The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio
The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio |
| Posted: 25 Oct 2012 03:45 AM PDT Teen actor Lee Hyun-woo charms his way into fans' hearts. A DISARMING smile and a cheery demeanour were all it took to get Malaysians to warm up to teenage South Korean actor Lee Hyun Woo. "I never expected to get so much support from Malaysians," said Lee, who was pleasantly surprised at the turn-out at his fan-meet at Sungei Wang Plaza, Kuala Lumpur, where fans were continuously screaming his name. It was the actor's first trip here and the adventurous lad had already visited our local pasar (market). "I've tried local roadside food like char kuey teow, which tastes a bit like how we make our fried rice in Korea," Lee enthused at a recent press conference in KL to promote To The Beautiful You or Areumdawoon Geudaeege. The 16-episode series is the fourth TV adaptation of the popular Japanese manga series Hanazakari no Kimitachi e, following one Taiwanese (Hua Yang Shao Nian Shao Nu, 2006) and two Japanese (2007 and 2011) TV adaptations. Apart from the charming Lee, the series also stars K-Pop artistes Choi Min-ho of boy band Shinee and Sulli Choi of girl group f(x). Min-ho plays Kang Tae-joon, a college high jump champion who decides to retire after an injury. Sulli plays Goo Jae-hee, a fan who disguises herself as a boy to transfer to the boys' school so that she can encourage Kang to jump again. Lee plays an innocent college football player Cha Eun-gyeol who gets confused when he develops feelings for Jae-hee, not realising she is a girl. "Cha Eun-gyeol is a bright and fun-loving guy with a pure and honest personality. He's actually a lot like me. "And, that worked well for me. Also, I like to tell jokes like Cha Eun-gyeol. So, it's actually been a fun role," Lee described his happy-go-lucky character in To The Beautiful You. Like many other boys, Lee said he too loved football and would play quite often with his friends. Yet, he did not take his role lightly but trained for a month with a professional football player to improve his skills and make his character appear more credible. Another similarity was his character's passion for posting regular updates on social media platforms. "Like Eun-gyeol, I have a Twitter account, too. I also upload current photos and post updates, but not as often as Eun-gyeol does," shared the 19-year-old Lee, who added that he enjoys reading messages from fans and supporters. Although there were three previous TV adaptations, Lee said he did not watch any of them. "I refrained from watching them, because I hope to make the character my own," said Lee, who described his most memorable scene in the series as the one in which the whole group played on the beach. After collaborating with Min-ho and Sulli who are both singers, Lee was often asked whether he was interested in pursuing a singing career. Although he expressed an interest in singing and even releasing an album, Lee was of the opinion that "one need not have to become a singer as many actors do release albums as well". Lee is signed to KeyEast Entertainment, which manages big-name South Korean stars like Bae Yong-joon, Kim Hyun-joong and Kim Soo-hyun. The chatty lad is already training for his upcoming movie Covertness or Eunmilhage Widaehage (literally Secret To Greatness), which co-stars Kim Soo-hyun, currently seen in South Korean blockbuster The Thieves. "Covertness has not started production yet because it's about North Korean spies and more research is required. I'm spending some time learning the North Korean accent, and I hope to give a good performance." Currently enrolled in The Theatre and Film department of Dongguk University, Lee began his acting career as a child actor at a tender age of 12. The young actor already has seven movies and 15 TV series under his belt. > Catch Lee Hyun-woo in South Korean idol drama To The Beautiful You, airing every Wednesday and Thursday at 9.05pm on One / One HD (Astro B.yond Ch 393). |
| Posted: 25 Oct 2012 03:44 AM PDT TELEVISION viewers certainly have something to look forward to with the launch of three channels – now International, now Mango and now Hairun – by Telekom Malaysia Berhad's (TM) IPTV service, HyppTV. The new additions are available exclusively to the Malaysian audience as a result of a collaboration between TM and Hong Kong's PCCW Media Ltd, the company operating now TV, one of Hong Kong's largest pay-TV service providers. The three channels offer programmes from different genres. Now International is a Cantonese channel that delves into the finer things in life with its range of lifestyle, travel, entertainment and variety shows such as One Life One Earth and Chef Corner. The Mandarin channel, now Mango, a joint venture between now TV and the Hunan Broadcasting System from China, brings viewers closer to celebrities like Zhang Ziyi, Aaron Kwok and Faye Wong through its talk shows Happy Camp and World Of Women. Drama lovers are not forgotten as now Hairun boasts of high quality Hairun Media productions from the mainland such as The Era Of Late Marriage and Special Citizen, featuring stars from mainland China and Hong Kong. TM's executive vice president of New Media, Jeremy Kung, said at the channels' launch that TM was delighted to be working with Hong Kong's biggest pay-TV operator PCCW Ltd. "With the three channels, we not only have among the best in Asian entertainment and lifestyle content on our platform, but also one of the biggest collections of Chinese dramas ever assembled on HyppTV," he said. Meanwhile, PCCW's managing director of TV and New Media, Janice Lee, said that one of the company's strategies for growth is international expansion. "Malaysia has one of the largest overseas Chinese populations in South-East Asia and we are excited to have TM as a partner. We will be working closely to provide Malaysian viewers with the best in Chinese programmes," she said. The three channels – now International (Channel 155), now Mango (Channel 156) and now Hairun (Channel 157) – are available for free to HyppTV subscribers from now till Nov 14. For more information, visit tm.com.my/hypptv/ or tm.com.my. |
| Posted: 25 Oct 2012 04:13 AM PDT Actor Rich Sommer talks about how his goody-two-shoes character, Harry Crane, is changing on the 1960s drama Mad Men. HE messed up," Rich Sommer commented on his Mad Men character's unexpected dalliance with a secretary, in a recent phone interview from Los Angeles. Fans of the four-time Emmy-award winning series Mad Men must have collectively held their breaths in the penultimate episode of season one when devoted husband Harold "Harry" Crane cheated on his wife. "I had a lot of people who used to come up to me and say 'Oh it's so nice to have Harry as the good guy, we need a good guy in the office'. "But because I always knew at the back of my mind what was to come, I thought to myself, 'I'm glad you like him, but you're gonna hate him soon'," Sommer said sarcastically. Mad Men is a series set in the 1960s that probes into the workings of a New York-based advertising agency, Sterling Cooper. By day, its employees are busy finding a way to push the envelope and produce ground-breaking advertising campaigns. By night, these advertising men hang up their coats, loosen their ties and party up a storm, often with some female company in tow. But not so for Harry Crane. No, he is the nerdy, bespectacled media buyer that holds fast to his traditional Midwestern beliefs and is content on spending his "happy hour" with his wife. Or so we thought. Harry's uncharacteristic behaviour definitely took viewers by surprise, but Sommer pointed out that there were little hints dropped throughout the season, suggesting that he was already facing marital problems. "There was one time when somebody was talking about women and Harry said 'why can't they stop asking for things?'. "Add an unhappy marriage to a drunk celebratory moment and a pretty girl who's hugging you, and it can lead to trouble," he explained. So, now the question is, whether Harry will get darker in the upcoming season or will he turn from his philandering ways. While Sommer did not confirm whether Harry's cheating will persist, he revealed that Harry's nature does get darker in other aspects, "He begins to get more powerful, and with more power, he finds an eagerness to get even more power. "As such, in an effort to continue ascending the ranks, he makes some questionable decisions." This "power" comes in the form of Harry's new job title – head of Sterling Cooper's television department. At the start of the next season, senior partner Roger Sterling (John Slattery) calls the man into the office and commends him for taking the initiative to pitch an advertising idea to a client even though he was only a media buyer. In return, Harry asks for a raise and an opportunity to spearhead the company's television department. However, Harry is not the only one proving his worth and climbing the rungs of the corporate ladder. In the first season, we saw the plain, naive secretary Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) defy conventions by becoming the firm's first female copywriter. While her talent and influence continue to grow in the upcoming season, so will her battles against gender discrimination. The 34-year-old Sommer, who has welcomed a baby girl and boy since the show started, is grateful that the days of sexism are over now. "People say things like 'weren't the 1960s cool?' or 'don't you wish it was the 1960s?' But from what I understand – particularly, with regards to the mistreatment of people – I think the 1960s were socially terrible. "Realising this, it definitely helps me be a better father. I don't want my daughter thinking there isn't anything she cannot do because of her gender." On a lighter note, Sommer confessed there is one thing he enjoys from the 1960s: The clothes! It isn't an overstatement to say the series has sparked a retro fashion comeback as fashion retailers like Banana Republic has launched three Mad Men-inspired collections to date, while singer Lana Del Rey is also sporting similar looks in this year's H&M collection. If the actor makes a trip to these stores, there's no brownie point for guessing what he'll come out with – a bow-tie, of course! The actor shared that he enjoyed wearing it on the show so much that he's learned how to tie it himself and even rocks the look when attending formal events. When asked whether he has "borrowed" any from the set, Sommer maintained he hasn't but has taken something else instead: "I've stolen business cards. Harry has actual business cards with his name and job title on them." No interview on Mad Men would be complete without asking about the dashing Jon Hamm, who plays the cocky creative director Don Draper. Sommer gushed about the lead actor, stating that Hamm is (fortunately) nothing like his character. "He is a very generous and funny guy and I think the entire mood on our set is as positive as it is because Jon and the show's creator Matthew Weiner are so open and kind. It really sets the tone that trickles down to everyone else on the set." > For those who missed season two of Mad Men, catch the premiere tonight at 10pm on Sundance Channel (Astro Ch 438). For season five, FX HD (Astro Ch 726) is currently airing the show daily at 5pm. |
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