Steven Ma Plans to Establish Production Company
After leaving TVB, Steven Ma (马浚伟) made exciting strides in his career. Aside from being highly in demand as an actor in mainland China and increasing his income immensely, Steven will take on the new challenge as a scriptwriter in September. Steven may also join the increasing number of artists in setting up his own production company and become a television producer in China!
Steven Ma Portrays Two Characters in New Drama
Appearing at last week’s Shanghai TV Festival, Steven Ma promoted his new mainland China drama, Yuan Yang Pei <鸳鸯配>, with costars Zhang Meng (张檬) and Eric Huang (黄少棋). At the Shanghai TV Festival, various artists’ filming fees became a hotly speculated topic. While Steven had stated that he needed to film one-and-half drama before he was able to purchase a luxury home, he clarified yesterday that his salary has not reached $200,000 RMB per television drama episode yet.
In Yuan Yang Pei, Steven will portray two characters with opposite personalities. Based on the novel, When Love Is A Thing Of the Past <当爱已成往事>, the drama revolved around a case of mistaken identities and a mysterious love story. In a struggle to win the family’s wealthy assets, Tang Ting Xuan’s (Steven Ma) elder brother plotted to murder him. Cheerful waiter, Lai Fok (Steven Ma) was mistaken for Ting Xuan and killed due to their identical appearances. To preserve his own safety, Ting Xuan assumes the identity of Lai Fok. However, Lai Fok’s girlfriend, Wing Yan (Zhang Meng) suspects things are amiss and vows to uncover the truth. As Wing Yan proceeds to uncover Ting Xuan’s past, a turbulent chain of events arise.
Discussing the difficulty of portraying two characters in Yuan Yang Pei, Steven stated that Lai Fok was a cheerful and straightforward personality, while Ting Xuan possessed a darker and more elusive side. He also complemented his costar Zhang Meng, who was 23 years old, yet possessed a maturity and deep perspective in her acting performance.
Reaching for Greater Career Heights After TVB
Steven’s current success in mainland drama certainly proved that it was the right decision to leave TVB earlier this year. After working at the company for 19 years, Steven wished to broaden his vision in life and professional opportunities. Certainly, working with a more diverse group of actors was a catalyst for new acting perspectives. Steven said, “I know TVB artists very well since we often collaborate in series together. An actress may play my romantic partner in one series and my younger sister in the next. I hope to be able to absorb and learn more things. ”
Filming a fencing scene for Yuan Yang Pei in Hengdian yesterday, Steven’s face was beaded with sweat in the sweltering summer heat. Putting his writing skills to good use, Steven will next star in a new drama in which he will also serve as scriptwriter. The drama will film in Shenzhen in September.
Aside from being a scriptwriter, Steven is also interested in becoming a director and television producer. Earlier, an investor had expressed interest to support Steven Ma in establishing his own production company. After he completes filming Yuan Yang Pei in the next few days, Steven will have one month free. He will utilize this time to conduct business meetings in Beijing, Wuhan, and Shanghai regarding the founding of his own production company.
Sends Love Message to Ex-Girlfriend
Although experiencing luck in his career, Steven’s love life was currently blank. In January 2012, Steven had broken up with girlfriend of 8 years, Vivian Hui. Although the pair’s relationship took a positive turn, it appeared that they were not officially back together yet. Steven said, “I have not changed in my love. If it is possible to continue the relationship, that is best!”
Sources: Oriental Daily, Netease.com, Sina.com.cn, QQ.com
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Jayne: I can imagine Steven Ma being a good scriptwriter, with his thoughtfulness and good writing skills. It will be interesting to see what material he comes up with.
I wish him all the best of luck. Love you steven ma!!!! you’re the best. Hope to meet u one day! miss u and linda together!!!!
all the best Steven! i can imagine you will be a succesful producer.
wish steven had left tvb earlier. his career would’ve probably reached greater heights by now. but luckily, it’s not too late. wish him every success in his series and business. also hope he reunites with his gf and marries her eventually.
yes i agree. Steven should’ve left earlier since TVB didn’t promote him and only use him to teach new actresses, but it’s not too late to find success.
And true to his personality Steven continues teaching the newbies with much patience and kindness.
Transcripts from Shanghai TV Festival.
TL (plays Ting Xuan’s wife): Because I’m a newbie and slow to warm up to strangers, so at the beginning I was quite worried….. at the actual filming I worried I couldn’t modulate my emotions well enough because at school I did mostly comedies. So I was quite nervous. But just a few days of filming, I lost my nervousness collaborating with a big shot. What’s the reason? It’s because when acting with Steven, he is the kind that on his own volition will help you out. I didn’t feel any pressure at all because he made me feel relax….
WQQ (acting his elder stepmom): There is this one incident I must share about Steven, something worth learning from him. Concerning that person acting his biological mother – actually an extra (background actress) – so doesn’t really know how to act because does not have much experience ma. He (Steven), without seeing it as being troublesome, would patiently and meticulously study her scene with her and walk her through each line….Aiyo,
Steven: Because she is acting my…Lai Fu’s mother.
WQQ: But very few actors would do that.
I’m so happy for Steven! I hope for he best I luck to him!
steven is a great guy. He will be a successful producer. Good luck Steven
Good Luck Ma jai, wish you all the best. It’s good that you’ve this great future ahead after being shadowed and downrated by txb for so long.
“Discussing the difficulty of portraying two characters in Yuan Yang Pei, Steven stated that Lai Fok was a cheerful and straightforward personality, while Ting Xuan possessed a darker and more elusive side. “
This role indeed sound very difficult to play. Not only does he has to play two different character, but, he has to play one character pretending to be the other character. He need to act happy and cheerful for Lai Fok and dark and elusive as Ting Xuan, and then he need to act a dark elusive Ting Xuan trying to pass off as a cheerful and happy Lai Fok.
Agree, I’m sure this role will be one of those challenging role for Steven. Im sure he can portray it good without problem with his years of acting experiences.
In Steven said though extremely challenging,he absolutely enjoyed doing the two roles. (拍的非常过瘾)
I’d love to see Steven acting in such roles because I always see Steven in either sunny,cheerful or romantic type character and they are just plain boring imo. I’d like to see something different like what Kevin did in the drama with Kwok Jun Onn where kevin portray an inmate trying to seek revenge against Onn Ja.. I hope Steven would act in this kind of role one day.
I agree this role is so great but so hard to do at the same time but a fantastic actor with great skills like Steven will make this role great for sure. This can be his breakthrough role in mainland!
Jayne:I can imagine Steven Ma being a good scriptwriter, with his thoughtfulness and good writing skills. It will be interesting to see what material he comes up with.
Steven understands that just because he writes reasonably well and has a compelling story to tell does not automatically make him a good scriptwriter overnight. As we all know scriptwriting takes more than just having a good writing skill and a story to tell.
Steven’s weibo: 5/21/2012 15:55 Finally have this kind of opportunity to attempt, to learn, to experience the other side of film production world. The heart is filled with expectation, the mind filled with ideas, but nevertheless this is after all a specialized knowledge, just because I want do it does not mean it will turn out well. So I could only work diligently to remedy the situation. When return Hong Kong; teachers, old friends, please advise. @枝Lam @梁敏華Pion @沈芷凝 @賈偉南HK @材叔 — FYI: 枝Lam, 梁敏華Pion, 賈偉南HK, 沈芷凝 are all HK scriptwriters, ex- tvb scriptwriters.
Actually, his Shanghai trip in mid July is to discuss with a music company there about releasing a new music album.
While Steven had stated that he needed to film one-and-half drama before he was able to purchase a luxury home,..
Earlier, Steven was asked by reporter his thoughts on Myolie’s claim to be able to purchase a luxury home with just filming 2 mainland series, to which Charmaine Sheh reportedly said she could do that with filming just 1 mainland series, so facetiously, Steven jested he could sneak in between them with filming just one-and-half drama.
Sometimes I wonder if Charmaine is really that “jealous” of person until she has to save her face to say out something like dat just to compare her achievement with Myolie….
I don’t know why Charmaine would say that to Myolie. She does sound jealous.
If Charmaine did say that, I do really wonder if she is a jealous and competitive person. Also, I have noticed some things that are contradictory about her. I remember once reading that she wanted to find someone that she can connect well with and did not care about money since she claimed that she already had the “bread”. Then in another report, she says that she does not want to be a with a guy that will need her support… what the heck?? No wonder she is still single at this age…
“Then in another report, she says that she does not want to be a with a guy that will need her support… what the heck?? No wonder she is still single at this age…”
What she means is she is no parasite and she doesn’t want a freeloader. I don’t see how that can be conflicting. She doesn’t need his money and she wants someone who doesn’t need hers.
As for filming fees, what she stated is a fact. It is neither a competetive comment nor a jealous one. You need to hear the question and the hear her reply to know how she said it and what she meant.
And I don’t see why she has to save whatever face. Fact; she is MORE famous than Myolie in China and she does earn MORE than Myolie in China so she can compare her achievement with Myolie in these 2 areas. But I doubt she meant it that way. The one thing I do notice about Charmaine; she is not stupid and she is sassy enough to protect herself.
The case is reporter asked Charmaine how many series she need to film before she can buy a house and Charmaine answered 1. Charmaine didn’t say it out of the blue to one up Myolie. She was asked and she answered.
“If Charmaine did say that, I do really wonder if she is a jealous and competitive person.”
I don’t know about jealous, but, Charmaine is a competitive person and she never pretend not to be. I remember in short interview, Michael Tse said Charmaine is very competitive and Charmaine herself agree. I remember she said, ‘of course, in a competition, you don’t want to lost. Who want to lost’?
Like I said before it is a cut throat business. You gotta be competitive. But doesn’t mean you’re rude or arrogant for saying whatever she said. It is the question and the intent.
Oh so Charmaine is competitive? I honestly don’t like being around people like that. I used to have a classmate like that and many could not stand being around her or working with her… what was even stranger was that she kept asking me about my martial status…
Being competitive doesn’t mean one can’t be nice.
Story sounds good.I really hope he does well but producing dramas in China is a cut throat business.
Ain’t that the truth.
And then there is his mr. nice guy personality, how would he fare in a field that is filled with duplicity and ruthlessness, and especially in China? Just hope he does not have to invest too much of his own money (hopefully none at all) into the production studio.
Steven is a smart and strong guy so he will pull this off.
Steven Ma is a very good and sincere actor. Wish him all the best in his future endeavours!
Love you Steven. Hope you will gain more success in mainland.
Best of luck to Steven. Glad to hear things turned well for him. Gambatteh!
Good luck Steven so glad you finally managed to escape “hell” and found the paradise, LOL.
he does seem a lot happier now that his out of TVB (according to his weibo posts). more optimistic and cheerio!
Good luck to him.
Look like 言情 novel is having a new wave of remake. After the time-travel wave, now it’s time for modern 言情 novel to be adapted. Hawick Lau and Yang Mi are making (they are also producers) 盛夏晚晴天.
well done steven.. looking forward to watchng it.. all the best..
is it me or steven looking rather dashing…