Vic Chou recalls F4 and Meteor Garden days while playing character spanning 20 years in new drama

While playing the younger version of his character in the upcoming Taiwanese drama The World Between Us 2, actor Vic Chou couldn't help but recall when he first debuted in the entertainment industry at age 19.

Speaking to AsiaOne at the Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) on Dec 5 while promoting the series, the former member of pop idol group F4 shared: "Those memories from when I was a rookie will always remain vivid to me."

He recalled entering showbiz when he had just stepped into society and filming the classic Taiwanese idol drama Meteor Garden (2001), which shot him to instant global fame.

Vic, 43, said: "We did a lot of things because of the demand at the time. I didn't have plans to be an actor or in F4. I was quite confused at the time and learned from the dramas I had filmed and the directors and production team that I had worked with.

"I felt very lucky to have met a good director, (Meteor Garden's) Tsai Yueh-hsun, who has a traditional way of working as he comes from a family of directors. Although it was an idol drama, the things that I learned then are still very much applicable to me in my work now, such as one's attitude towards work."

And it wasn't just those experiences that Vic recalled, but also his youth.

He added: "I am also envious about my gaze then, which was clearer and more innocent, unlike now after I've experienced many things in society and in my personal life. So I treasured those times [in my twenties]."

The father of one also shared that he reflected on all that had happened to him and wondered how different he could have been if he had treasured those times then.

"I remember when I debuted at 19, a reporter asked what I looked forward to and I recall telling them I looked forward to being 20. When I was 20 and asked the same question, I replied 25. I always wanted to live life in the future and didn't enjoy what I had in the present.

"I am in my forties now and sometimes I would think, 'What if I had treasured what I had then? Would my personality have been different?"

A series half a decade in the making

Vic plays psychiatrist Ma Yi-sen in The World Between Us 2, who grapples with the loss of his wife and child following an accident.

It features a separate story from the first season, and opens with an arson case at a supermarket which unravels a complex web of connections between six families whose lives have been intertwined for over two decades.

The first season released in 2019 was highly acclaimed and won multiple awards internationally, including the 54th Golden Bell Awards and the 2019 Busan International Film Festival.

Producer Jayde Lin told us that the second season was a production half a decade in the making.

She said: "After the first season aired, we received good feedback from viewers. This was quite unbelievable for us and gave us strength… After that, we had discussions with the broadcasting company, production company, sponsors and scriptwriter (Lu Shih-yuan) for a second season.

"Although Shih-yuan was not easy to convince, in the end she agreed to write it. At that time, which was five years ago, she had already decided it would be a separate story because she felt she had already completed the story in the first season."

Actress Nikki Hsieh plays Gao Zhengming/Chen Youming, a struggling mother of two young children whose husband was arrested, and she told us that as a fan of the first season, she was attracted to the complexity of the script and the depth of her character.

The 39-year-old added: "I play the character and her experiences over a span of 20 years, I think this is something hard to imagine for me. She is also a mother of two children and the experiences that she had [after her husband's arrest] are not what I have tried before."

Actor-singer Hsueh Shih-ling, who plays legislator Kao Cheng-kuang, said that the role was "fun" for him.

The 41-year-old, who is a former member of hip-hop band Da Mouth, shared: "Cheng-kuang is someone with ambition. He receives a lot of stress and also help from his family and the public when pursuing his ambition, which [makes him question] whether it's a good or bad thing. All these conflicts make him an interesting character to play."

Vic and Shih-ling portray friendship akin to family

Cheng-kuang and Yi-sen are close childhood friends and Shih-ling said that he and Vic didn't purposely develop a relationship, but discussed the closeness of their characters with the director before and during filming.

He explained: "They grew up together and are very close to each other, to the extent of being just like family. The way they act around each other is not like how they would treat regular friends, such as going for a greeting and a hug… They can be in the same space and not feel awkward with each other or have to start a conversation deliberately, or specially show their presence when accompanying each other."

Vic added: "When two friends, especially boys, have such a close friendship, sometimes they skip being polite to each other."

He shared a memorable scene where Yi-sen was grieving for his wife and daughter at home and Cheng-kuang let himself in and went about his business, such as taking a drink and playing video games, "just like nothing happened".

When the director asked if that was how Cheng-kuang would treat his friend, the two actors decided that they would portray them in that manner, as their characters have never shown their care for each other outwardly before.

"We decided that the character's presence is enough to show that they care for each other. They have no barriers. So the more impolite he is, the more he actually cares," Vic explained.

As a series that grapples with many strong emotions, Vic also shared the way they support each other during filming.

"If a scene ends with Shih-ling having to portray very strong emotions, I would give him a pat on the shoulder after filming. And he did the same for me. As actors, we acknowledged each other for our hard work. I felt it and I think that's enough," he said.

The World Between Us 2 is set to release in 2025.

yeo.shuhui@asiaone.com

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