Hong Kong leading man Pakho Chau says his relationship with his wife could not be more different from the character he plays in his latest Hong Kong flick 77 Heartbreaks. In the film, his character is oblivious to the issues raised by his girlfriend of 10 years.
77 Heartbreaks is directed by prolific and versatile Hong Kong helmer Herman Yau (Shock Wave, An Inspector Calls, Ip Man: The Final Fight) and adapted from Erica Li’s best-selling novel of the same name.
In the film, Chau plays Adam, while his girlfriend Eva is portrayed by Charlene Choi of Cantopop duo Twins.
Both Adam and Eva are lawyers and so is Adam’s father. However, his strained relationship with his father results in him ditching his law practice to be a kickboxing coach instead.
In a recent phone interview from Hong Kong, Chau described Adam as such an immature fellow who always ends up annoying Eva with all the things he does or does not do.
“Sadly, Adam is not aware of the issues with their relationship, so Eva gets very frustrated and it all builds up until she decides she has had enough.”
In real life, 32-year-old Chau got married to his fashion designer girlfriend of more than 10 years, Stephanie Chu, last November.
Chau said it is fortunate that they have never gotten into any major disputes.
“My wife and I rarely have any major disagreements as we are the sort of people who deal with issues in a calm and mature manner. We’ve been together since we were 20 years old, so we grew up together, and matured together.
“Minor misunderstandings are sometimes inevitable, but such friction usually serves to help us get to know each other better and improve our relationship further.”
Pakho Chau started his career as a singer in 2007 and has released more than a dozen albums.
For a guy who avoids conflicts, Chau said the most challenging scenes for him were those spent quarrelling with Choi’s character. “That’s because both of us dislike fighting. So, it did take some effort. We had to rehearse the quarrelling scenes before shooting. Then, after that we had to get lozenges to soothe our throats!” he added.
As for the intimate scenes in the film, Chau said they had no qualms: “It’s just mostly kissing. And that’s not difficult at all.”
Currently busy promoting the movie in Shanghai, China, before making his way to Malaysia for an Astro event, Chau is already working towards his next film release.
To those curious about his family plans, Chau said his current focus is on getting work done as his schedule is packed till 2018.
“Caring for a baby requires a lot of time and effort. So, we currently have no plans for that,” said the dashing star, who is also the founder of two trendy fashion labels XPX and CATXMAN.
The singer-songwriter who burst onto the Cantopop scene in 2007 has released more than a dozen albums and has twice as many films to his name.
Apart from acting in Hong Kong films and TV series, he has also lent his voice to the Cantonese versions of Hollywood animated flicks like Shrek The Third (2007), Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) and Angry Birds (2016), as well as Japanese film 10 Promises To My Dog (2008).
77 Heartbreaks is playing in cinemas nationwide. For tickets and showtimes, head to GSC.
