is willing to cancel a date in order to hang out with friends. That’s because I don’t get to see my friends very often!” From Hosting to Acting Bosco is not just a popular leading actor in both Hong Kong television and cinema. He is also the owner of several restaurant and entertainment establishments. He often has to juggle multiple projects on hand and has little spare time. It is hard to maintain a life in the real world. It is even harder in the entertainment world. For Bosco, it took him four years of tossing and turning before he was given his first significant acting gig. Bosco debuted in the industry as a model in 1998. He quickly gained the interest of several management agencies after starring in a lemon tea commercial that year. After months of contemplation, Bosco finally decided to sign with TVB which, according to Bosco’s mother, had the “best shadow under a big tree.” TVB originally arranged Bosco to attend its acting classes as an associate student. However, Bosco stopped attending after a week of classes. “I was getting booked to play extras in many dramas. I remember I was one of Louis Koo’s (古天樂) fighters in At the Threshold of an Era <創世紀>. My godmother knew him personally, so I had met him before I joined the industry. I was surprised that he still recognized me!” Once when Bosco planned to go back to acting class, he was hired to be a regular host for the TVB music talk show, Absolute Music Space <非常音樂空間>. As talk shows usually air on a weekly basis, Bosco also had to only go to work once a week. “I didn’t like the job very much. I really didn’t know what I was doing most of the time, and I was not getting anything out of the job. My first contract [with TVB] was for five years, and I already could not stand my first two years there. I felt like I was wasting my time and youth.” After Absolute Music Space, Bosco was cast as a regular star in the revamped sketch comedy and variety show, Enjoy Yourself Tonight <歡樂今宵>, which also aired once a week. Bosco’s workload neither increased nor decreased, but when it came to doing either hosting and interviewing, or acting and comedy, Bosco definitely preferred the latter. “I was trained for my instant reactions. Lo Hoi Pang (盧海鵬) is great at improv, and if you are any slower, you will be dead meat. I’ve tried imitating McDull (麥兜) and Paula Tsui (徐小鳳) on the show before! At the time, Lydia Shum (沈殿霞) was still with us, and she really took good care of us kids. Once we were all done with work for the night, she would treat the entire crew to dinner. We didn’t have to pay for anything! That’s why now it is my turn to take care of Joyce! Joyce calls my mom godmother, and she calls me god brother.” Thanks to 2003’s Triumph in the Skies <衝上雲宵>, Bosco’s name was finally known to the public. Out of the young cast, it was Ron Ng (吳卓羲) and Sammul Chan (陳鍵鋒) who received the most attention from the public. Although Bosco portrayed only a minor character – Sammul’s friend “Chris” – his role was one of the series’ most surprising breakout characters. “People on the streets could actually remember my name! It turns out that men in uniforms also have a market, not just women, haha!” Bosco’s Bloody Road As always, fame came with a price, and for Bosco, the price was bloody. Bosco recalled, “I was filming my first kung fu Qing dynasty drama, Find the Light <英雄•刀•少年>. I had a lot of practice [for the action scenes], but I did not have a background in kung fu. When it came to filming my last fight scene in the drama, the director actually told me, ‘Pose however you like. I will get an action stunt double to fill you in.’ He was basically telling me to hurry up so we could all call it a day. After his words, I vowed to better myself and show him my improvements. I took kung fu lessons every day after work, and a year later, I got the call to film Wong Fei Hung – Master of Kung Fu <我師傅係黃飛鴻>. No one yelled at me. The director was also very impressed!” It was Bosco’s performance in 2006’s Dicey Business <賭場風雲> that affirmed his position as one of TVB’s top leading actors. “Michael Miu (苗僑偉) [Dicey Business co-star] told me that he had tried filming 130 episodes in a year before. My highest was 120 episodes in a year, which makes it six dramas! When I was filming Devil’s Disciples <強劍> [in 2006], the workload was so laborious that I began to urinate blood. I had fainted in the middle of filming before, and sometimes, I would go back home and cry in front of my mirror. I would tell myself, ‘Why am I willing to go through this?’” No Interest in Being TV King Bosco had been in the running for Best Actor at the TVB Anniversary Awards in the past two years, but he ultimately lost the TV King honor to Kevin Cheng (鄭嘉穎) and Wayne Lai (黎耀祥) respectively. “I actually do not desire the [Best Actor] award. I never expect myself to win anyway, and I treat [the award ceremony] as a big celebration and party. If you ask me again this year, I will stick to supporting Wayne Lai and Damian Lau (劉松仁). I don’t think Raymond Lam (林峯) will get mad at me for saying this!” It is not that Bosco is not interested in winning; it is because winning is not necessary. For many actors, the Best Actor award is not just about receiving critical success on performances, but also about receiving a big pay raise. Bosco, now a staple actor in television and film, is content with his current career opportunities. Creds: Oriental Daily
