Currently in the midst of promoting his new mainland Chinese period drama The Four Scholars of Jiangnan <江南四大才子>, Hawick Lau (劉愷威) has no time to rest. The 39-year-old actor clarified that he is currently in a rush to complete his work schedules as soon as possible so he can get a break and spend more time with his wife Yang Mi (楊冪), who is currently about five months pregnant. “After knowing that I would become a father, I felt a rush. That rush felt like I was back to debuting again,” said Hawick as he recalled the day he found out about his wife’s pregnancy. Yang Mi first broke the news to Hawick when he was still shooting a drama in Hangzhou. “If I was alone at the time, I would have yelled and jumped for joy, but I had too many people around me, so I just stood there dumbfounded. I think I held onto the same blank expression for a good few minutes.” In the past when he had to shoot scenes of him reacting to his wife’s pregnancy, all he could do was to imagine that excitement of becoming an expectant father. He would expect many fathers to smile non-stop and pounce in excitement, but when it was his turn to give a genuine response, Hawick had the complete opposite reaction. “I can understand that sometimes joy would stupefy a person. If I had a director by my side, I’m sure he would tell me that my expression was unacceptable.” Yang Mi had to shoot Tiny Times 3.0 <小時代3> while pregnant. Having to film many scenes in the cold or in the rain, many of her fans expressed concern for Yang Mi’s health. Hawick said, “She’s doing well. Director [Guo Jingming] has treated her well and filming went smoothly. Many people take care of her on set to keep her warm, and I would also try my best to care for her. I filmed Lady in the Liar <千金女賊> in Shanghai and her Tiny Times 3.0 was also filming in Shanghai at the time. We would meet up, but I think she came just to visit Tiffany Tang (唐嫣) and not me!” Hawick, born and raised in Hong Kong, struggled with language and cultural barriers when he first moved to mainland China for his television drama career. Evidently, fans were shocked when Hawick announced that that he was in a relationship with Yang Mi, who is not only from Beijing, but is also twelve years younger. “There is no friction,” Hawick said when he was asked if he had to change anything to adapt to his wife’s culture. “We are used to living on set so we have strong adaptation skills. I am used to living in different environments all the time.” Hawick also disclosed that he and Yang Mi share similar tastes in food and cuisine. “My ancestral home is Shandong, so I eat a lot of jiaozi and mantou!” When it comes to language and age barriers, Hawick admitted that there would be times when he would not understand Yang Mi’s speech. However he added that he is always learning new words, so communication is never a problem for them. As for their age difference, Hawick said, “Not a problem. She usually calls me ‘Uncle Lau’ so I will call her ‘auntie’ in return.” Having starred in a series of successful television dramas and films since 2012, Yang Mi consistently ranks as one of the highest-earning actress of mainland China. Despite being married and expecting a child, Hawick said Yang Mi has no plans to retire from the industry to be a full-time mother. “Impossible. She loves working too much.” Asked if Yang Mi is earning more than him, Hawick immediately said, “Who says she earns more than me? I can confidently tell you that, no, I actually earn more than her. Don’t believe what the Internet says. We all know how much we earn in our hearts.” Life has been hectic for Hawick and Yang Mi, but the actor hopes to settle down peacefully with his family after the birth of their first child. When that time comes, what would be Hawick’s greatest worries for his child? “When I look through Weibo or read through entertainment news, I’ve discovered that many people would measure other’s conditions by money and wealth. It is rather tragic. I’m not trying to preach my teachings or anything, but I do hope that [my child] will become someone who can develop with a healthy mind.” Creds: Sina
