Li Nanxing, a household name in Singapore, has been active in dramas and movies for more than two decades. Regarded as the 'big brother' by his fellow actors, Li gained fame with his lead role in Singapore's first ever gambling-themed television series "The Unbeatables" back in 1993. Since then, the actor never looked back, but continues to further his illustrious career with unforgettable performances in "The Unbeatables II", "The New Adventures Of Wisely", "The Vagrant" and so on. The 48-year-old had also become one of the few stars who were consistently voted as the "Top 10 Most Popular Artistes" in the prestigious Star Awards. In 2011, the actor made his directorial debut with "The Ultimate Winner" and in 2012; he put together rising young acting talents with veteran actors to present a new gangster film called "Imperfect". Cinema Online was able to have a chit-chat with Li about "Imperfect", what he thinks of the new generation of actors and his life's philosophy. Cinema Online's interview with Li Nanxing was conducted on 15 October at Red Box Plus, Pavilion KL. Q: Hi, Nanxing. What inspired you to produce "Imperfect"? Li: Hi, Cinema Online. Well, the idea of the story was inspired by a Singaporean drama series called "On The Fringe 2011". The drama portrays the issues of teenage delinquency and gangsterism. We received great feedback from television viewers, so from there I thought, "Why don't we make a movie with a similar story?" No doubt that this kind of story has been presented over and over again, but I think the storyline in "Imperfect" is so close to reality. Everything that happens has been coined in the headlines by the media. We want teenagers and their parents to take a deeper look on the issue of gangsterism through the big screen. Q: We realize that you have a lot of young cast acting in the film. How do you rate the performances by Edwin Goh and Ian Fang? Li: Both of their characters are considered young individuals who are trying so hard to gain attention and create their own identities. In this film, we emphasize more on teenagers instead of adults because young kids are more convincing when it comes to the matter of choosing the wrong paths. I think Edwin and Ian had done unexpectedly great jobs and fulfilled our wishes despite being very young. Both actors were able to act naturally and natural acting is what we were looking for. Q: In which area do you think the young actors can improve? Li: They are still at the developmental stages in this industry. I hope they will work harder. Acting is not something you can improve on, it requires years of hard work to excel in both TV and film. Actually, they reminded me of my younger days as a freshman in acting. When I was young, I was always curious about filming and acting. So, I hope Edwin and Ian can do the same while they are developing themselves. Moreover, with the advanced technology we have today, the younger generation can obtain information easily. Q: In "Imperfect", which is the most unforgettable scene? Li: The fighting scenes under the rain. We spent two days to finish shooting those scenes. We had 50 to 60 crew members to help us complete the tough shots under the rain and thunder.
Q: Are you worried that the violent elements in your film may not be accepted by audiences? Li: No, we did not try to paint extreme violence in the story. Our action stunts are realistic even without bloody scenes and we made a great effort in toning down the violent aspects throughout the storyline by using soft and warm music scores. Q: Not only are you the producer, you also star as one of the most important characters in the film. How do you handle your duties? Li: As an actor, I just have to analyse my own character. As a producer, I need helping hands from my team, as making a movie is all teamwork. We have to brainstorm ideas with one another and discuss our work from time to time in order to produce a good quality movie. I can't do it alone. Furthermore, I needed to gather actors and actresses from various countries and travel to different locations to look for suitable places to shoot. Q: After being active in the entertainment industry for so many years, what have you learnt? Li: I learn that things change rapidly. The same goes to the entertainment industry, movies and dramas. I tell myself to keep learning new things every single day to adapt with the increasing developments in the new era. Learning is forever when it comes to acting. Q: Any last words about your new movie? Li: I hope the moviegoers can learn a valuable lesson from "Imperfect". Everyone has a past they would like to bury, but as long as you are willing to change, you can still live on the brighter side of life. I also hope that people can recognize our efforts in bridging the gap between filmmakers from Singapore with those from Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.