Taiwanese actor nabs first sci-fi role in HBO series

In “Dream Raider,” from left: Wang, Vivian Hsu and Jason Wang

HONG KONG—Taiwanese actor David Wang, who was cast in HBO Asia’s upcoming original science fiction series “Dream Raider,” considers “Star Wars” his favorite fantasy-scifi space opera. The blockbuster films were so influential to him that, if he were given the chance, he would’ve played “any of them,” he recently told the Inquirer in an interview at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Wang is a film, TV and stage actor. His prior credits include the World War II drama series “Graduation Song” in 2015 and the action film “Project Gutenberg,” with Chow Yun-Fat, last year.

At the press conference, the actor joked that his costar in “Dream Raider,” Vivian Hsu, has been a singer-actress—one he idolized—since he was “still a boy” in the early ’90s. Wang and Hsu are both 44.

“Dream Raider,” which will be released across the region via HBO’s different channels, is about a group of cops and scientists investigating a conspiracy that involves the exploitation of people’s minds.

Wang plays the genius scientist Mo Qi-Feng, described as someone with a “single-minded focus,” which is potentially dangerous.

Excerpts from the Inquirer’s interview with Wang:

How did you land the role? Did you have to audition for it? I was told about this project last year, at wintertime. I was shooting another series … and [the producer and director] told me about the story. I was very flattered because I’ve never played a science fiction [role] before.

I love the character because there are so many layers; he’s doing all the bad things, but eventually, he’s doing everything just for love—to save the one he loves.

So, its quite touching. I love the script. After three months, the [final] version was done. We just finished shooting
this year.

You joked earlier that Vivian was your celebrity idol. How did you find working with her? Yeah (laughs). Yes, that’s true. I asked them about the cast when I joined the team. But at that time, they hadn’t decided yet. I started to worry because you start to imagine how your [costar] would act. The interactions will affect the final result of the drama. They also asked my opinion [on] which actress I would recommend. I said, “I don’t know. That’s not my job. I act. I don’t know who I should work with.”

But finally, they said, “We found Vivian.” I said, “Really? Wow. That’s something.” She’s a goddess. It’s quite an amazing and surprising experience.

What does this science fiction story say about future possibilities, and how is it relevant? If you go online every day, it would be easier for you to accept that we can come back to each other when you hook online through some instrument or technology that [my character Mo Qi-Feng] can connect your mind [with]. There’s a group of 30 or 40 people here [at the event] and I can connect them, [for example]. That’s also the idea of being online.

David Wang

I think there are several concepts in this miniseries that are easy for the audience to accept because there are technologies we use every day that just have to be upgraded in the future. Everything’s possible.

Speaking of technology, how do you feel about this project’s reach and the way viewers consume content these days? Wow, that’s huge. I think, first of all, people will consume more content on the moving device. That’s the future. Who can control the content will be the “king.” So, we have to use more effective methods to produce more meaningful [material] and more different “sizes”—there are two-hour films, 45-minute episodes, two-minute shorts, all kinds of content to satisfy all kinds of people. We’ve got different platforms.

Does that offer you more opportunities now as an actor? Yes. That means that there’s more stuff that we can do, lots of things we can try. The future is bright. But … not every project pays!