Bad's been good

Actor Terence Yin is hard at it, honing that dangerous look his fans adore Terence Yin, one of Hong Kong's favourite onscreen bad guys, may turn out to be none of what you expect him to be. Yes, he is every bit as good-looking in person as on screen, and he still has that dangerous grin that drives his fans crazy. But he is, in fact, a highly approachable young man. On the day of the interview, he turned up alone, and apologetic for being five minutes late. A self-confessed introvert, Yin says his favourite pastime is to 'sit on my butt and watch TV'. He says he cannot live with anyone because he needs the space. ('It's not even a choice.') But one thing is certain: the 28-year-old is one of the most sought-after actors in town. In his six years as an actor, Yin has starred in 21 films, including two with Japanese shock auteur Takashi Miike - The City Of Lost Souls (2001) and Dead Or Alive: Final (2002). Last year, Yin gained significant international attention after being cast in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life. Originally, he was auditioning for a role that subsequently went to Simon Yam Tat-wah, but the casting team liked him so much they created a role for him. 'It was wonderful to be part of a first-rate international action film,' Yin says. 'I was a bit nervous. On the first day itself, I had to work with Angelina Jolie and Gerard Butler. I didn't want to mess up things.' 'I didn't know what to expect. I have heard all these stories about Hollywood stars, how you're not allowed to talk to them on the set, you have to be careful not to look at them, and so on. Both Jolie and Butler were actually very nice. I didn't get to talk to them a lot, but when I did, we had nice conversations. That's all you can ask for, really.' In Tomb Raider, Yin plays Xien, brother of villain Chen Lo (Yam), and together they keep Lara Croft on her toes. Although the part is small, Yin's performance has won recognition and the opportunity to talk to Hollywood industry people. But Yin has decided Hong Kong is where he should stay for now. 'To get work in Hollywood, you have to be there, unless you are someone like Jackie Chan or Jet Li,' he says. 'I don't want to leave Hong Kong right away. There are still lots of good opportunities here, and more space for me to grow.' He seems to be right. He has just finished shooting a Jackie Chan movie, New Police Story, in which, once again, he plays a bad guy. 'It was good to work with Jackie. He is wildly energetic and passionate, almost like a big kid, and very generous in offering advice to young actors,' Yin enthuses. Does he mind being a baddie, role after role? 'It was probably my role in Hot War that gave me that image, but as an actor you have to respect how the audience relates to you,' he says. 'If I am good at conveying the bad-guy image, that's fine.' In Hot War, Yin is a murderous international terrorist who comes to a sticky end. Some might think playing villains is unfairly limiting to an actor who has, in fact, played a variety of roles, including that of a closeted transvestite in a 1999 movie called Rave Fever. 'It is challenging to act in a role where you are doing one thing and at the same time hinting to the audience that you are thinking of something else,' he says of his experience with that film. 'Towards the end, the audience got the sense that I was not normal. It was only clear at the end what I was about.' Yin is no stranger to challenging roles. His debut movie role in 1998 was that of a gay pop singer in Yonfan's gay drama Bishonen. He did not lose sleep worrying about what others might think of the role. 'I think we are in a progressive-minded society, and that people are open-minded. If I was rejected or stigmatised because of my role in Bishonen. I would have been disappointed.' In fact, Yin takes pride in having been part of Bishonen. 'It was important to present this film to a supposedly conservative culture [in Hong Kong], without making a big deal about people being gay,' Yin says. 'The feelings you have are the same, whether you are gay or straight. Human emotions don't change because of your sexual orientation.' The young star's ability to be at ease with every role that comes his way may be a family trait. Yin's mother, Jenny Hu, now retired in Los Angeles, was a prominent film actress in the 1950s and 1960s, and his Taiwanese father was both an actor and a movie director. But Yin says he has learnt most of his acting skills and movie know-how from the people he works with. He was elated when he was offered a role in Colour of the Truth, a cops-and-robbers film that also starred Anthony Wong Chau-sang. 'Anthony Wong is so damn smooth in his acting he doesn't need to think any more. He is so precise. There is no wastage in his acting,' Yin says with admiration. Meanwhile, Yin looks up to his onscreen brother Simon Yam, whom he treats as his role model. 'Simon is very good at his job, and in dealing with people. He's a detailed actor. He's worked very hard to achieve what he has. If I can continue doing what I do, I'd want to be somewhat like him,' Yin says. 'My goal is to get this feeling one day after working on a film that I have nailed it, without anyone telling me how,' he says. 'When I can do that, I know I have got somewhere.' To judge by his recent performances, and his gung-ho outlook, Yin is certainly on the right track.Text: Text: Reggie Ho Photos: Wing Shya Fashion: Sean K Grooming: Tim Tsang Hair: Collin Yeo