From being scouted on the streets of Mong Kok at age 16 to now, the 23-year-old Yoyo Tse has come very far. The recipient of a Hong Kong Film Award, Taiwan’s Golden Horse Award, and Hong Kong Film Directors’ Guild Award for Best New Actress, she has quickly become one of our leading rising actresses.
Talking about how acting has helped her find and better understand herself, she says, “I realised that I possessed layers and layers of emotions, and it was as though I was seeing a version of myself from an alternate dimension.” Jokingly identifying herself as an expert people-watcher, she shared her experience in learning to become more observant of others, thinking more deeply about what motivates their actions to come to a deeper understanding of the human condition.
Upon initially entering the industry, she was most excited by walking onto a film set for the first time. “Seeing the racks of costumes, the rows of make-up chairs, it was as though I had stepped into an alternate universe, where all my greatest fantasies had come to life!”
The audience’s feedback has also strengthened her belief in acting as her vocation. In particular, she remembered viewers thanking her for bringing her character to life after the premiere of Fly Me to the Moon (2023), and telling her that it made them feel less alone. “The most wonderful thing about acting,” she explains, “is the ability to resonate with the audience, and even have a profound effect on their lives.”
Dress, Sportmax. Earring and shoes, all Marc Jacobs.
Recently, she starred in the television series Where is My Fifteen Minutes, where she experienced the audacity of this generation’s new wave of actors. “They often freestyle, improvising lines that aren’t in the script. I found that very interesting; it showed me that different interpretations can explore different perspectives.” When asked what her goals were at this moment, she replied, “I want to become a clear, “transparent” actress—the kind of actress that can bring any character to life with utmost realism and depth, as though the character wasn’t just a performance, but was a person that actually existed in reality.”
What does acting mean to you?
I think acting is a process of self-discovery. Every time I receive a script and am faced with a new character, I have to engage in dialogue with this character. In everyday life, I don’t tend to really ask myself what I should do, or how I am feeling deep down. However, when I was filming Fly Me to the Moon, I found myself thinking, “If I was an older sister, with an absentee father with a drug addiction, and my younger sister was really worried about our situation, how would I handle it?” I was surprised to find that when I feel unhappy, I don’t break down into tears, but instead feel an indescribable sense of detachment. I realised that I possessed layers and layers of emotions, and it was as though I was seeing a version of myself from an alternate dimension. Each character teaches me something and reflects something about myself back to me.
When receiving and reading a script for the first time, what do you look for and value the most?
What’s most important to me is how the script makes me feel. That initial sensation is always my most honest reaction to what I’m reading. Whenever things get confusing, I turn to that emotional side within myself, and I can really strongly feel the effect of the words and the scene playing out before me.
What’s been the biggest change since becoming an actress?
I have developed a new habit of subconsciously observing the people around me, like some kind of expert people-watcher. In the past, whenever I was walking around, I would be scrolling Instagram or watching YouTube on my phone and wouldn’t really pay attention to the people around me. Nowadays, even when I’m on the bus, I am much more attentive, observing the other passengers and what they’re doing.
For example, I had never noticed that some of my friends have certain habits of staring at or twirling their mugs. I’ve learned to recognise that each person has their distinctive body language, and this helps me switch from one character to another. The old me would just let things pass me by, whereas now, I give much more thought to why people behave the way that they do, and this has made me better appreciate life in general.
As someone who is relatively new to the industry, which part of the filming process has been the most exciting for you?
I think the most exciting part has been walking into the film set. After receiving the script, you form your own ideas for how everything might play out, but when you actually walk onto the set and see the racks of costumes and the rows of make-up chairs, it’s like stepping into an alternate universe where all your greatest fantasies have come to life. On set, a lot of spontaneous creative sparks occur. I remember I was filming a heavy scene once where the dialogue was quite intense, when suddenly there was a clap of thunder outside, as though the heavens knew what we were doing. The director even said that the thunder had come at the perfect time and we should keep it in the scene, so that was really cool. You never know what’s going to happen on the spot when filming, so that makes the whole process truly exciting.
Dress, Sportmax. Earring and shoes, all Marc Jacobs.
Do you think you’ve grown accustomed to being an actress now?
I really love acting because it enables you to experience so much in a short period of time. Usually, I don’t find myself in these situations, but when I’m playing a character, I come to really understand other people better, too, which is so rewarding. In the past, I would wonder why certain people might behave poorly and think that they must be bad people for behaving in that way. Now, however, I understand that they might have simply gone through difficult experiences. Not everyone starts out as a bad person; sometimes they just need someone to extend a helping hand and pull them out of that moment. This realisation has really deepened my appreciation for the complexity of human nature.
What was your experience like when filming Where is My Fifteen Minutes?
The synergy required for filming a movie and a television series is really different. When filming for a TV show, we spend more time on set and can establish deeper connections with the rest of the cast. With film, you usually have to build that chemistry with your co-stars during initial interactions. For example, with Fly Me to the Moon, Sasha (Director Sasha Chuk) suggested that I share a meal with my on-screen father and sister before we started filming, and we even played some ice-breaker games. These interactions really helped us get to know each other a bit better beforehand.
My previous characters were more reserved, whereas my character [for Where is my Fifteen Minutes] had much more dialogue. At first, I was really determined to memorise everything exactly, even down to the punctuation marks for pauses, but then I realised that learning the main content and expressing it well was enough. On set, Kaki Sham and the rest of the cast would tell me to have fun with it, and this kind of environment helped me relax.
Have you noticed anything special about this current generation of creatives?
I think they are really bold and have the courage to try new things. When filming Where is my Fifteen Minutes, Kaki Sham would freestyle a lot, improvising lines that weren’t in the script and then waiting to see how I would respond. I found that very interesting; it showed me that different interpretations can explore different perspectives. When filming for a movie, there’s a lot less freestyling since films tend to follow more of a structure, whereas with this show being centred around YouTubers, we were able to be more spontaneous and even play games on set. For instance, someone would suddenly say “Dem Beat” and call on Chung Suet Ying to improvise a few lines, and just like that we’d be rapping.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
My previous roles were all quite intense, so the biggest challenge was stepping out of those characters. This was especially the case when filming The Dropout of Her (2019). I was only 16-years-old at the time, and I was playing the role of a socially isolated high schooler. In the finale, her friend commits suicide, and she decides to drop out of school. During that period, I felt quite depressed. I remember being on the MTR one day, looking out the window, and I couldn’t stop crying thinking about my character and what she was been through. After the movie came out, a viewer thanked me for bringing the character to life, and told me that it made them feel less alone. This made me realise how powerful acting can be. The most wonderful thing about acting is the ability to resonate with the audience, and even have a profound effect on their lives.
How did you end up coming out of this character?
I hold a mini farewell ceremony for each of my characters. After Fly Me to the Moon, I imagined my character sitting across from me, giving her a hug and saying “Thank you, goodbye”. This kind of farewell ritual is really important to me. I don’t think you need to abandon the character entirely once it’s done, you just need to say a proper goodbye. All the experiences and feelings the character brought me will stay in my heart, allowing me to carry a part of her with me. I think this process is great.
When people think of Yoyo Tse, what kind of actress do you hope that they’ll see?
I want to become a clear, “transparent” actress—kind of actress that can bring any character to life with utmost realism and depth, as though the character wasn’t just a performance, but was a person that actually existed in reality.
Is there any specific genre or archetype that you’d like to try?
If given the opportunity, I’d love to try playing the role of a special agent or spy. This kind of role would be really cool, and there are so many ways to play it that it would be a fun challenge. I want to experience that kind of extreme life or death situation—this type of character would definitely be a lot of fun to play!
Translated by Audrey Miu
Photography: Deon Wong
Styling: Cherry Mui
Makeup Artist: Vanessa Wong
Hair Stylist: Keith Wo
Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist for Nancy Kwai: Jenny Shih & Jamie Lee
Fashion Assistants: Mama Yiu, Natasha Yao & Talia Tom
Editor
Ning Sang Lawati
