Chinese Actor Andy Lau Shuns Hollywood
Tue Apr 13,10:22 AM ET
By MIN LEE, Associated Press Writer
The star of the hit Cantonese crime thriller "Infernal Affairs" said he won't settle for two-bit roles or stereotypical characters who only excel in kung fu.
"Do you think they respect Chinese movies?" the 42-year-old actor and singer said in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press.
Lau said he's been approached with Hollywood scripts but "nothing has moved me yet."
"Infernal Affairs" scored five of Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards, the Chinese-speaking world's equivalent of the Oscars (news - web sites), but Lau noted it had not yet made it to the United States.
Warner Brothers bought rights to remake the film, however.
"Why can't our movies be distributed in America without going through the major studios?" Lau asked.
Other Hong Kong talents who have thrived in Hollywood are typically action stars, including Jackie Chan (news), Jet Li (news) and Chow Yun-fat.
"I don't think the product I'm working on is inferior to theirs," Lau said.
Asked whether he envisions any changes in Hollywood's attitudes toward Chinese, Lau voiced strong doubts.
"Not in my generation," he said. "Look at how long it took for blacks."
Lau said he turned down a role as a cross-dressing Chinese opera diva in the Hollywood love story "M. Butterfly" because filmmakers wouldn't entertain his suggestion to delete a scene.
"They said, 'You're nobody. Don't bargain with us,'" Lau said.
John Lone (news) eventually played the part of the Beijing transvestite — who becomes the love object of a French diplomat who initially is ignorant of the character's gender.
But the role's controversial nature wasn't the reason he rejected the offer, said Lau, who is known for his sappy ballads and mainstream movies.
Lau said his fans would accept him playing a homosexual character.
He said he had been ready to take a part in Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai's "Happy Together" — the story of two gay lovers who escape to Argentina — but he opted out because of disagreements over the production timetable.
Asked why he hasn't been bolder with his choices, Lau said, "It's a matter of things falling in place."
Lau also defended the multi-tasking approach of Chinese stars.
Unlike most top entertainers in the West, Lau and his fellow artists juggle acting and singing careers.
"In the Olympics, I respect the decathlon," he said.
Lau, a 24-year veteran, insists the quality of his work hasn't suffered because of the dueling commitments. "I don't think the quality of my product is worse than those of artists who star in fewer movies," said Lau.
