Taiwan Next Magazine 6th Sept, 2010 Issue 485 (Zaizai interview)

Translated by sytwo at VIC/ AF

Memoirs of an otaku (homeboy) Zhou Yumin


In addition to being handsome (shuai), can also be funny! In recent years Vic kept a beard plus a decadent temperament, and the roles that he picks recently is also not the typical handsome idol drama.

Part 1

Last month, Zai Zai Zhou Yumin received NEXT magazine's first Entertainment Award for 2 awards "Most Popular Actor" and "Top Ten Most Popular Star". During his 10 years of debut, besides being at the top ranking among idols, he has always wanted to be treated as an actor with real talent, touch-touch so-so ( 摸摸索索 - sytwo : not sure how to translate this), award is an affirmation.


He originated from the F4 idol dream factory, and has also floated on high clouds and cannot see the far distance. Suffering from depression for several years, he even has a long-term resistance of closing himself off, when asked about it he nodded enthusiastically and said, "Will play computer games for one month without going out!" Won’t die from hunger because friends will send meals to him!


This is also the first that the entertainment industry No. 1 otaku (homeboy) Zhou Yumin, receive an interview from this magazine. Looking at him sitting in the bright sunlight, being interviewed and photographed, it is really like the rare sight of a vampire seeing the sunlight, a white face, squinting his eyes which fears the light, slowly talking about the past 10 years memoirs that is both otaku and strange ....


Part 2
From admiration, to falling in love to the ending of love, “Da-Zai Lien” has attracted much attention from beginning to end, even after being separated for over two years, Zhou Yumin and DaS names are still implicated together. Talking about feelings, although Zhou Yumin’s expression to reveal what seems to be a forced smile (he explained, this is called shy!), but in fact it it seems he is already reflecting back on the sceneries of the past road; he did not hesitate to say that out of life's three most important people, Barbie Hsu is among one of them!



In terms of love relationship, Zhou Yumin said he still has a lot of areas he needs to change, but he admits that he is very conservative, and not only wants to marry and have children, but also long for “the older the more loving” type of old husband-wife world.




DaS brings him into acting


"In my life there are three most important people, always the same three, will not change! One is Chai-jie (Angie Chai); the second is Director Cai (Cai Yue Xun); third is Barbie Hsu, all have an important place in my life. Director Cai guided me in acting, Chai-jie brought me in this industry, Barbie Hsu is the actress who first triggered my interest in acting, the spiritual influence of her acting gave me a lot of inspiration, that being an actor should be this way. "

Have said before that it was after getting up from bed that he and DaS calmly talked about breaking up, during the height of their love relationship both of them did not hide it. During that time, from the road to department stores, Da S is always accompanied by the “younger than her by 5-years” Zhou Yumin.

Zhou Yumin's approach is to let you photograph as much as you like! "If you hide-and-avoid from the start, people will feel more interested to dig into your stuff, so I will let you shoot. Going to shopping malls I know that there will be paparazzi, when there is no news value he will not print it. We will reveal ourselves in public every 2-3 days, at that time I often do such a thing. "

He also admits that he is not a DaS's ideal lover! "The one thing that I make everyone feel most cannot tolerate is that I do not remember holidays/ festival. During the times together, I do not remember Valentine's Day, do not celebrate birthdays."


"Every relationship really let me realize certain things, for example when it comes to a guy and girl getting along, what have I overlooked? Will constantly change, and keep amending as far as possible so that when the day comes that I meet the right person, I would have changed it very well ......, but my first priority now is career first, and then family and love life, because I have chosen what I want to do. "


Part 3

In the Golden Bell Awards last year, Zhou Yumin and Mark Zhao were both nominated for Best Actor through "Black & White". In the end it is the novice actor under Director Chai, Mark Zhao who won the title. At that time, the feelings have been deeply concealed, now whenever referring to Mark Zhao or his benefactor/ teacher Cai Yue Xun, Zhou Yumin will be “boiling water is not boiling”. (sytwo : this seems like a chinese saying but I am not sure of it’s meaning)



From cooperating in "Black & White" to being strangers, when mention about Mark Zhao, Zhou Yumin’s tone is played down


Acting as Pizi (ruffian), will talk about it after 10 years


“Declining to act in "Black and White" movie Episode 1 is said to be due to conflicting time schedule, then is there a chance to act in the next episode?”, I asked.

Zhou Yumin’s eyes look like he has made up his mind, spitting out quickly (or feeling relieve to talk about it)! "Well, since you asked, I must talk about it. I do not hide that one of the big reason is …… I feel that in drama I have already fully developed the character of Chen Zai Tian, in the movie I do not have any more new ideas to bring out. The movie will just be “smashing” (spending) money to produce film effects, and I am thinking what other effects would Chen Zai Tian need? So I am tired of it , cannot act the role anymore, if I continue to act there will be no more “stem” (new development or point of interest), unless you say, you come to me ten years later, I can guarantee that I will have a new way of acting."

"But the other reason (for not acting), I am not “faulting” Cai husband-and-wife, they did come over and talk about it, but did not give the script ah! Like Director Johnnie To, a lot of people know that he does not give any script, so I am very grateful to Director To, in a situation where there is no script, he was willing to, for me this “ignorant boy” (sytwo : not sure of this word) who has not acted in a film, to ask the script writer to come out with a script, and I really appreciate it. So until now I'm still the same, give me the script, and only then can I really understand what the film is about, without a script the Chen Zai Tian that I can imagine is no more (sytwo : I think he means cannot imagine further). "

I asked again: "Do you have any contacts with Mark Zhao?"

"He should also be very busy ... ..." Zhou Yumin is almost without emotion, "I did not intentionally make contact, but ... we really do not have any contact (are you thinking that everyone is looking for “drama” between the both of you? ). The thing that I am more annoyed with is the gossip for no reason at all, perhaps waiting to watch “drama”, so I always have to guess, when the media asked me questions, what is the intention. This is very painful, one way is that I “dahaha” (to joke, talk irrevelantly), one way is to say totally do not have any contact, so in the future it will such a reply! "

Then ... have you seen “Monga” which stars Mark Zhao?

He shook his head, "I have only watched the trailers, both Xiao Tian (Ethan Ruan) and Mark Zhao’s acting is very good. From my viewpoint, Ethan’s role has a lot of dramatic tension, will feel that it is very cool. I saw the footage for behind-the-scenes, the scene where Ma Ju-lung slapped him till he bled, I have always wanted to know how they shot it! I saw the footages, it is a dedicated actor's attitude, very professional! "

Even if those are words of courtesy (for the occasion), the space taken up by Mark Zhao is also only a little. ...


Part 4

From then till now (looking back), feels himself is very “cheap”*
*(“cheap” here is a chinese saying of “demeaning” oneself to be intolerable)


Ten years ago, Zhou Yumin is a 19-year-old youth who do not know how to act, accompanying a friend to the auditions for "Meteor Garden", even when hiding in the stairwell he was still discovered by Angie Chai to play Hua Zelei! From refusing (to act) to trying out, as a member of F4, he is the successful representative of the entertainment industry’s dream factory, looking back on F4, the sensitive him still felt it is unreal.

Although the popularity is red hot but is ignorant, "The one point that I feel very inferior is that I have not reached such a thing as that, because I do not have real strength to get the affirmation of other people, at that time really felt miserable!"

"Among F4, the one I meet more frequently is Xiaotian (Ken Zhu), our private personality is also rather strange, will not take the initiative to call and ask after each other. I cannot open the mouth to ask this, and due to my personality, eventually they also cannot say it! They go out for dinner and drink some wine, in the morning when they call me, I may be at home daydreaming and said OK OK, but by night time I do not want to go out, a dozen phone calls kept coming but I do not answer, (they) started to leave messages that are all scolding! "

He “cheekily” laughed (but shows no remorse), "In one aspect is a bit ‘cheap’ bah! Sometimes I feel that I am very ‘cheap’, you promised someone something, but just because the mood comes and do not feel like going out, when the phone call comes, I actually feel very afraid, afraid to answer the phone ... "


At 19 years old, Zhou Yumin acted in "Meteor Garden" and formed part of F4, life from then on is flying on high clouds


Part 5


The worst times have passed


Zhou Yumin who is famous for being “closed up”, the longest time is one month staying at home without going out at all. In this afternoon’s close proximity, there is a strong sunlight, Zhou Yumin unexpectedly seems like he rarely sees the sun with his eyes narrowed, even when I praised him on his film "Love you 10 thousand years" that it is very funny, he can still be expressionless!


I could not help but care about the current situation of Zhou Yumin’s depression ....


Consequently, he joked and bitterly advised other people : "When sick should go see a doctor, if sick then do not delay!" Also said that he will regularly fix a time to see and report to the doctor.


"I have never not acknowledged it (depression)! When I was the most ill, all the media know about it, I want to say that if everyone have already seen it (known about it), there is nothing to hide/ disguise (laughs heartily). Just acknowledge it generously/ magnanimously, better than being stifled, and go see the doctor every month saying: 『It is very suffering trying to stifle it!』 Such kind of thing, I do not want to do it anymore! The worst time is a few years ago, at that time do not how to treasure myself, the more you are good to me, the more I think you are being nice to me because I am sick, this type of illness, at the beginning really makes one thinks a lot, a lot .... "


"Because of my parents’ divorce, it caused a shadow in my heart from the time of middle school. Before I was a very lively person, will act like a spoiled child at home, the most pampered. This particular thing makes me walk with my head down, I do not dare to look at people's eyes, I must reach the school before 6:30am, be the first person who opened the door, as long as I wake up past 6:30am, I will not go to class that day. I do not deliberately skip class, but just that when there are many people, there is nothing I can do about it (I just cannot help it).... "



When he is a little kid, Zhou Yumin has very big eyes and is very cute, his grandmother gave him the pet name of "Zai Zai"



Part 6

In the heart of downtown, self- imprisonment


Fortunately, when his “closing up” has reached the bottom of the sea, there are friends who remembers him and rescued him ashore!


"When I close myself up at home, I will watch TV, communicate with friends using MSN, if they are my friends they will know that it is not easy to find me! If I want to be alone, I will not answer the phone. Previously I rented a place at Taipei’s Xinyi Road and South Fuxing intersection, the best feature of this place, but I did not go out for a month. My friends could not stand it anymore and took me out, I sat inside the car, everything is very special, I began to appreciate the people walking on the streets , the moving cars, I suddenly felt like I came out from the jungle of Mount Tai, have never seen the fast-paced world, I opened my eyes wide, looking at the neon signs, because I did not see it for a month .... "


Vowing to become a good actor, Zhou Yumin, the depression and “closing up” is drilled deep down, at this moment, do not need to act! Just with talking, his whole body is full of drama!



Has never been not popular before, but because he was not able to judge the sincerity level of people, began to withdraw more from people, leading to depression and closing up




Zhou Yumin stressed: "I can only control how I want to lead my life in the entertainment industry, at least I do not steal or rob or tread (on others), this is the most important way of how I handle things!" His black face and stubbornness, is often projected into his work of almost obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) type of stubbornness.


Black face Zaizai


Everyone wants to work in a harmonious and happy atmosphere, but Zhou Yumin who has been in the business for 10 years has a different experience/ realization.


"When people are happily laughing, the work will be halved, we spent two days and only accomplish the work of 1 day. One day I deliberately pulled a sullen face to see the effect, because that will make everyone uptight, and I found that this one scene which was originally planned for 3 hours to shoot, when I showed a black face, it took 1.5 hours, then why should I not do it? There was one day I saw that the forecasted time to end is 3:00am, I told the Chief Executive and bet that today we will not film so late, because as soon as I show a black face, it will be OK! In the end, the results is by 1:30am we call it a day.“


This kind of black face asset is really not possessed by everyone!




Zhou Yumin holding the "Next Magazine" Entertainment Awards trophy on each hand, the smile on his face cannot be contained.



Playing “closing up”, Zhou Yumin


Nickname: Zai Zai

Birthday: June 9, 1981

Education: Hsing Wu College Division Advanced Studies (sytwo : not sure of this translation)

Experience: In 2001, accompany a friend for audition, was discovered by Angie Chai, acted in idol drama "Meteor Garden", and then formed the idol group F4 with the other three main characters in the drama, through "Black & White” was nominated in Golden Bell Award 2009 for best actor. Was in a love relationship with DaS for 2 years, broke up the previous year.

Works : drama "Meteor Garden" ,"Mars," "Sweet Relationship", "Black & White", etc.; album "F4 Meteor Rain", etc.; film "Love you 10 thousand years."

= END =