A Taiwanese drama titled “Forget Me Remember” which quickly rose to the top spot on Netflix upon its release consists of 8 episodes. The series is directed by Sylvia Chang and stars Ivy Shao, Hans Chung, Wang Bo-Chieh, Vic Chou, Liu Pin-yan, Zhou Tsai-shih, and Chen Yi-wen. Sylvia Chang and producer Lee Yau-wah recently admitted in an interview with Hit Fm that the role played by Hans Chung was the most challenging to cast. They mentioned that the character’s role as a father is significant but they also didn’t want the character to be too heavy, causing them much deliberation.
Sylvia Chang, who has been nominated for Golden Horse Awards in directing, acting, and singing categories, ventured into directing with “Forget Me Remember”. When asked about her experience as a drama director, she expressed that the different work dynamics were both enjoyable and exciting for her, allowing her to learn from various positions and perspectives. Despite knowing the stark differences between making movies and TV series, initially thinking that filming an 8-episode series is like making 8 films, she emphasized later on that it was more like making 160 films due to the show’s substantial content.
“Forget Me Remember” stars Ivy Shao, a Golden Bell and Golden Horse Award-winning actress, and Hans Chung, a Golden Horse Award-winning actor who returned to the small screen after many years, with Vic Chou making a guest appearance. The host of the show remarked that not only is the directorial and production team impressive, but the cast is also top-notch. Regarding the issue of salaries, Sylvia Chang stated that from an actor’s perspective, a good team and a good story naturally attract good actors, emphasizing that the salary is not the main focus but rather the quality of the content and the characters which would pique the interest of actors to participate in the project.
In the casting process, Sylvia Chang revealed that the role of the father was the most challenging to fill because of the character’s weighty role, and the balance between not making the character too heavy was a cause for much concern. One day, she received a message from Lee Yau-wah asking, “How do you think Hans Chung would do as the father?” At the time, she only thought, “Is Hans Chung willing to take on this role?” but Lee Yau-wah said, “You won’t know unless you ask if he’s willing.”
Sylvia Chang mentioned that at 79 years old, Hans Chung initially worried about whether he could handle the demanding role and only accepted it after some deliberation. She further revealed that during filming, Hans Chung had better physical strength and remembered his lines more solidly than her. She praised his professionalism, efficiency, and noted that his performance made the editing process very smooth. Lee Yau-wah also praised him, saying, “Professional actors are truly amazing. Hans Chung’s performance and depth are remarkably outstanding.”