Recently ascending to “First Diamond Bachelor in TVB City,” Kenneth Ma (馬國明) displayed his love and loyalty while discussing his short romance with Nancy Wu (胡定欣). After former lovers split up, there was no need to accuse each other to gain [the public's] sympathy. Despite frequent negative press accusations against Nancy, Kenneth continued to protect her. Kenneth stated, “I have dated Nancy Wu. However, we broke up in less than one year. I have to emphasize that she did not move to Tai Koo City specifically for me. At the time, we were not dating yet…. It’s difficult to say who had pursued whom. After collaborating together for some time, there were feelings and thus we got together. Our breakup was not due to the rumor that Nancy possessed a ‘princess attitude’ upsetting me! The truth is that I am a very boring person and we were not happy while together. Naturally we broke up, but we are still good friends!”
Recently, TVB rejected three mainland China filming offers for Kenneth, based on the reason that there were scheduling conflicts. A conservative estimate projected that Kenneth lost $3 million Yuan due to the missed opportunities. Despite this, Kenneth was still loyal to TVB at this moment. “Witnessing other artists earn a lot of money while filming in mainland China, I would be lying if I said that I was not envious! However, the timing truly did not work, so there is nothing that can be done…. Without TVB, then there is no Kenneth Ma! I can only hope that there will be future opportunities to film in China!” Asked whether he was dissatisfied with TVB, Kenneth did not respond directly, thus the reporter did not make any speculations.
If A Man Is Not Bad, A Woman Will Not Love Him
Many youths possessed the love perspective, “If a man is not bad, a woman will not love him.” However, pertaining to Kenneth Ma, the correct saying would be, “If a man is not bad, a woman will love him the most!”
In the blink of an eye, Kenneth has been the industry for 12 years, growing from an extra to a first-line actor at TVB. Kenneth’s transformation over the last 12 years has been quite dramatic. At the beginning of his career, Kenneth was quite wooden in his interviews; when asked two questions, he will only respond to one question. Currently, when asked one question, Kenneth will respond to three questions.
Kenneth stated, “Over the last few years, I have found my way. For some time, I felt very lost, as if I can no longer improve! Especially in recent years, I was either the male lead or supporting actor; what does this mean? It appears as if there was no more space for advancement, while I did not earn that much money and my acting did not improve much. What should I do? Do I set myself aside and do not care? Should I take any filming offers that come my way and establish money as my top priority?
“It was not until I saw Death Does Not Separate Three Brothers which opened my eyes. There is no need to make life so complex. I consistently asked myself whether to pick between acting and money…. In the end, I chose acting because I truly love it. There is no need to think too much! Money…I do not earn much, but you can say it is not terrible compared to some, while not too much compared to others. Then I should focus on just doing my best!”
A Learning Experience
In The Hippocratic Crush "On Call 36小時", Kenneth portrayed an idealistic doctor, Cheung Yat Kin. Unfortunately, reality challenged his ideals; fortunately he was able to gather his inner strength to remain a compassionate doctor. Kenneth noted that he gained enormously from filming The Hippocratic Crush, including a different perspective adding to his acting experience.
“I have to thank the production crew of The Hippocratic Crush for researching the medical facts well. In the past, I have portrayed a doctor, but only as an extra, in which my line was, ‘Sorry, we have tried our best!’ This time in The Hippocratic Crush, I was a true doctor, which required memorizing the dialogue and medical jargon carefully. There was no room for mistakes, especially in the operating room scenes where real doctors on site observing the filming process. Many lines were required to be changed on the spot, resulting in the need for them to be re-memorized. This challenged my adaptive skills. Through filming The Hippocratic Crush, I learned many medical facts that I did not know before. Now, I can verbally describe the procedures for a brain examination, but only through words of course!
“One of the most memorable scenes in The Hippocratic Crush involved the death of my younger brother. I was required to cry emotionally, but I am not someone who cries easily. Although my first take passed, I was not satisfied with the results and suggested that the director film the scene again. I sat in a corner to build up my emotions. The director and Tavia Yeung (楊怡) started talking about many unhappy events with me. In the end, I was able to cry uninhibitedly. The producer ultimately used this take. This was a new experience for my acting.”
Enjoys Cameo Performances
Prior to the interview, the reporter researched netizen’s opinions regarding Kenneth Ma. Compared to other first-line actors, Kenneth performed in many cameo roles. Some netizens speculated that he lacked ambition, while others thought that portraying too many cameo roles will impact his first-line status. For Kenneth, the opportunity to perform was more critical, even if it only involved a singular scene where he just walked by the camera.
“In my first cameo performance, I was in the next studio room waiting for my turn to film. While waiting listlessly, I saw a director that I knew well and walked over to watch the filming process and learn something. They were filming a courtroom scene and the extra assigned for the lawyer role could not meet the director’s requirements. Since my makeup was intact, I suggested that I perform the part, which only required two lines. The director was stunned and immediately changed the role to match my character name in Survivor’s Law II "律政新人王II". The next day when Producer Lam Chi Wah (林志華) saw the footage, he was shocked…. I never minded portraying cameo roles, which are actually quite fun!”
Kenneth Ma was already a first-line actor, generating hot discussions through past performances in Survivor’s Law II and A Fistful of Stances "鐵馬尋橋". However, in comparison, Kenneth’s roles did not leave a deep impression compared to “Laughing Gor” and “Law Ba.” Kenneth replied, “Many people have pointed this out! A good role is hoped for, but difficult to come across. I can only do my best for each role! Many people feel as if I do not have any expectations and do not fight for opportunities for myself. When I come across producers I know at TVB City, I will ask them if there are any suitable characters for me to play during our conversations. I do want that opportunity…but if you were to ask me to knock on the producers’ doors and take such initiatives, then I cannot do it!”
Friends After Parting
Since Moses Chan (陳豪) was consumed by Aimee Chan (陳茵媺) after they started dating, there were fewer “diamond bachelors” left in the entertainment industry. Known as a good man, Kenneth Ma became the “top target” among many actresses. However, Kenneth was unwilling to discuss his love life in the past. Regarding his love life prior to entering the industry, Kenneth was also tight-lipped. Last year, Kenneth and Nancy Wu’s romance was a hot topic; the pair broke up, reconciled, and broke up again. Despite the rumors, Kenneth did not admit the relationship for a long time.
When the reporter asked Kenneth bluntly about dating Nancy, he admitted that he had dated Nancy for less than a year, but the pair had separated due to incompatible personalities. Kenneth continued, “For some time, I truly yearned to date! In recent years, this feeling became less strong. You know how boring I am; I do not like to go outside and socialize. When there is no work, I can stay home for many days. So it does not matter whether I date or not.
“I possess even less urges to get married! My parents did not give me pressure in this aspect, since they are busy taking care of my elder sister’s two kids. As for being referred to as a ‘diamond bachelor’…I do not agree with the nickname. There are no women flocking to my side! It is best to let love matters run their natural course. At this time, earning money should be the priority.”
The Web Is Useful For Pornography
During the photograph session, the reporter and Kenneth Ma had the following exchange:
R= Reporter; K= Kenneth
R= Please get an iPhone and install WhatsApp! Every time, I have to send you a text message!
K= I have no time to do that!
R= You do not have WhatsApp, Facebook, or even a Weibo blog. You only have a TVB blog; how boring you are!
K= That’s how boring I am! For me, a computer is only useful for reading the news, sports news, and pornography!”
R= You are flaunting that you visit pornography sites! Do you believe that I will include this in the published article?
K= Go ahead and write it! I am so old already; even if I claim that I have never visited a pornography site, you will not believe me…ha ha!
A current first-line actor admitting that he visited pornography sites, of course it was more in a joking than serious manner! Regarded by the public as a good man and a “wooden log” in the past, Kenneth surprisingly knew how to incorporate a little sex and lots of humor in his jokes. It was indeed a rarity. Whether the joke was funny or not was dependent upon perspective. However, the current Kenneth Ma was extremely adorable!
Credits to
Jaynestars
