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Edward Chen, The Night Is Still Young/ 陳昊森這夜晚還算年輕

Dylan Tang
Dec 11, 2020
3 min read

During the day, as the sun shines, we all feel expectations for a bright future. At night, we sometimes experience emotions that are contrary to so-called "normal daily life”, because we are bathed in moonlight. Like listening to a good song, uncontrollable emotions overflow into our heads or even pacify our restless spirit in the dead of night. Edward Chen is an actor standing at the crossroads of life. No matter which direction he heads, his mystical vibes are always so intense, and it gives us the feeling that his work will endure.

"I like acting because I know that being a professional actor is what I genuinely love. So the most important thing is how to learn from it and enjoy it while portraying the character. There must be either good or bad in the process, but what I learned from it is more important.’’ -Edward Chen

Severe Challenges After Being Popular

The social phenomenon that Edward Chen caused this year is reminiscent of the child stars of The Mickey Mouse Club; like them, he could finally become an international superstar. A superstar’s fame is fleeting but a madman’s reputation can live forever, because of the wisdom in their mind.

"The most difficult part of acting for me is how to reflect myself in each performance, because you are helping your character live their lives. So, reflecting myself in the character is the most difficult thing for me." When I asked Edward about his performance, his interpretation was concise and intriguing.

Insecurity in Security

Talking about performance with Edward is like listening to a song and always getting a surprise at some chord. However, the next performance after becoming famous is everyone's standard for judging whether an actor can still stand firm. For Edward, such insecurities may be the key to his breakthrough after stepping out of his comfort zone. "When playing other characters in the future, I hope that when I find my comfort zone, I can find more insecurities. Because then I have the opportunity to bring a new style to my life." When he faces the high walls he has set up, perhaps this is the only correct solution for him to overcome them.

"I think everything must have its meaning, such as everything I’ve participated in. That way I can feel serious about what I have learned after everything I’ve been through. Some people say that if you go out too much, it seems to overflow, and some people say that if you go out less, it looks mysterious. But for me; if this way defines my value, then why would I try my best to play the right role and make a good movie? I think in this complicated society, the less you focus on it, the more you can find the things that you like." -Edward Chen

Farewell to the Teen Idol

When we were young, there was always a dark shadow in the corner of our minds. No matter what role you play in this society today, it can motivate you to push forward. When I met Edward we discussed face to face the themes of 'The Night Is Still Young' to try to find the source of inspiration in his world. He mentioned “At night, it seems like I am dreaming as if I create something. During the day, I change back to my rational self. In fact, either one can inspire me. I realise the dreams I have made and turn them into reality.” For him, what he is doing now is like the basic chords at the beginning of each song. He writes down his own story through these notes and it becomes a perfect song with an essence that people can savour regardless of the time zone.

This Night is Still Young

I often hear others say, "The Sun will never understand the darkness of the night." To Edward, being young means being crazy, and being young means having the courage to try everything. Hence, demoralising external voices are not too important, only he can define what belongs to him. He made his debut as a teenage idol, and no one can say exactly what he will become next. He may no longer make teen-pop romance films, instead he may act in detective dramas with the actor Leung Chiu-Wai who he wants to cooperate with, and it is more likely that he will transform himself into a new identity. No matter what, no one can define what his future will be like. After all, his night is still young, and perhaps as he said: "Imperfect is the most beautiful appearance."