Dating Scandal Was Not the Reason Why Fred Cheng Was Dropped from “Daddy Cool”

It’s only been a week since the premiere of TVB’s latest family drama Daddy Cool <逆緣>, and the drama is already being labeled as a success. The show is male lead Carlos Chan’s (陳家樂) first TVB drama since 2008’s Dressage to Win <盛裝舞步愛作戰>, and Daddy Cool is putting the singer back into the mainstream spotlight.

It isn’t a surprise to know that Carlos Chan wasn’t the first choice for the lead role Chung Ting-kwok. It is unlikely of TVB to cast a non-TVB actor in a leading TVB role, and according to a new source, producer Amy Wong (王心慰) originally wanted Fred Cheng (鄭俊弘) for the role.

When the show was still in pre-production in early 2017, a dating scandal broke out between Fred and TVB singer Stephanie Ho (何雁詩). The news broke soon after the airing of Fred’s TVB drama Provocateur <與諜同謀>, in which he co-starred TV King Gallen Lo (羅嘉良). The dating scandal took a blow on Fred’s image—not only were his fans upset, it was also rumored that Fred had cheated on his then-girlfriend Lesley Chiang (姜麗文) of Benji and Lesley to be with Stephanie.

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Fred’s dating scandal, however, was not the reason why the actor-singer was allegedly fired from Daddy Cool. The source said TVB actually wanted to continue their promotion of Fred as a “double line” artiste despite the scandal. But when the casting directors reached out to Fred again in June 2017 for the role, Fred chose not to answer their calls. Upset with Fred’s unprofessional behavior, the casting crew replaced him with Carlos Chan.

Reporters reached out to producer Amy Wong for the truth behind the reports. The award-winning producer, who has produced dramas such as Last One Standing <與敵同行> and Lord of Shanghai <梟雄>, admitted that she did consider Fred for the role. She said, “We wrote this character, who came from 1945, as a way to make the current society stand out. We’ve actually considered many people, and we went on a lot of searches.”

On why they decided to not choose Fred in the end, Amy Wong said, “It was a problem with timing. We did consider [Fred], but to clarify, we never wrote that role with any particular artiste in mind. That’s not how my team works. We write the script first, and then we search for an actor who is suitable for the character. When I saw Carlos, I immediately saw our character in him. That’s why we chose him. There was no hesitation.”

Mentioning the good reviews that Carlos has been getting for his performance, Amy Wong said, “Carlos definitely has that righteous air to him. No matter if it’s on the show or in real life, we all like to joke that he’s like a piece of wood. We really wanted to know how people would react when you bring a character with such orthodox principles from 1945, into the modern world of 2018.”

Source: HK01.com

This article is written by Addy for JayneStars.com.

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Responses

  1. Thank the TV gods it wasn’t Fred. He wouldn’t do the role justice. Carlos is great. He really embodies the character. The closest ti him would be Raymond Wong but he’s too old.

    1. @funnlim

      Totally agree with you. Carlos’s performance in this series is owesome…he really nailed it. I hope to watch more of him in future series.

  2. This the first time watching Carlos Chan. So far, I like his performace/character in Daddy Cool. Not a fan of Fred Cheng and his singing is ok IMO.

  3. Thank goodness Carlos was picked over Fred. Fred’s singing sucks, what more his acting. Listen to that wimpy voice of his singing the drama’s theme song. Carlos is like a breath of fresh air in a sea of stale tvb faces and male leads who can’t act or carry a drama. Enough of Ben. Carlos looks good and he can act. Love Daddy cool so far. Wayne and John are also fun to watch as the bickering dad and son. Only sore point is Rosina with her cutesy voice.

    1. @passingby I guess the cutesy voice can be annoying sometimes, but her character is half Japanese and half Chinese. She was probably trying to emphasize the Japanese accent so her voice sounds cuter. When I first heard her speak, I thought I was watching anime lol

    2. @passingby Rosina’s voice is naturally cutesy like that. I don’t think she tries to act like she’s cute; her previous dramas had the same problem. So for some of her newer work, she’s actually had to lower her voice a few octaves lol. But having a cutesy voice isn’t a crime!!

      1. @coralie lol I didn’t say it’s a crime but it irritates the heck out of me. Yes she speaks like that in every drama so I skip her dramas unless there are other mitigating factors to make me watch. Same with Grace Chan.

    3. @passingby Agreed that Carlos is a breath of fresh air. He’s doing a great job in Daddy Cool right now — too bad he doesn’t have as many scenes compared to Wayne and John.

      Fred absolutely CANNOT take on this role because his acting is nowhere near Carlos’ level. There are nuances to Carlos’ acting that are more noticeable when you watch some of his other more recent works — I really don’t think Fred would be able to pull off Carlos’ role because he doesn’t have the emotional range that Carlos does. If you guys truly want a comparison point, watch Carlos’ performance in the movie Happiness, where his role was VERY different from the one he does currently in Daddy Cool. Even though Kara was really the heart and soul of the movie (she did win another HKFA Best Actress for the role several years ago as anticipated), Carlos turned in an impressive performance as Ah Yuk — the emotional range he was able to pull off with the role made it one of his most unforgettable performances in my book. This review of the movie in SCMP from 2 years ago sums up Carlos’ character really well: http://www.scmp.com/culture/film-tv/article/2017063/film-review-happiness-kara-wai-carlos-chan-bond-one-best-hong-kong

      1. @passingby I bought the movie when it came out on DVD a few years back (yes, I’m old-school…but this movie was definitely worth paying DVD price for). However you can also watch it on Iqiyi if you have an account and VIP subscription.

  4. Fred has literally monopolised theme songs at TVB. Every theme song sounds the same and there is a danger that in the future there will be no classic theme songs to look back on for our recent years. Fred was the best singer in the contest but his voice is very weak compared to most of the established male singers. He does not have the physical appearance nor acting talent to be leading series either. If it wasn’t for his increase in popularity after the competition, he would still be rotting in the background of scenes with barely any lines.

    1. @jimmyszeto Agree! His theme songs are one note. His vocal isn’t anything out of this world. He’s barely mediocre. He was luck that one judge (forgot his name) saw some potential and praised him. Gave him an opportunity to be guest star at his concert and then took him as pupil. Yet Fred has been stagnant ever since… He just simply doesn’t have charisma or star power. His life choice / judgement has been bad…

      On article related note, Carlos is refreshing indeed. Is the way he speak in the series is how he usually speak? Or is he just doing that for his role? Isn’t he staring young Justice Bao? Ugh, with Grace Chan right?

  5. In “Dressage to Win,” Carlos left a super feminine image that made me lose interest in this drama but I kept watching because Wayne was there. xP However, after a couple episodes, he’s not so bad after all. His hard work really paid off. Therefore, I don’t mind whether it’s Carlos or Fred as lead-role. Maybe if this article came before the drama, I would’ve instinctively chosen Fred and hoped he would be praised like he was in “Overachievers.”

    1. @mi88 am just wondering why everyone here is bashing Fred. He isn’t a bad actor and I thought he can sing pretty well too. Emm ah well

      1. @nigel Yes, Fred Cheng is just a better singer than actor but I wouldn’t bash him either. Carlos Chan is definitely surprisingly good in this new time travel drama and I never like TT series ever. He’s naturally funny in this role he’s taking.

  6. I kinda like Carlos’s angry innocent righteousness to counterbalance the son and grandsons sneakiness. I don’t think Fred Cheng would give that vibe.

  7. Based on the character, currently, Carlos is performing… I don’t think Fred would have done a better job…. not suitable for Fred.

  8. Having watched a few episodes…I’m sorry, but does it get better once it’s past episode 4?

    So far the entire atmosphere has been very depressing and aggravating.

    1. @coralie I am not sure where this series is heading. I really don’t know which makes it refreshing. Stay with it. First few episodes to me was torture because I hated John Chiang’s character. It gets funnier as it gets progressively darker.

    2. @coralie
      Only a few episodes in.The title of series is very boring and unappealing.I like Carlos’s character but dislike Wayne’s character. John Chiang is keeping the series fun and Elvina is likeable. I’m expecting Joel to jump in and play a major part soon….

      1. @jimmyszeto @funnlim They should’ve kept the original English title, as the current one doesn’t fit the series at all. In a recent interview, producer Amy Wong clarified that the Chinese title actually has special meaning, as do the personalities of some of the characters as well as some of the plot points. So far, I agree about not being sure where the series is headed (though watching previews and reading spoilers on the side does give some clues), but I do find the series refreshing, both in terms of cast and overall story. Personally, I was interested in watching this series because of Carlos and I’m happy to see that, so far, he hasn’t disappointed— in fact, he’s been the biggest highlight of the series! Wayne’s character isn’t likable, but for me, it’s refreshing to see him finally going back to his roots and playing bad guy / semi-bad guy characters, which he hadn’t really done since he became TV King so many years ago. John Gor’s acting is his usual excellent level so no complaints there. Joel too, he’s been doing great as well with the little screen time he has. On the female side, Elvina has been holding down the fort pretty well, while Rosina has been decent, though a bit unnatural with her acting…perhaps she is trying too hard with the Japanese thing. Pat Ha hasn’t had much screen time so far but I’m going to assume with Chris Lau finally entering the picture, her role will probably be more dominant in the second half. Both Helen Ma and Mary Hon have been excellent as well in their respective roles.

      2. @funnlim @jimmyszeto @llwy12 – thanks guys. in one leisure weekend, I finished the rest of what I missed in one go. episode 12 was freaking funny – that dad/son pair is hilarious when they tried to fight their grandpa. this episode finally showed some synchronization between father/son and it seems the series is finally trending in a more positive direction. the plot turned the relationship into a less antagonizing position and i can enjoy it more. i can’t say I’m in love with this show, because i still FF a lot of it, but it’s nice to see our veterans strutting their acting chops while the newbies bring some heart.

      3. @coralie I’ve been “catching up” with the series on the weekends as well. One of the things I’m enjoying quite a bit with this series is the subtle humor, which Carlos, Wayne, and John provide plenty of without even trying. I will admit that I cracked up so hard at the “Chung Ka Yan” and “Chung Chor Hung” thing — that scene where Carlos is proudly explaining his rationale for choosing those 2 names while Wayne and John have this “WTH are you out of your mind” look on their faces yet they tell him to his face “oh yea, we love those names!”…hilarious scene! The banter between Wayne and John throughout the series has been fun to watch as well – seeing them try to one-up each other for the first few episodes and then now finally working together has been interesting. Also, no one has mentioned the kid who plays Wayne’s son (the child actor’s name is Marcus Lo and he’s been a regular in both TV series as well as movies since 2012) – he’s been a delight in the series so far even with the little screen time he has. Oh and the entire segment about Carlos finding his wife’s friend and then subsequently discovering the box with the letter – he nailed those emotional scenes so perfectly…I actually did get teary-eyed while watching those scenes, which is rare for me with TVB series nowadays. Carlos was definitely the perfect choice for the role – thank you Amy Wong for deciding to cast him instead of Fred!!

      4. @llwy12 ditto for me! Love the hilarious parts as well as the sad parts of the drama. The 3 male leads have such great chemistry. Carlos is definitely a good fit for his role, same for Wayne and John. The little boy who plays Wayne’s son is such a cutie and looks like a mini version of Him Law.

      5. @llwy12 omg, I forgot about the kid, you’re right.

        when I watched him, I was like dang, this kid is a natural! when tvb usually cast children roles, they’re usually pretty stiff and awkward. you can totally tell they’re just reciting dialogue and not owning it. not this kid though! he’s so good with his script that it feels like a regular child conversing with an adult. good casting this round, I must say.

  9. I’m glad Carlos was chosen for the role. He is great. I don’t think I would enjoy The this series if it wasn’t for him. Carlos and Rosina make a cute couple. As for Fred, he doesn’t have lead material and charisma like Carlos. To be honest, I don’t think he’s a great singer either. His singing is ok to listen and easy to forget. Sorry Fred’s fans that I don’t mean to bash him or anything. It’s simply my personal opinion.

  10. I feel this article is really unfair. fred didn’t ask to be dragged into this. sure, he’s a potential candidate for carlos’ role, but there were plenty of others too! just cus he’s the only one with some fame, the papz dragged him into this mess to be scorned and compared to with carlos.

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