Hong Kong star Nicholas Tse recently held a concert at the Chongqing Olympic Sports Center in China, where an unexpected “double Tse” scene was witnessed. A man who closely resembled Nicholas Tse appeared in the crowd, causing a frenzy among fans who surrounded him to take photos. As the on-site security tried to maintain order, they shouted, “He’s fake, disperse!”
Videos captured by fans at the scene showed a man who not only looked and styled his hair like Nicholas Tse but also mimicked his gestures and movements, attracting followers and photographers. Chants of “Nicholas Tse” could be heard from the crowd. The man was eventually cornered until security clarified that he was an impersonator.
Some fans joked, “What kind of Tse is this?” “He does look quite similar in the video, it’s too dramatic.” “Nicholas Tse’s doppelgänger in Chongqing.”
Nicholas Tse has been collaborating with Zhejiang TV in China on the cooking show “12 Senses of Tse” in recent years. Following the release of the late Hong Kong director Johnnie To’s final film “Shock Wave 2” in August 2021, some netizens humorously urged Nicholas Tse to focus more on acting and less on cooking, encouraging him to delight audiences with more films.
Consequently, Nicholas Tse took on the role of action director for the first time last year and starred in the action film “Customs Frontline.” In the movie, he had numerous action scenes. During interviews, he revealed that during filming, he often practiced with a butterfly knife while eating with one hand to save time, even practicing in the bathroom. He described his dedication to the film as a “gamble with his life.”
However, starting last year, several high-budget Hong Kong action films with A-list actors flopped at the box office in mainland China.
Firstly, “Golden Finger,” which starred Andy Lau and Tony Leung, had an investment of up to 350 million Hong Kong dollars but only made 574 million at the box office. Even with earnings from other Chinese-speaking regions, the film was still a loss. Additionally, the movie “Don’t Call Me “God of Gamblers”,” starring Chow Yun-fat, only grossed 40.78 million at the box office. Jackie Chan’s fantasy action film “Legend,” with an investment of 50 million dollars from Bona Film, only earned 79.9 million yuan, becoming the “worst box office disaster” of the mainland summer season.
The final disappointment came last year with the highly anticipated “Customs Frontline” during the mainland summer season. With an investment of 200 million yuan and starring Nicholas Tse and Jackie Cheung, the film only made 129 million yuan, dealing a heavy blow to the production.
The lackluster performance of Hong Kong action and crime films at the box office in mainland China has left many mainland investors frustrated. Some films that had entered pre-production were abruptly halted last year, including Nicholas Tse’s directed “New Police Story 2” and “Infinite Mission,” co-starring with William Chan, with no updates since then.
Nicholas Tse, 45, last held a concert in 2005. Now, after 20 years have passed and with the significant decline of the Chinese economy and the continuous failures of Hong Kong films in the mainland market, earlier this year, Tse announced on social media that he would be hosting a concert in 2025. Following his concert in April in Hong Kong, Nicholas Tse subsequently embarked on a tour in several Chinese cities, including Chongqing.