On December 5, Haoran attended a Tom Ford Beauty event in Shanghai, which was his first event for the brand since being named a brand ambassador for the Cosmetics line earlier this year.
The event was open to media only, one of which was VogueMe, who conducted interviews and had all the celeb attendees fill out a fun worksheet.
This is a pretty short interview, but quite fun, as Haoran talks more about Detective Chinatown 3, castmate Masami Nagasawa, his recommended itinerary for a Tokyo visit, why he cut his hair, and more.
For those who are curious what he’s been up to, he’s currently on break, which really just means (according to himself) he’s not filming – it doesn’t mean he hasn’t been working behind the scenes.
He’s been spotted attending classes at CAD, at photoshoots, and was recently seen at a meeting and dinner with directors Guo Fan and Lu Yang, and others (wouldn’t read too much into it – they’re both close friends with Chen Sicheng).
When asked what are his next work plans, he’s said that Detective Chinatown 3 road shows will be starting up soon. As for what his next project is, his lips have been tightly sealed, so we’ll just have to be patient and see!
Vogue Me Interview
(Original published 12.11.19)
Q: What’s the Tom Ford Cosmetics product that has left the deepest impression on you?
LHR: Lipstick, because every time I work and film, I will receive a lot of lipstick products. It has really allowed me to gain more awareness all the different lipstick colors options.
Q: If you were to choose a single eyeshadow for your mom from the Tom Ford Extreme collection, what color would you choose?
LHR: Probably the #5, it’s more suitable for my mom, because the other ones are too bling bling.
Q: Please use a four-word phrase to describe how good Detective Chinatown 3 is.
LHR: Unexpected, but reasonable. Star-studded. (T/N: In Chinese, these are all four word phrases)
Q: Do you have any fun stories from working with the Japanese actors on Detective Chinatown 3?
A: I’ve worked with Japanese actors before on a project (Legend of the Demon Cat). Firstly, I think Japanese actors are very professional and very polite. After getting to know them more, I discovered that they also have a dry sense of humor.
Q: Did you rely on translators to communicate?
LHR: In the beginning, we all used English to communicate, with hand gestures. But afterwards they learned some Chinese, and we learned some Japanese. But we still primarily used English.
Q: Did you have any scenes with Masami Nagasawa? How did it feel to work with her?
LHR: Yes, but not any scenes with just the two of us. I just noticed she’s beautiful (laughs).
Q: Have you watched her projects before?
LHR: Yes. My favorite projects of hers is still Nada Soso with Satoshi Tsumabuki. When we were on set, the Japanese actors would also talk about what they’ve worked together on before.
When the Japanese cast was announced, everyone probably felt very surprised, because it’s difficult to see so many great Japanese actors gathered together even in a Japanese film.
Q: For those who are visiting Tokyo for the first time, what’s your suggested itinerary?
LHR: If you’re going to Tokyo for the first time, then following the typical itinerary is most suitable. For example, if you’re like me and like anime, then you need to go to Akihabara. You can also visit Mount Fuji, and then head to Ginza and Omotesandō to do some shopping.
If you want to do something different, I recommend the Fuji-Q Highland amusement park. They have a 50 minute haunted house, I’ve been there four times. One time, I took my staff, and got them on the roller coasters. If you go, make sure you go in the early morning, so you don’t have to wait in mind.
If you have kids, Disneyland is good. Actually, I don’t really recommend Ginza for shopping, because there’s too many people there. The stores are similar to the one in Beijing’s SKP. Omotesandō is easier to walk around, and has a lot of small stores. You can find good food almost anywhere.
Q: Is it difficult for you to hold in your laughter while filming a comedy?
LHR: It’s pretty difficult. It’s not that we’re always laughing, but if you’ve broken out into laughter a couple times in one scene, it’s hard to stop. If everyone “gets” a (laughing) point, and you happen to meet each other’s gaze, then it’s almost impossible to finish the scene, you’ll just keep laughing.
Q: Who was the actor that you had the most difficulty in refraining from laughing in shared scenes?
LHR: In Detective Chinatown 1, it was Xiao Shenyang ge. In Detective Chinatown 3, it was mostly Baoqiang ge. Because a large number of the actors were from other countries, they might have different senses of humor, but Baoqiang ge’s and mine are more straight forward.
Q: If you were to add a love line for Qin Feng, what type do you think would suit him the best?
LHR: Like Masami Nagasawa. Before Detective Chinatown 3 started filming, director Sicheng asked me, “Haoran, do you have any Japanese actors you really like?” Her name was on the list that I gave him, and I didn’t think he’d actually be able to bring her onboard.
Of course, after we started filming, I discovered she and Qin Feng didn’t really have any interaction (laughs).
Q: Why did you cut your hair recently?
LHR: I cut it in Xiamen. Because after that event (Golden Rooster Awards), I didn’t have any filming projects scheduled, so I said, let’s cut my hair, and we did it.
Q: Why have you been quietly attending many film premieres lately?
LHR: Because a lot of the movies that I have wanted to see have all been making their premieres around the same time. And it just so happens I don’t have a lot going on right now. Plus, it’s free, the seats are great, the environment is good.
I also really enjoy reading film reviews. At premiere screenings, there will be some senior actors, and you can directly hear the conversation between the actors and director. It’s a great opportunity to learn.
Q: Do you have any travel plans in the near feature?
LHR: Most of my travel plans are completed through work. So it depends on where magazines and advertisements take me next. I’ve already been to many of the places I’ve wanted to visit. I do want to visit Tibet.
(VogueMe also had the celeb attendees fill out a worksheet – Haoran gets mischievous with his!)
