Known for his comedic talent, Wong Cho Lam (王祖藍) tackled melodramatic performances for the first time in the Qing Dynasty drama Gilded Chopsticks <食為奴>, which is currently airing in Hong Kong to positive reviews. Wong Cho Lam portrays the imperial chef Ko Tin Po, who unwillingly gets himself involved in a political battle with Fourth Yongzheng (Ben Wong) and the Eighth Prince (Louis Cheung). Cho Lam likens Gilded Chopsticks to The Duke of Mount Deer <小寶與康熙> and Bu Bu Jing Xin <步步惊心>, since the series covers the power struggle between the fourth and eighth princes. However, Gilded Chopsticks is told from the poor man’s perspective, as it follows Cho Lam’s character from being nearly homeless to his rise as an imperial chef. The literal Chinese title, “Food for the Slaves”, refers to the struggles that many people have to take in order to feed themselves, becoming slaves for food. Cho Lam finds that the theme behind Gilded Chopsticks can be related to the society of today. “Sometimes, people let their companies and bosses play them around.” Despite the heavy concept behind Gilded Chopsticks, Cho Lam hopes to balance both comedy and drama well. As a professional actor, Cho Lam finds it necessary to always break new grounds and familiarize himself with other genres. He named Dicky Cheung (張衛健) as his inspiration, who is able to make people laugh hilariously, but also touch them with his emotional acting. Cho Lam said, “Simply put, I would like to film comedies that have substance. I want to attempt both [comedy and drama] at the same time.” Preparing for “Inbound Troubles 2” Cho Lam has been working on the sister production of Inbound Troubles <老表, 你好嘢!> for over a year. With the experience from writing the script for the first series, Cho Lam has established a good working relationship with TVB’s scriptwriting team. The script for Inbound Troubles 2 <老表，你好Hea!> will be completed before filming would start at the end of the year. Inbound Troubles 2 will feature the original cast and add new cast members, Chung King Fai (鍾景輝), Ram Chiang (蔣志光), and Cho Lam’s girlfriend, Leanne Li (李亞男). “Yes, I am using TVB resources for my own private needs!” Cho Lam joked. “Leanne is not a female lead, but it is good to give an opportunity for an artist to shine. For example, May Chan (陳嘉佳) did not have much screen-time in Inbound Troubles. She wasn’t even a main character, but her performance provided something different for the audience.” As for marriage plans with Leanne, Cho Lam said, “I don’t think I can marry this year! I will not have a flash marriage. I am a flamboyant person, so my wedding will definitely be a big deal. Just wait patiently! I hope the ratings for Gilded Chopsticks will be good, so its success can help promote Inbound Troubles 2! Thankfully, I am not the only one in the battle, but I have an entire team with me. I already have a production studio, and I am very thankful to receive so much help from everyone.” Creds: ihktv
