Chen Shu:Great Honor to Be Best Actress, Significant Duty to Be the Jury Member

On the screen, she is Fang Yanyun, the exceedingly fascinating party girl in New Shanghai Bund; she is also Tie Lihua, the tough heroine in Tie Lihua; and she is Lin Jun, the independent and capable elite white-collar in The Couple. In daily life, she and pianist Zhao Yinyin are an adorable, model couple. She is Chen Shu, the winner of last year’s Best Actress of the Magnolia Award and one of the jury members this year. She talked with Daily News to share her ideas and experiences about life on the screen and in reality.

Daily News: Last year, you were the Best Actress. This year, you are a Magnolia Award jury member. What’s the difference for you?
Chen Shu: In fact, I have been shortlisted for the Magnolia Award three times. It was my great honor to win the Best Actress award last year, an important affirmation of me. This time being among the jury, I feel it is a significant duty for me. After having experienced the process of waiting for the result as a candidate, I can better empathize with the actors and actresses in their wish to be recognized by the jury and the organizing committee. Yet at the same time, as a veteran who has worked in the TV industry for more than 10 years, I have my own understanding and judgment of various kinds of shows. I believe this professionalism can help me fulfill the task of being an objective and fair judge.

Daily News: TV series on various subjects have been nominated this year. As a member of the jury, do you have any preference for one particular subject?
Chen Shu: I’m very glad that the Chinese TV series market has become mature. You can find different types of good TV series on the screen. For me, personally, I like them all. As an actress, I have in fact acted in the various mainstream types of TV series, which all have done well. Because I have experienced them all, I know a thing or two about how to act, how to shoot and how to write scripts for them. So today, when all these works have been put before me to judge, I guess my experience is very useful.

Daily News: You have acted in so many hot TV series like Plot Against, Tie Lihua and The Couple. In recent years, the screen is filled with TV series about espionage and family. What is your opinion of these series?
Chen Shu: The key point is not what type it is, but how good it is. I believe that today’s viewers are already very mature. Their taste would be enhanced after watching the various TV series that are becoming better and better. For example, in The Couple, my latest work, there are surely a lot of family trivialities. But I think this series has demonstrated a new perspective, new topics and interesting new attempts at light comedy. To entertain the viewers is our aim.

Daily News: In real life, you are already a wife. Has the change in your own role been a help in acting in series with family subjects?
Chen Shu: In acting in The Couple, I must admit that my own life has given me a lot of new experiences which offer me more materials, more real feelings and more attitudes toward life in acting.