Alice Chan Starts Anew at TVB
Alice Chan (陳煒) immediately scored her first leading role in a drama after winning ATV’s Miss Asia pageant in 1996. Known as the “Sexiest Miss Asia,” Alice was much loved by television and film producers, and was one of the few ATV actresses to be able to gain popular recognition in Hong Kong. When she married Taiwanese businessman, James Yen (顏志行), in 2008, Alice took a hiatus from acting.
Alice claimed that she ultimately caved in to her “strong acting feelings,” and returned to Hong Kong in 2012 to join the TVB family. She will make her small screen comeback in episode 17 of TVB’s Friendly Fire <法網狙擊>, coming January 2013. As earlier reported, Alice will be portraying a villainous seductress in Friendly Fire, seducing the characters portrayed by Derek Kok (郭政鴻) and Michael Tse (謝天華).
As someone who made her debut television appearance wearing a bikini, little did Alice expect that she would have to wear a bikini for her television comeback as well.
Patience
Alice is the fourth ATV fadan to join TVB in the last five years. Former ATV actresses, Kristal Tin (田蕊妮) and Elena Kong (江美儀), are now competent players to compete for the TVB Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards, but as someone who joined the party late, Alice admits that she still has a long way to go before receiving award nominations.
Asked if she was desperate to win an award, Alice calmly replied, “I am still waiting, waiting for a good script, waiting for a good production, so I will be able to be completely invested in my performance.”
Starting Anew
As an actress who once received top billing in ATV dramas, did Alice feel as if she was treated unfairly when she was only given second-tier roles in TVB dramas? Even Alice’s colleague, Joey Meng (萬綺雯), was cast in leading roles after joining TVB in 2012, the same year as Alice!
“We can’t be compared,” said Alice with a faint smile. “Both of us have different qualifications. She has never stopped acting, while I am now starting anew. We also have different images. I should better myself first. I believe in fate. It is fate which had me meet the right person to marry at the time. As for awards, I never think that far. If I do well, the audience will eventually like me.”
Supports CTI
With its failing ratings, ATV has been faced with numerous financial setbacks in recent years. The oncoming advent of new free broadcasting station, CTI, has further pushed ATV deeper into a helpless abyss. Although groomed by ATV, Alice expressed that she sees no hope in her mother station to grow back into prominence again.
“ATV has changed a lot in these past few years; a huge regime change. Not only have they stopped producing dramas, their logo changed as well. It is not the mother station I used to know. I agree with issuing new broadcast licenses. It allows for more expression and competition in the industry.”
Source: ihktv.com
This article is written by Addy for JayneStars.com.
alice still new in TVB and should not be getting leading character in series yet as it wont be fair for all the other longer younger actresses in TVB…TVB should promote the existing 2nd tier actresses to leads before alice…tat would be fair..
That’s silly. If she is ATV’s top actress (and I am just speculating), like how Kong Wah was, she will enter TVB as first tier actress and she brings with her a fresh and new perspective. It isn’t about fairness but who pulls in the ratings. I can’t imagine when Kong Wah who was the top leading actor of ATV jumping ship to TVB and becoming that actor next to that leading actor. Same goes for Esther Kwan.
TVB recruited ATV top actressess into TVB due to TVB lost theirs to CTI…if TVB continue to ignore promoting existing artists of 2nd tier to prominant roles, TVB will end up losing more good artists if HK got the free broadcasting license
I tend to agree with Funn. If those ATV actresses were 1st tier actresses, such as Joey Meng, Alice Chan, Chan Sau Man, they deserve to act 1st lead roles. Why would they have lower their qualifications and assume 2nd lead roles in TVB? It also depends on their acting skills and popularity. Personally I think Elena Kong and Kristal Tin (both were from ATV) are good enough to act 1st lead roles. In terms of their acting skills they are much better than Tavia Yeung, Linda Chung, Fala Chen, Kate Tsui and Myolie Wu. Their only disadvantage is their age.
maybe its in the eyes of tvb management think some 2nd tiers doesnt meet the qualities to be promoted to first line fadans. i think some of them deserve a chance like nancy wu and natalie tong.
Natlalie Tong has already filmed one drama series “Detective Columbo” with Wayne Lai as 1st lead actress. Only the poor Nancy Wu has not done any 1st lead actress. I also think she is overdue for 1st lead.
Beside acting experience and new perspective, a top tier ATV actress also brings in her existing fans to TVB. So, it’s adding more audience to TVB.
If Alice Chan is not worth it, TVB wouldn’t have spent a year to try to convince her to sign up.
kidd i dont think the former actress/actors of atv would bring any fans to tvb. because their ratings is zero point zero.
The current ratings are zero but back in the heyday of My Date with a Vampire, atv ratings were good. Doesn’t mean atv actresses/actors dun have fans. I rmb the Ma Siu Ling craze a decade ago, at least I know I’m a fan of Joey Meng.
Alice Chan is another story but she’s a decent actress though. Since she has the experience, I dun see why she shouldnt lead. I mean TVB has a shortage of fadans now and who could they promote from their own ranks? Nancy Wu? Who else? Because from their stable I dun see many young second liners who can step up to lead.
@ shu
ATV’s ratings being 0 didn’t show the actors having no fans because ATV didn’t produce series anymore. They only import Korean series and dubbed them.
Alice Chan is from the 90s. During the 90s and early 2000, ATV’s ratings was pretty good. Not as high as TVB, but, some still have double digits. My Date With a Vampire 2 gain 21 points ratings which was very high for ATV. ‘Lights of a Million Hope’, ‘The Good Old Days’, ‘I’m From Chaozhoung’, ‘Heaven’s Retribution’ are all ATV series that are well received.
I, myself, is a fan of many 90’s ATV actors and always pay more attention to the TVB series that have them in.
I think it’s only a matter of time. I don’t doubt that she will become a leading actress soon. Besides, her acting is a lot better than many other leading actresses at the moment, let alone the 2nd tier actresses.
Correct. TVB’s top five fadans can’t act. They are not that pretty either, except Fala Chen and maybe Kate Tsui. They are just younger than those ATV’s 1st lead actresses. Tavia Yeung, Kate Tsui and Myolie Wu are all 33 now and will reach 35 in less than two years’ time.
It boiled down to whether she can pull the audiences in if she was lead. She’s not my fav, and I can’t say any drama start her as lead will interest me. I think that’s what make some 1st tier, and let face this, if she was as good as the 1st tier actress in tvb, atv wouldn’t be performing as bad as it did?
Anyhow, to me, she’s not really pretty, or seductive enough to create more interest from me
why do we have to distinguish between 1st or 2nd tier role? A good artists will shine regardless of what role they lead. Look at ‘so gay’. He’ a great example.
good comment
It is not the same. I think Koo Ming Wah will always be a 2nd lead actor due his appearance. The ultimate goal of an artiste is to lead a drama series. It applies to everyone, and Wayne Lai is a typical example. The money he makes and the status he has now are totally not the same as when he was a 2nd lead actor.
never say never,look at former tvb actor liu wai hung “ar chan” he also doesnt have the looks but was first lead in many tvb comedy’s in the ’80,as long as you are skillful and have fans there is always a chance.
Theres a chance but its more the exception rather than the norm. Thats why there are so many grean leaf kings/queens e.g. Benz Hui, Lee Shing Cheung, Ching Hor Wai, Helen Ma etc They practically spent their whole careers playing supporting roles despite recognition of their acting.
indeed there has been many green leafs left tvb lately. i think its a great lost for tvb.some heavyweigh gl like ha yu,shek sau,john chiang and yuen wah are irreplaceble.they are all gone to cti.
As unfair as it sounds, it’s probably harder for females without the looks to get lead roles as well. At least with guys, you do hear some girls who go they “prefer a sense of humour” in a man.
First tier at ATV nowadays means nothing to most people. If any artistes from ATV are truly popular in today’s ATV they would have left long ago. I think it’s fair to give ATV artistes supporting roles to begin with. ATV hasn’t produced series in ages and there’s really no evidence people want to see ATV stars lead or that they would attract an audience. Krystal Tin started in supporting roles too when she first jump shipped to TVB. Now she is in leading roles. Just have to work your way back up in a new company.
Krystal Tin’s first role in TVB is a leading role. But, the series was warehouse in HK and later only aired on TVB Pay Channel.
The series was very well received by overseas audience though.
What is the name of the drama series? If you can type Chinese, can I also have its name in Chinese please.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Rising_(TV_series)
Phoenix Rising (Traditional Chinese: 蘭花劫)
@ sandcherry
English title: Phoenix Rising
Chinese title: 蘭花劫
is it 蘭花劫?
If that person has the skills and capabilities, I don’t see why they have to start off as supporting roles but then again everything is about favortism and your luck.
I LOVED THAT SERIES! 🙂
lky & kidd
Thanks for your information. I haven’t watched “Phoenix Rising” .
1st lead also can become 2nd lead…kristal tin last year “No good either way” with Ruco..this year new series with same team but Ruco is lead with Linda Chung …Kristal suddenly not 1st lead…
another example is elaine yiu who was once 1st lead and now not,,,,then angela tong also 1st lead then not now..shirley yeung, bernice liu another examples…
I think that if an artiste’s drama series does not get good viewership ratings and TVB does not really want to promote her, she will be downgraded to act 2nd lead roles.
It depends on who has higher status in TVB. If Linda Chung were in ‘No Good Either Way’, she will also be 1st lead in that series.
Kidd
You are right.