While filming in mainland China earlier, Jessica Hsuan (宣萱) was accused of being difficult to serve. In an interview with the Singapore media, Jessica’s frequent costar, Sunny Chan (陳錦鴻) said, “I knew this a long time ago!” Sunny revealed that while filming Curse of the Royal Harem <萬凰之王>, Jessica had walked off the filming set.
On that particular day, Sunny, Jessica, and Myolie Wu (胡杏兒) arrived on set early. However, the director did not film the actresses’ scenes. At approximately 11:00 PM, Jessica said to the director, “I have been here since the afternoon and my makeup was replenished three times. I have waited for five hours already; if you are not going to shoot, then I’m leaving!” Sunny later added that Jessica was only adhering to her own principles.
Source: Oriental Daily
Jayne: Since Jesssica has worked with the same TVB production members for many years, they understand her personality and that she may be very principled over certain matters. I can see how this may present problems when she works with new mainland crews who do know understand her work style.
Tags: Jessica Hsuan, Sunny Chan
She is already very patient. Waited for 5 hours and no work. Imagine how much time has been wasted.
But it’s actually very normal for actress to go on the set and they do not have to shoot that day since they could be running behind schedule and such…
but imagine having to have your make-up done 3 times and having to wear that head gear for 5 hours. I think if it was a modern series it wouldn’t matter so much.
But at the end of the day that’s her job, that’s what she signed up for. No excuse and it has nothing to do with principle, she’s a diva plain and simple.
A diva is someone that makes others wait at least five hours for her to arrive so filming can start. An actor/actress’s job is not only shooting a film, they also have other engagements/events/etc. For example, you can be shooting movie B but at the same is required to promote movie A that was previously shot. Why do you think so many of them appear on TV, radio, magazines, etc. at random hours of the day? So for Jessica to wait five hours and not having a scene to shoot is not only wasting money, energy, and time but also unprofessional of the production crew. A better solution would be to A) send the cast home to save money or B) have them come back at a later time when the production crew had had a chance to fix/prepare things that were delaying the shooting.
how is she a diva when she waited for 5 hours.. i get extremely impatient when i have to wait 1-2 hours at the doctors. talk about 5 hours.. many things can be done within that time range.. how many hours do you think she’ll need to wait if she didn’t leave.. another 5 hours?? that’d be awful!
Well it depends on the situation so I guess we all don’t know the details….Also, as I have mentioned, it is actually normal in some cases for artists to wait for hours before filming anything. Therefore, I don’t feel that it was very professional of Jessica to just walk out like that…
Actually, 5 hours is not that bad… I have heard that mainland actress Rebecca Wang waited for 12 hours or more before she even started to film. She had her costume and make up all on already too. Fann Wong said that she waited for days before she started to film a movie with Jackie Chan.
Agreed. I’m sure shooting isn’t always running smoothly but there are limitations. Furthermore, at 11 PM it’s already night, if she is to begin shooting then will they be working all night? Or more likely, they are wrapping up soon and they weren’t go to shoot her scenes at all. Then it has been a total waste of her time and rude to not to let her know earlier.
I think to wait for 5 hours, reapply makeup three times and it was 11:00PM, I think anyone will be a bit annoyed or even sound angry like Jessica. At least she told the director how she felt before storming off.
the Director has himself to be blamed! 5 long hrs with the heave headgear and replendish her make-ups for 3 times? They hsould have politely told Jess that its unlikely her scenes are going to take part. she may rest rather than rudely making her wait for hours!
This is not principle. Everyone else also waited that long. Sometimes being a an actor means waiting and waiting until time to shoot. The director may have reasons. I am sure even Liza Wang waited that long. I think she is being difficult. She is not the only one with make up on and all.
I also agree that it was not only her that had to wait so long. I bet others had to wait as well and I am sure that many of the other veteran actors and actresses have had to wait at some point in their career as well..I also think that she is being difficult as well. If you were more professional and easy going, even waiting for 5 hours is not a big deal. She could have easily done other things while she was waiting and the time would have just passed by quickly, but if she just sat there and did nothing then she would get more easily frustrated..
Funn, thank you! My point exactly. Even Hollywood superstars like Julia Roberts have wait that’s why most of them take up knitting to kill time (and they can wait in the trailer) but nonetheless they still have to wait, that’s part of the gig.
All these artists have work for TVB for years so through gossips, actual working together, personal friends etc directors, producers and co-artists know each other well and might put up with it or try to accomodate. But in China you are no longer Fa Dan and Xiao Sheng. Just maybe a well know Hong Kong artists. Unless you are still a TVB contract artists which some people will ‘give face’, if you are no longer TVB artists, you are just like ‘everyone’. You’ll have to fend for yourself. The things you have to put up with when you are just a number…
Good point about their status outside of TVB!
My thought is the more you are famous, the more you have to put up with your work. Now that’s professional. Jess has been a bit too self-centered this time. She and others had been waiting for 5 hrs, that’s the producer’s fault. She has the right to complaint. But her leaving the set meant that others couldn’t continue filming her scenes while they have waited too. So they all put up with the producer for 5hrs, and then their waiting was pointless because Jess left. That was unfair to others.
She is in her 40s, so please leave her alone because after a few more years she may be either “married” or “supporting actress” …well or both. I like her but I rarely see 50 years-old leading actresses.
I agree with Jessica. It’s not like she was waiting for 5 hrs and it was still 3 pm, it’s 11:00 PM, and in a few hours, she will probably have to wake up and film again in the morning. Sometimes, in your professional career, you have to stand up for what’s wrong and unfair. You have to give the actors and actresses enough time to go home and rest. It’s not like in the US, where you have trailers to go in and take nap, watch tv, etc, etc. TVB probably just gives you a chair to sit in and wait. Kudos to Jessica for standing up for what she believes in. Just because the others (sunny, myolie, etc) didn’t leave, doesn’t mean the producer is right/director is right.
Isn;t she paid to wait? Paid to do promo? Paid to work as per schedule whether you’re there to film or not? She can believe in whatever she believes but she is well paid and she should be professional enough and not walk off unless the director was rude to her or demanded her to do something she is not contractually obliged to do.
This is total BS. An actor is subjected to rush to set to be ready, and hang around until they’re ready to be used. Even big stars in Hollywood have to sit and wait in their trailer all day long and sometime might not even get used. It’s not the director or crew’s fault. Shit happens: rain, bad weather, poor lighting, faulty equipment, some scenes wasn’t shot right, other actors need more time to reshoot, etc. principles is great but, Jessica, you’re an artist, please be flexible and considerate of others.
wtf 5 hours? I would of leave after 40 mins. lol
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4743778_actress-spend-workday.html
Waited 5 hrs in those make-up …..that’s very good already!
They should have better time management & not waste everyone’s time!
Many people think waiting 5 hours is like something extreme. Life is hard and complicated, and with this kind of economy getting a job with good-paid is not easy. Lot of people have to do all kind of work to survive. There is no choice and it is naive to complain about the unfairness because life is unfair, learn to live with it.
Yes, people have standards, expectations and (famous) artists tend to have more/high standards and expectations but are they reasonable? Why was director late? Did it happen often? Would my action cause others’ trouble? Did the 5 hours waiting kill my dignity? Did others have to wait too?
Jessica only spoke her mind. At the end of the day, it is the director’s decision that will be followed. So if she left, then the director must have allowed her.
To be waiting for 5 hours long with the heavy headgear and getting the thick make-up on you 3 times after you’re already done could be tiring and frustrating, to say the least. I do sympathise with Jessica for having to put up with that nonsense. However, Im not familiar with the workings on the set, I confess. Is it the norm, this waiting game, at the set? I also see Jessica as a principled, no nonsense type of person who speaks out her mind no matter whatever situation she is in and with whom. A “difficult” person but not without reason.
Even with reason she is PAID to do what she does. If everyone else can wait, so can she. And it is just waiting. It has nothing to do with dinners with some unknown executives, etc. I still find her unprofessional.
Try to do that to Steven Spielberg.
She wouldn’t be in the industry for almost 2 decades if she’s unprofessional Funn. If she’s unprofessional, she’ll leave the set without telling the director. Is it soooo wrong to speak your mind??? I believe if the director told her not to leave, she won’t leave. Maybe the director realized that they can’t really take her scenes so he allowed her to leave.
If the director allowed her to leave, then why is Sunny saying that she just walked off the set?? If she just walked off, I think it is implying that she just either left or threw a tantrum before doing so. I do admire Jessica for her strong personality and hard work, however, I at times find her a bit too much….
stoopid film director had no idea of timing or organising skills. I also would get angry having to wait 5 hours and still no shoot…. WTF