'Only people with wisdom can be artistic'
By Du Juan (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-18 10:16
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TV hostess Sonia Chang is looking to challenge herself with a new acting role before the world comes to an end
Sonia Chang is regarded as one of television's best entertainment hostesses, and she has hosted a variety of programs for BTV and CCTV. But having worked in light entertainment for more than 10 years, she is eager to branch out in new directions. Chang shares her career plans with METRO.
METRO: Some hosts try to get higher viewer ratings by exploiting stars' privacy, but you seldom push your interviewees to talk about topics they don't want to discuss. Have you ever worried about losing your audience?
A: Everything needs to be natural, including talk shows and news broadcasting. Some hosts and hostesses will do anything to please the audience or make them laugh. They even humiliate themselves.
I am not like that. I will never try to please an audience in that way. I believe audiences want to watch a show in which everyone shows their real self. One host said he would play a monkey if audience wanted him to. I totally disagree.
METRO: What if your way is at odds with the entertainment market? Will you compromise?
A: I don't think so. I have been working in this field for more than 10 years. My bosses know my style. They won't force me to make a TV program in a certain way. If I don't enjoy doing the show, how can it be interesting to the audience? I will quit if I am asked to do it in a way I don't like.
METRO: You sound like an independent professional woman. Are you the same in your daily life? Is that why you don't want to marry?
A: I believe so. I don't want to get married, but I am open to having a relationship. As a woman over 30, I like the way it is now. It has nothing to do with the worry that marriage can destroy a star's image. There is more than one way to be together if two people love each other. Besides, the divorce rate is getting higher in China. I don't want children, so it seems there's no need to get married. I can travel with my boyfriend and have my own life, too.
I hate taking pictures of myself when I travel, though. I think it's silly to take pictures in front of famous landmarks, but many Chinese tourists are crazy about that. Why can't we just take photos of nature as a peaceful souvenir of history?"
METRO: Who is your best friend in the entertainment circle?
A: Zhao Chuan (a famous rock star in Taiwan) is my good friend even though it seems we don't have same jobs. We are both simple. We met at a show in 2007 and exchanged our numbers, but I didn't expect he would call me.
One year later, he called me and asked me for dinner when he came to Beijing. What surprised me was he never wears sunglasses or hat when we go out to eat, even though he is a big star. When the fans recognize us in the restaurant, he just smiles and says thanks.
I learned something from him. No matter how successful a person is in his career, it is very important to keep a peaceful attitude towards life. Only people with wisdom can be artistic.
METRO: What is your definition of art?
A: Art has to be connected to the culture. Beijing has given me lots of inspiration. I spent my childhood in a traditional courtyard house near Dongzhimen and have been working here since I graduated from college. The cultural atmosphere has influenced me deeply.
I like spending the whole afternoon in the Capital Museum, enjoying the quiet, and the traditional Beijing culture of the exhibitions. Museums are also my first destination when I travel abroad.
I like watching movies, too. I have watched 2012 and Avatar recently. I didn't feel at all sad when I saw the end of the earth in the movie. I don't even think it's a tragedy if human beings become extinct. Humans are so little compared with other species on the earth. I admire the power of nature.
The most touching part of Avatar for me is the choice of the protagonist at the end. He gives up his identity as a human being and chooses to be another species, which is enlightening. He made a better choice. I think you can say I love nature more than human beings.
METRO: What is your next career move?
A: I am going to act in the lead role in a TV series in April or May. The details are under discussion now. I need some new challenges and new things to keep myself energetic and learning. I like acting. Since I have strict standards for myself, I am not worried that the audience won't like it.