Continued from Sheren Tang's Interview Part 1.... As Sheren Tang witnessed young TVB actresses dating rich boyfriends, her own curiosity was piqued. She began dating rich heirs as well. However Sheren was not used to dating wealthy men. Her personality was unsuitable for this type of lifestyle and this stage passed quickly. Leaving for the USA at 25 Years Old Sheren did not enter the entertainment industry for interest. She wanted to pursue a different life. It was the same reason she decided to leave the industry in 1992 and go to school in New York, USA. “I acted for 7 years and did not come across good roles. I did not want life to go by in the same manner, thus I decided to venture to the USA.” Everyone has a dream to achieve overnight fame when they are young. However, not many people reflect on the meaning of life and what makes them happy. Working endlessly everyday, Sheren felt like a cow. There was no time to even sleep; this was not the type of life she desired. At the time Sheren entered the industry, Anita Mui was very popular, but Anita was unhappy. “I felt the same way Anita felt. It was ironic that while acting numerous character fates onscreen, I did not know my true self.” Sheren knew her own personality well; she did not particularly network with other people. “After leaving TVB, if there were no one to ask me to act again, how would I support myself?” Since Sheren’s parents divorced when she was very young, she had to take care of herself at a tender age. She had to be responsible for herself and could not rely on others, developing Sheren's insecure personality. If Sheren were to stop acting in the future, she wanted to have another option in life. Thus she decided to further her education in the USA. At the same time, Sheren achieved fame when she was 18 years old and did not possess a normal life for 7 years. She did not know what she wanted in life. “During summer break from classes, I would return to Hong Kong to film in order to earn tuition money. There was no stress; I acted if I wanted to. I did not care what my family thought.” While studying in the USA, Sheren learned to respect her profession as an actress and approach it with creativity. In New York, she took public transportation everyday and led a simple life. She was a happy student. Sheren considered changing her career, as acting did not appear to be a lifelong career. Four years later, Sheren returned to Hong Kong and resumed acting again. Originally she thought about eventually immigrating to the USA. “It was odd; the studio suddenly offered many good acting opportunities for me. The type of roles which I wanted in the past were finally offered to me.” “At the same time, I did not have enough money while in New York. Aside from tuition, there were also living expenses and money which I had to send to my mother in Hong Kong. Facing reality, I had no other choice but to act again.” Returning to Hong Kong, Sheren acted for ATV. Aside from the challenging roles, the salary was extremely high. “The filming fees were too high! It was the first time I felt I was worth so much money!” In those 2 years, Sheren filmed 200 episodes and her savings account increased dramatically. She spent the new income on clothes and a new home. Wearing designer clothes and sleeping on a luxurious bed, she was still the same woman—- a woman who was still unhappy. Money was just a figure and did not have real value; it did not offer love. Still Single at 30 Years Old When Sheren was in her 20’s, she had many pursuers. When she was in a relationship, she required her boyfriend to always think of her. She experienced many instances of love-at-first-sight with her co-stars and had to use her acting to repress her feelings. When Sheren was in her early twenties, she dated Alex Man Chi Leung, who was 9 years her senior. The relationship did not last. One year, one night, when Sheren was fast approaching 30 years old, she was still single and still working as hard. One difference was that she fell deeply in love and that man was the married Kong Wah. Sheren collaborated with Kong Wah in “I Have a Date With Spring,” which was her first ATV series. When rumors broke out between Sheren and Kong Wah, the paparazzi had a field day since he was a married man. In the end, Kong Wah and his wife, Mak Kit Man, stayed together, while Sheren was blamed as the third party. Sheren tried to hide her feelings for Kong Wah inside her. However at a TVB celebratory dinner, Sheren had too much alcohol to drink and revealed her true feelings for Kong Wah. Many TVB executives and artists were present at the dinner. Upon Sheren’s outburst, everyone grew quiet before the paparazzi furor took over. TVB immediately decreased the projects Sheren was involved in. However the young Sheren did not regret her actions at the time. The embarrassed Kong Wah could only decrease their interaction. Sheren’s friendship with Kong Wah’s wife, Mak Kit Man, also drifted after the incident. Reflecting on her past love relationships, Sheren felt that they were all wrong. Sheren was immature and unreasonable at the time. Due to her parents’ divorce, Sheren always pursued love at a great expense. She had a passionate nature and was unafraid to try anything in a relationship. In retrospect, Sheren agreed that she sacrificed greatly for love. “I will not act in the same way now as I recognize my weak points. In the past, I desired passionate love, but now I value a steady and stable relationship. It is best to get to know each other as friends first.” Sheren admitted that she was a loner. Whether she was happy or grievous, she would not share with other people. Even when she broke up in a relationship, she will suffer her hurt alone at home. “Happiness and grief are part of life. No one can help you overcome these phases; only time will heal.” However, time may not always heal hurtful memories. Reflecting upon Kong Wah after several years, she still felt a sense of loss. Sheren noted that her ideal partner now was someone she can still hold hands with in old age. Source: Jayne News
