THE CARDS?

First Person
“People ask me where
I learned Cantonese.
I say, ‘I learned where
you learned.’”
Actor Byron Mann has worked in Hollywood for the last
20 years on films and shows such as “Street Fighter” and
“Arrow,” but this star is a Hong Kong boy, born and raised.
Ahead of the opening of financial crisis meltdown drama
“The Big Short,” he tells Isabelle Hon about breaking into
showbiz, being mistaken for an American Born Chinese and
the differences between Hong Kong and Hollywood.
I was born and raised in Hong Kong.
I went to UCLA to study philosophy.
Then I went to USC Law School.
I’ve loved watching movies ever since I was
a kid. My favorite classics were “A Better
Tomorrow” and “An Autumn’s Tale.”
I couldn’t have imagined that I’d be acting
in Hollywood.
When I was 18, I studied law for a year.
But I wasn’t really interested in it.
I happened to get a break in Hong Kong:
By chance I shot a music video.
It was a LaserDisc music video by Fitto
Record [now Emperor Entertainment
Group]. I was part of a couple on the
sea shore.
My friends saw me when they went
to karaoke.
That’s how my acting career started.
When I went back to the U.S. I started to
get cast. My first role was in a film called
“Last Flight Out.”
In the U.S., you have many opportunities
to make movies. In Hollywood everyone
is equal. You will be recognized as long as
you have talent and respected if you have
the ability.
Hong Kong has many idols with pretty
faces. But in the U.S., the secret of
success is passion and hard work.
I might not be the most talented, but I work
hard. Once I get the script I’ll go over it
from top to bottom. Sometimes I’ll find
other actors to practise with me.
Not all actors do the same. There are
those who read the script for the first time
when they’re in make-up. But they can still
remember everything.
The best actor I ever met is Eric Tsang. He
didn’t read scripts until the last minute.
Once he read a script in the car on the way
to the filming location. But he still played
the role perfectly.
Once I met [the late legendary Hong Kong
actor] Roy Chiao and I asked him how to
be a good actor. He told me to try different
types of roles, and read more books.
The projects I’ve worked on last year include
“The Big Short” and [TV series] “Hell on
Wheels,” filmed at the same time.
But I can cope with that. After all, I’ve been
in Hollywood for 20 years!
I’m a very local Hongkonger. But many think
I’m an ABC [American Born Chinese].
Sometimes I meet Hongkongers and they
ask me where I learned my Cantonese.
I say, “I learned where you learned.”
Hong Kong more or less makes films the
same way as Hollywood. But Americans
treat actors a lot better.
In the U.S. they have labor unions for all
industries. They have unions for actors and
cinematographers. There is a system.
Acting in the U.S. is more relaxing than in
Hong Kong. I usually have two or three
months for research. Hong Kong is quite
limited and they seldom do that.
In Hollywood, every actor has their own
trailer, with unlimited food. If they make
films overseas, they have no choice when
it comes to flying—they can only fly
business class.
In Hong Kong, your choice is between lunch
boxes and lunch boxes. And that’s not even
talking about the food you get on film sets
in the mainland.
It was amazing to work on “The Big Short.”
It’s a true story.
My brother works in a bank. A year ago, one
of his clients told me this story—and it’s the
character of Brad Pitt. I heard the real story
a year before getting the script!
My hobbies are simple—tennis and golf.
I only do one or two things in life, but I’m
very serious about getting better at them.
I love living in Hong Kong the most. It’s an
active city. I can meet my friends anytime
and anywhere.
I hope to be able to sleep well every day.
All of us have done bad things in our lives.
A good conscience is a soft pillow.
Life is long. There will be setbacks for sure.
But everything will be fine.
There are many ways to live your life. Facing
a setback may not be a bad thing. Maybe
it’s time for you to rest, to get stronger for
the upcoming journey.
NEED TO KNOW...
Byron Mann’s breakthrough role was
as Ryu in 1994’s “Street Fighter.” He’s
starred in movies and TV in Hollywood,
Hong Kong and the mainland, such
as “The Man With the Iron Fists” and
“Rise of the Legend.” His new movie
“The Big Short,” starring Brad Pitt
and Christian Bale, opens Jan 21.
Photo: Kirk Kenny / studiozag.com
38 HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2016