No beef about film role, says highly toned star
Although Michael Wong plays the chief of security for the handover in Jean Claude Van Damme's latest movie Knock-Off, he tells me he didn't really have to beef up his physique as his role didn't require him to do anything strenuous - or even take his shirt off.
'There were several gun-fighting scenes but nothing physical,' says Michael, almost disappointed. 'I keep a certain level of fitness anyway and I didn't really have to raise my fitness level for the role.' But keeping fit is a way of life for Michael whose hobbies include running, mountain biking and working out in the gym.
He says that Jean Claude was very accommodating to work with and helped him a lot on the film due out next month.
A Eurasian born in America, Michael now considers himself a Hong Kong citizen and even spoke Cantonese in one movie scene.
'My [Cantonese] vocabulary is quite basic so I had to use some English words when the dialogue got too technical,' he said.
He also says that directors are now allowing him to speak in movies as more local films are being shot with sound and not dubbed afterwards.
His next movie will be Beast Cop directed by Gordon Chan and then he is off to Vancouver to film two episodes in John Woo's television series Once A Thief.
Talking about his acting technique, Michael says rehearsing a scene is important but it depends on the director and if there is time on the set.
What about love scenes? 'I don't need to rehearse for that. I practise it all the time.'
