Hong Kong artiste Bernice Liu oozes charm.
As my photographer clicked away at the subject of my interview, it was difficult for me not to stare.
Draped in a slinky silvery mini-dress that lovingly hugged the curves of her hourglass figure and showed off her wonderfully long legs, she has the body of an Amazon.
It was hard not to be even a little intimidated by the statuesque 1.71m beauty. I wondered if she would turn out to be a diva.
But apart from rumours about her relationship with fellow TVB artiste Moses Chan, there has rarely been a nasty report about Liu. And at the end of my 15-minute interview, I understood why.
Bernice Liu: "For me, marriage is not an option right now."
It is not uncommon that, due to the Hong Kong media’s intrusive reporting style, Hong Kong artistes have adopted a wary and defensive stance when meeting the media.
But what I found remarkable is that after five years in the industry, Liu has lost none of her winsome girl-next-door ways and down-to-earth nature. At one point of our conversation, we talked about food. Her eyes lit up and she gleefully declared that she loves to eat.
“What fun is there in life if you restrict yourself to what you can eat? And especially in Hong Kong, the food is just so shiny and shimmery; it really whets the appetite,” she related, laughingly. And in case you were wondering, she has a weakness for chocolates and tiramisu.
Liu’s unassuming style is perhaps the result of having been raised with her elder sister and young brother in the small town of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada.
She had a regular childhood. While she loved to dance, she never harboured dreams of performing. Instead, when she was growing up, she envisioned that she would be working in some big corporation and at the age of 24, starting a family.
Liu was already on her way to realising her vision. She was a third year student at University of British Columbia (UBC). But her plans went awry when she enterted the Miss Chinese Vancouver pageant.
“I had switched from science to international business and as part of the programme requirement I needed to take up a language. I had initially thought of learning Mandarin in two months and doing the language test. But I realised there was no way I would be able to do it.
“Some people then told me that the best way to pick up the language would be to join a TV station. So I joined Fairchild Television (a Canadian Cantonese cable television specialty channel), where I learned how to speak Cantonese instead,” said Liu, who was recently unveiled as Marie France Bodyline’s celebrity spokesperson for Malaysia and Singapore in Kuala Lumpur.
Liu explained that the station was the organiser for the annual Miss Chinese Vancouver and after much persuasion from her colleagues, she joined the pageant.
She surprised herself by winning and what’s more, repeated her success in Hong Kong by taking home the 2001 Miss Chinese International Pageant crown. But after she got home, she did not think much about the win.
“I was on scholarship in UBC and my mind was just focused on my studies. When someone from Fairchild contacted me and asked me if I was interested in joining TVB (Television Broadcast Limited), I initially said no.
“Then I found out that I could extend my graduate programme for 10 years, whereby I can resume my studies before the 10-year period is up. So, I decided to take TVB’s offer, to see what else is there for me.
“Unlike dancing, I’m not trained in acting. It’s something very foreign to me but it looks fun. But yeah, I do want to go back and finish my studies. I still have four years to go.”
Together with her dad, Liu packed up and headed for Hong Kong. Her first appearance was in the popular serial Golden Faith, where she had a minor role.
In 2002, she landed her big break, playing princess Sam Tim in the period sitcom Virtues of Harmony. She made such an impression that viewers nicknamed her “Princess”. More roles followed despite the fact that she can’t read Chinese, relying on pinyin, with her father’s help.
She has completed filming The Entire City Dances, a series about a group of young people and their passion for dance. With her dancing background, she’s been dancing since she was four, the show is a must-watch for fans. Currently, she is working on the new series, Harmony Taste & Passion.
In addition to acting, Liu is also becoming a favourite with advertisers. Aside from Marie France Bodyline, she recently signed with Revlon Hong Kong as their spokesmodel, the first time the brand has appointed a Hong Kong spokesmodel.
Liu plans to branch into singing after winning the best newcomer award at this year’s TVB Jade Solid Gold competition.
“Looking at my life now, I can’t ask for more. I feel so blessed. I don’t think I have an edge over my colleagues. I believe that you just have to stay true to yourself and people will see you for who you are.”
She attributed her success to her family. While her mother divides her time among her three children (her other daughter is in Vancouver and her son works in China), it is Liu’s father who has taken on the duty of caring for her.
“The awesome side of coming to Hong Kong is having my dad with me. We have grown closer. He keeps me grounded. He will point out my mistakes and even if I’m tired, he will wake me up for church,” she related with a chuckle.
Liu keeps a gruelling schedule. She is awake at 5.30am for a full day of filming that usually drags on until 3 or 4 the next morning. Liu has hardly enough time for sleep, let alone a social life. But that has not stopped the tabloids from having a field day.
She has been linked with Hawick Lau, her co-star from Virtues of Harmony, and for the past two years, Moses Chan, whom she collaborated with in Healing Hands III and Love Bond.
Their chemistry on Love Bond was unmistakable such that Astro viewers voted them Favourite Couple at the Astro Wah Lai Toi Drama Awards 2006.
Before the start of the interview, I was duly reminded of the “no personal questions” rule although I was free to ask details of her dog Mac’s nuptials (last December she held a wedding ceremony for her two Bichon Frise pooches, Mac and Baily). But not so long ago, in a report in AsiaOne, Liu, caught off-guard, was asked if she would marry Chan.
“Huh? For me, marriage is not an option right now,” she replied.
Liu revealed that while she enjoys her job, the downside is that she feels really worn out and while she has made good friends in the industry, it is difficult to maintain friendships.
“Everyone is busy. When filming for one series ends, each of us will move on to something else. We usually have to wait until we work together again in another drama to meet. But that is life.
“In the meantime, I have my dogs to keep me entertained,” she concluded happily, flashing a sweet smile.
credit: bernice-liu.org
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