China Daily

Cooking up a new treat

- By CHEN NAN

Longtime fans of Nicholas Tse were probably surprised when the singer-actor announced that he had released a new single, Fantasy, and more new songs could be expected this year.

After all, this 37-year-old Hong Kong star has not brought out new songs since his Mandarin album,

Last, in 2009. The new song has two versions performed in Mandarin and Cantonese, to appeal to fans in different parts of the country.

But if Tse’s decision to return to the music scene caught some of his fans off-guard, they were even more surprised to see Tse in Beijing recently.

Speaking about the songs, Tse says: “Music has always been my passion and I will never give it up. Though I didn’t sing onstage for a very long time, I still write songs and keep up with the music scene,” he says, adding that his other new songs will feature electronic dance music and pop rock music styles.

The son of Hong Kong actor Patrick Tse and actress Deborah Lee, Tse has been living in the limelight since childhood.

Nicholas Tse, who moved to Vancouver at 7, received music training in Japan before he returned to Hong Kong in 1996.

He made his debut as a singer at 16, and was known as the rebellious and bad boy of Hong Kong showbiz.

Besides 10 Cantonese albums and six Mandarin albums, Nicholas Tse has also featured in nearly 50 movies.

After divorcing Hong Kong actress Cecilia Cheung, Nicholas Tse’s relationsh­ip with pop star Faye Wong made him one of the darlings of the entertainm­ent news scene.

However, Nicholas Tse has put those days behind and focused on cooking seven years ago after watching a television show about making pastries.

In 2014, he did the travelogue-cooking TV show Chef Nic, which was aired by the Zhejiang Satellite TV Station.

The TV show, now in its fourth season now, received warm feedback from the fans.

The show, which mixes travel and cooking with appearance­s by celebritie­s has featured mainland actress Fan Bingbing, Hong Kong actors Donnie Yen Ji-dan and Jackie Chan.

The TV show also reveals a different side of Nicholas Tse, who shares lots of personal life stories, especially his relationsh­ip with his father.

Meanwhile, Nicholas Tse, who has no formal training as a cook, has opened restaurant and sells homemade cookie brands online.

Speaking about his passion for the kitchen, he says: “Cooking has changed my life. It widened my horizons and enabled me to make lots of new friends. Most importantl­y, it brings me closer to my family. I used to be isolated and immersed in my own world. But with cooking, I found a new medium to communicat­e with my family. I would invite them to my house and cook for them. I would say, ‘Dad, do you want to try this?’” he says.

Separately, in February 2017, Nicholas Tse starred in the film, Cook Up A Storm, directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Yip Wai-man, which tells the story of a Cantonese street-food chef battling against a Michelin starred one.

Speaking about his changing interests, he says: “I did not have any training in singing, acting, or cooking. But everything can be learned these days. It, however, takes time to learn a new skill.

So, while people can question my decision, if there is a will, there is a way,” he says, adding that for the first four years after he became a singer, he never got any applause. Whenever he got onstage, he just got boos.

Commenting on the actor latest transition, Mani Fok, Nicholas Tse’s manager, who is also the manager of Hong Kong-based Emperor Entertainm­ent Group, says: “It brings back lots of memories when I look back. I started working with him when he was 16, and I have seen how he has transforme­d from a rebellious young man to a person, who knows what he loves and pursues his dream with hard work.”

Nicholas Tse also says that the way of people see entertainm­ent today is different. “You can drink beer and eat a hot dog while watching a concert,” he says.

According to Andy Ng, the vicepresid­ent of the Tencent Music Entertainm­ent Group, the company will work with Tse to release his new songs via online streaming platforms such as QQ Music. Besides, a new concept of combing music and food will be launched by Tse and Tencent Music Entertainm­ent Group.

“We will offer a new experience to the fans who enjoy both music and food,” says Ng.

 ?? ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY ?? Nicholas Tse at a press conference in Beijing to promote his new album on Jan 4.
ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY Nicholas Tse at a press conference in Beijing to promote his new album on Jan 4.

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