Mandopop’s King, Prince and Joker: To Andy Lau, acting and singing are as important as breathing

SINGAPORE – On both stage and screen, Andy Lau rules in October.

The Heavenly King’s latest movie High Forces opens in Singapore cinemas on Oct 10. The same day, fans can also see him in the flesh at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, where he kicks off the first of four sold-out concerts until Oct 13, as part of his Today... Is The Day Andy Lau Concert Tour 2024.

Although the 63-year-old superstar acknowledged that he may have to scale back on his work in the future, that day has not yet come.

Through a series of video clips, he replied to questions from The Straits Times and said that to him, making films and performing on stage are as important as breathing.

“Acting and singing are my life,” said the Hong Kong actor-singer. “They are all jobs I like to do. There are definitely happy and sad parts, but these are parts of my life.”

Aside from starring in the action flick High Forces in 2024, Lau also produced and made a cameo in the crime film Crisis Negotiators, which opened here in June, and will star in the disaster blockbuster Cesium Fallout, slated for a November release.

Too much? Not really, said the multi-hyphenate, often touted as the most hard-working man in Asian show business.

Comparing acting to one of his hobbies – ten-pin bowling – he said: “Whenever I have the time, I will think, ‘Why don’t I bowl one game?’ Making movies is like that for me. I can do one movie in a year, one movie in three years, it is all okay.”

Given that he has acted in more than 170 films since the 1980s, has he ever thought of retiring?

“Yes,” he replied. “But that was yesterday. I haven’t thought about it today.”

He said that during the periods of rest between jobs, he would imagine how good retirement would be. “After three days, I feel like I don’t know what to do. Then there is a job, and I am happy. And I forget about retiring again. Let’s decide tomorrow.”

In High Forces, Lau plays an international security expert who has to deal with criminals that hijack a luxurious airplane on its maiden flight.

It is his first collaboration with Hong Kong director Oxide Pang of the Pang brothers (Bangkok Dangerous, 1999; The Eye, 2002). Lau describes him as thorough and meticulous. “He is very technically proficient and pays a lot of attention to details.”

According to the actor, High Forces’ scenes are different from those of other action films because many take place in the small space of an airplane.

He added: “It is like mixed martial arts fighters in a small ring. You have only that space to fight, and you cannot run away.”

Other scenes are set outside the aircraft, in mid-air. He said: “Those are computer-generated scenes, and it is all about the atmosphere, that sense of losing control.”

Although audiences might view his latest onscreen persona as a hero, Lau cautioned that his character is also flawed.

“He has some manic tendencies, which have led to problems in his family. I hope viewers can appreciate such characters who appear brave and courageous, but also possess certain weaknesses.”

Another reason Lau came on board was because he was eager to work with many of the film’s cast members, who are relatively fresh faces. They include Chinese actress Zhang Zifeng, 23, who plays Lau’s on-screen daughter, as well as Chinese actor Qu Chuxiao, 29, who portrays one of the hijackers.

Lau said: “There are some people I have not made movies with, and here’s an opportunity. Without thinking whether it will turn out good or bad, I will just go.”

His philosophy of embracing the present can also be found in the theme of his Today... Is The Day concert tour, which aims to spread positivity and urges fans to find joy and fulfilment every day.

The gigs, which are likely to last more than two hours each, are said to feature stunning visual effects, including mystical beasts and flying dragons. Videos clips of other stops show the stage with two moving extensions, which bring Lau closer to fans, as well as 23 back-up dancers supporting him on some numbers.

He is expected to perform more than 30 songs: both Mandarin favourites – including Stupid Child (1998) and Forget Love Potion (1994) – and Cantopop hits such as If One Day (2003) and There Is Only You In My Heart (1999).

The tour kicked off in Shanghai on July 5 and has travelled to other Chinese cities such as Guangzhou, Beijing and Chengdu.

At that first Shanghai show, Lau, whose previous My Love Andy Lau World Tour ran from 2018 to 2019, said onstage: “I have not held a concert in five years. At my age, I don’t know if anyone still wants to see me.”

During that comeback performance, he admitted he felt nervous, an emotion he did not grapple with during previous concerts.

“I keep thinking idols cannot age,” he said. “It is a pity some of the younger fans cannot see how I looked when I was 17. It is okay, because going forward, you will now have me in your life.”

However, several near-accidents have dogged the Today... Is The Day tour. He nearly slid off a raised unbarricaded platform during his very first show on July 5 in Shanghai and almost stepped into an open trapdoor in Shenzhen on Sept 9.

Towards the end of the July 5 show, he told the crowd that he felt tired. He said: “When you are older, you are weaker. Maybe I danced too vigorously?”

But even if Lau stops staging concerts in the future – “I can’t still be holding concerts when I am 80, right?” – he is open to doing closed-door fan events.

He said: “We can chat, you can tell me what I can change, what I should keep.

“After all, it is because of you that I became a superstar. To be together with you, I am willing to become a regular person again.”