Michelle Yim Replaces Maggie Cheung in “Big Eunuch”
Producer Law Wing Yin (羅永賢) announced that Michelle Yim (米雪) has joined the cast of one of TVB’s heavyweight dramas next year, Big Eunuch <大太監>. Michelle replaced Maggie Cheung (張可頤) in the role of Empress Dowager Cixi. Producer Law indicated that the casting change was due to Maggie’s scheduling conflict and will not affect the filming progress of Big Eunuch.
Yesterday, Wayne Lai (黎耀祥), Raymond Wong (黃浩然), and Raymond Cho (曹永廉) shaved their heads for filming, as the men will portray eunuchs in the Qing era drama. Although it was announced earlier that Maggie Cheung would portray Empress Dowager Cixi, a last minute casting change was made to replace her with Michelle Yim. In last year’s sales presentation video clip for Big Eunuch, Michelle had appeared as Empress Cixi. Maggie Shiu (邵美琪) will portray the role of Empress Ci’an.
Contacted by reporters, Producer Law Wing Yin confirmed that Michelle Yim will portray Empress Cixi. “The casting has been finalized. Michelle is a wonderful candidate for the role! She is currently in mainland China and will return to Hong Kong within the next two weeks to start filming Big Eunuch.” (Why was Maggie Cheung unable to film for the series?) “It was due to a scheduling conflict. Big Eunuch will film through April 2012, which would conflict with Maggie’s other scheduled work engagements in the interim. Today was the first dayfilming took place inside the studio, thus the impact will not be significant.”
It was reported earlier that Ruco Chan (陳展鵬) would portray an eunuch in Big Eunuch, but he was no longer part of the final cast list. Producer Law indicated that it was due to deployment of staff, as Ruco was expected to film another drama in January.
Currently filming in Wuxi, China, Michelle Yim responded in a telephone interview that she has been busy filming in mainland China this year. Big Eunuch was scheduled to film on location in Hengdian, China in March 2012, upon which Michelle noted that she was accustomed [to hectic filming schedules]. Since Michelle portrayed Empress Dowager Cixi in the past, she was not too concerned [about preparation for the role].
Source: Oriental Daily
Jayne: I prefer Michelle Yim over Maggie Cheung in the role of Empress Dowager Cixi, as Michelle possesses a more fiery and dominant screen presence.
I think that she said she was accustomed, not to hectic filming schedules, but because she is accustomed to filming in mainland as she has been filming dramas there for a few years already.
Anyways, I also prefer Michelle. The original cast was good. And I thought Maggie Cheung wouldn’t fit the role too well, as in history Cixi is 10+ years older than Li Lianying (Wayne’s role). Michelle is indeed a wonderful choice, she has the charisma and appearance to play Cixi.
beautiful woman and excellent actress. i don’t mind the replacement and probably prefers Michelle over Maggie for this role. i am also a huge fan of maggie; i hope she has another great series in store soon
Now if they remove Aimee Chan, the cast will be perfect.
Yes it would be a good cast without her. Call me bias but her acting is terrible even in simple modern series. Her CBC accent will seem so odd in an ancient drama.
No, you not bias. It is the TRUTH!
Casting Aimee Chan in a big ancient series production is going to be tough to watch since her acting has not been improved since Miss Hong Kong Pageant debut.
Aimee has potential, imo.
What???! Aimee Chan is part of the cast??
Yes, she is and I’m dreading over this fact. I don’t think they will remove Aimee since filming started already. I just hope that she doesn’t have a lot of screen time!
If Aimee doesn’t have screen time, then she’ll have even less chances to improve her acting. So I hope she has more screen time.
Aimee having more screentime can also mean she’ll torture us with her atrocious acting and bad accent
her accent doesnt bother me as much as her acting. she tries too hard to act cute all the time. the worst thing is that she’s using her bf to help her climb up the ladder.
It’s not like TVB will promote those with talent more anyway. TVB will just promote whoever they want for whatever reason they choose. The key factor to succeeding in TVB is promotion. So if using Moses to get herself promoted works, then why not? Plus, Moses is also using Aimee to promote himself.
I don’t care why they promote Aimee. Her acting sucks, this isn’t a school for her to learn how to act. If she cant act, go back to school and learn some acting. We are watching people act not watch some CBC learn how to act.
I agree that those who cannot act should go learn how to act. That’s why I think if Aimee can go take acting class, she should. And most of TVB actors/actresses should join her as well.
agree with you
TVB is promoting Aimee to be the next fadan that’s why she’s in this grand ancient series
She’s going to be the next TVB singer! 😀
Urgh.
@Larry3 No way!
@Larry 3
Oh good lord! TVB has gotta stop making everyone sing! Have some mercy on the public’s ears!
Also don’t like Aimee’s acting. Hope if she’s in this it would be a small part…
I hope TVB promotes her even more. 😛
Amiee is on track to be the next Kate Tsui…. any day now! 😮
Is Aimee really that bad in acting? I find her acting ok. Not bad.
Kidd in all honesty? Her speech is not doing her favours although she improved a lot. But if she hadn’t been promoted or dating who she is dating, I doubt she will be given so much chances. She is not ok, she is not god awful, but her acting is bad.
I think Aimee voice are the problem ,not her acting capacity ,her voice are worse than Charmaine sheh,I think her voice shall be dubbed until she can speak cantonese like other actress like fala ,fala have improved a bit in her cantonese think her acting can improve in future if she can learn from Michele Yim.
I don’t think Aimee is that bad either. I think she’s rather cute, and suits the roles she’s played so far. And kidd, I don’t think Charmaine’s voice is That bad. I like her. heh.
I’m glad to see Michelle back!
Did Raymond Cho replace Ruco’s character then? Also, I wonder if this means that Maggie will film for WAB2 now.
Glad they brought back Michelle Yim. Maggie Cheung is too gentle for this role.
Too bad Ruco Chan is missing out on a grand production. I am so looking forward to the Big Eunuch!
Great casts except for Aimee Chan! Awful awful!!
Yay! Welcome, Michelle Yim 😀
Not sure what to think. Can Michelle bring out all the traits in Cixi? I don’t think so. But the age difference will be huge. So this is older Cixi?
I like Michelle because she is an awesome actress , but as everyone said.. Aimee…. SIGH. Her look doesn’t even suit ancient!
Maybe she plays some foreign princess??
She is a Qing princess, if not mistaken.
Maybe a Qing princess who lives with 8 banners outside of city wall hence the accent?
I think Aimee is pretty. I don’t think she’ll look bad in ancient costume.
I think that Aimee will not be in it much… Maybe we should give her a chance? She sort of looks like Cherie Chan to me and Cherie Chan did not look bad in ancient clothing. Maybe Aimee will look nice??? Hopefully, her acting is better now…
This seem to be a great production and reading that they will film in Hengdian is something new to TVB. At least we won’t be seeing another repetition of TVB sets. Michelle will be great as Cixi! I prefer Michelle over Maggie Cheung too.
I like Michelle, I also prefer her over Maggie. 😛
How wonderful to have Michelle Yim back at TVB in such a good role. Maybe she will be TV Queen again in 2012? Will miss Ruco Chan though. Aimee’s in it? Oh no! Maybe she’ll play one of those rich spoiled westernized Chinese girls speaking English.
Oh yay ! Michelle is a great actress. Looking forward to the cast! And, Maggie Shiu in an ancient series! Yay ~ Don’t think she’s been in any ancient series since VOH.
Oh just checked. She’s been in one or two. lol. Still really like her and the cast. 😀
I also prefer Michelle, though I don’t mind Maggie. Haven’t seen Michelle in TVB series in such a long time! looking forward to this! =D
Raymond Cho will be portraying An De Hai, the other eunuch confidante to Cixi
And does Raymond Cho and Wayne Lai’s characters got agenda against one another?
ROFL male version BTROC except no one can be concubines or empress LMAO
In the ATV series, Li Lian Ying (Wayne) only became Cixi’s most trusted eunuch after An De Hai died. So, Li Lian Ying only featured prominently in part 2 of the series. Part 1’s main eunuch character was An De Hai. I wonder what is the actual history about them.
Michelle is awesome!
Sorry but I don’t think Michelle has the Cixi aura, that sort of arrogance and that sort of I am buddha sort of attitude.
I also don’t feel that Michelle has that Cixi aura as well. Don’t get me wrong, I love Michelle as an actress too but can’t imagine her as Cixi. I loved Susanna Au Yeung in that role but too bad she has retired from acting. I also don’t remember Michelle playing Cixi in the past.
I saw the entire series in which she played a young Cixi rising up through the ranks, and gaining political power. Bloodshed in the Forbidden City or something like that, an epic long series about the Qing Dynasty from the beginning to the downfall.
She was excellent in it, completely dominating and yet, made viewers sympathize with her.
Michalle has played Cixi in an old ATV series. In fact, Michelle played part 1 and Susanna Au Yeung played part 2 of the series. Agree with Cara. Michelle was great in the role. Many people said Susanna was a better Cixi at the time, but, I thought differently and like Michelle’s portrayal more.
but Maggie has lesser aura and might be too young for the role. Michelle might be the best choice for now, but I think Susan Tse can be a domineering empress dowager too
No doubt she will make a convincing Ci Xi, but I think she will portray Ci Xi as the Ci Xi that the audience already has in their minds, nothing more, nothing less, if you know what i mean.
There’s nothing wrong with going with what audience expected if she’s great at it
totally agree!!
Aimee ?? Oh my GOD
I disagree with you Jayne. Maggie’s acting can be formidable. She is certainly not lacking in fierceness. I find Michelle’s fierceness can be caricature sometimes a la over acting 😛
Actually Rebecca Chan Sau Chu is the best. She was great as Mo Chak Tin in The Greatness Of Hero. Too bad nobody watches that one. She should get awards, not Susan Tse.
I agree that Rebecca is good. I really like her! But Susan is also a great actress. All the veterans are, lol.
I’m disappointed with the casting change. I’ve seen Michelle as Cixi before but not Maggie Cheung. So, I was looking forward to her portrayal.
I’m looking forward to the change. I really liked how Wayne and Michelle performed in the sales presentation last year.
I think Maggie Cheung can pull off as good of a performance as Cixi. Sure she is younger but that’s what makeup are for. In Stairway to Heaven she’s playing young to 90 years old. Michelle has been around longer and have done more work so of course most people will be more confident she can pull this off. But I think Maggie Cheung would have done just as good.
I did read that Maggie is still has half a month of filming left and then taking time off to vacation in Switzerland. I’m sure after her thyroid illness she doesn’t want to overwork. Health is more important.
Yeah, does this mean her schedule will be open up for War and Beauty II and Empress Lu?
Maggie will not be casted in wab2, producer hates her.
I have neversee Aimee in a costume serie before. This would be refreshing as I do not like her tomboy look. I prefer her with long hair and feminine. She should look good in costume.
I could understand why many said Michelle Yim suits the role more than maggie but imo, I think Maggie would make a better Empress Ci’Xi. Michelle doesn’t has this aura and her past roles give me an impression she is always too good to become any powerful, evil like Cixi. While Maggie is different, she can really act evil and her aura gives ppl that she can lead a series and Michelle always has to get other leads to accompany her in a series…aka..she can’t really lead a series (but of course, the whole focus will be on Wayne) but I still find maggie will suits the role more.
Maybe they fell Maggie was too young to play a role in cixi,Michelle more mature as older cixi I think.
I WANT RUCO :'(
HI, 20 yrs ago, I read Pu Yi life story in my country “Reader Digest version” called Intisari ,son of Cixi,the last / toy King, also watched THE LAST EMPEROR, a colossal movie by Bernardo Bertolucci. I suggest to watch it as our history description.. In Puyi and TLE, Michelle is more similar to Cixi real face, so its easier to remake up than Maggie ZMY, After surgery, Maggie has too big eyelid for being Cixi..YOu should watch this film and feeling of how being a person like Puyi, from kingdom to be a gardener, a contempaltion of our real life