Mainland actor Sun Haiying has so immersed himself in his role as rebel Peer Gynt that he has been firing off tirades at art house icons and even announced the death of Chinese theater and cinema.
Sun, who is appearing in Henrik Ibsen's Peer Gynt on Tuesday at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, held a press conference at the venue on Wednesday.
"China's theater has died! So has cinema!" Sun informed shocked journalists, before taking aim at popular director Feng Xiaogang.
"Feng pretends to know what he doesn't. People defend him by calling him a director of entertaining films, not art house productions, but China's cinema is now a desert of entertainment," Sun said, before adding those who worship Feng could die and they would be no loss to society.
He ended by saying that audience members who do not cry when they see Peer Gynt do not understand the play, according to Sohu.com.
From rebels to lovers, actor/singer Lu Yi and his celebrity wife Bao Lei are known as China's equivalent of Brangelina (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) because they appear to be the embodiment of married bliss.
Last week they were listed as the "best star couple" by Southern Metropolis Weekly and were the cover story for Comfort's May issue. They have been painting the town red at various promotional events, including one for a brand of diamonds, at which Lu surprised fans by flourishing a ring and saying he was proposing to Bao, again. He didn't kneel down (shame) but he did get a round of applause.
He told reporters: "When I proposed (to Bao) in 2006 we had been in love for many years and I bought her a diamond ring. There were just two of us at that moment."
Obviously, to be a celebrity couple, it's essential to do these things in public. What next? Another wedding? A reality TV show? You have been warned.
Hong Kong megastar Andy Lau (Liu Dehua) has reportedly instructed his mainland agent to sue Liu Dehua Duck Restaurant, in Guansheng county, Sichuan province, for fear that it is ruining his reputation.
The 68-year-old owner of the restaurant, also named Liu Dehua, has received a letter from the actor/singer's attorney calling on him to take down the restaurant sign that has a picture of an old man with the characters for Liu Dehua.
Restaurant owner Liu's daughter said her father had been in business for 20 years and was much saddened by the letter's contents, Xinhua reported. An unexpected bonus, however, has been renewed interest in the restaurant, as HK media have published stories on it and even provided recipes on how to make duck dishes.
Finally, another Hong Kong legend, Carina Lau, is finally pregnant at the age of 44. She married her beau, actor Tony Leung, after 19 years of courtship two years ago and the couple are said to have been trying out hormone injections and embryo implants in order to have a child, according to Sina.com. Lau has moved back to her hometown of Suzhou to rest.
China Daily
(China Daily 05/07/2010 page20)