Hong Kong idol Keung To, named one of Asia's Most Influential individuals, on his drama Sometimes When We Touch

The Hong Kong Cantopop scene experienced a revival in recent years with the 12-member boy band Mirror leading the pack. From crowding streets and malls to catch a glimpse of them to snapping up their performance tickets, it's clear their fans have an insatiable appetite for them

Lead vocalist Keung To even made it to this year's Tatler Asia's Most Influential List, which was released on Dec 6.

According to the magazine, the 300 individuals from Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, and the Philippines were selected because they "push for positive change and have relevance in their countries and beyond borders".

Making it to the list is a huge honour for the 22-year-old, who entered showbiz only in 2018 — other Hong Kong celebrities on the list include respected showbiz veterans like Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Liza Wang, Wong Kar Wai and Donnie Yen.

AsiaOne did an interview with Keung To recently, where he talked about his role in the supernatural Taiwanese rom-com Sometimes When We Touch. In the drama, university student Stone (played by Kent Tsai) dies after trying to save his crush from drowning and meets his underworld guide Xiaolu (Eugenie Liu).

She resurrects him but both are transported to the Dream Pavilion, where they are forced to help lost souls or risk being trapped in the underworld forever. Keung To plays Yingchen, also nicknamed French Toast, a member of the university's Supernatural Society. His Mirror bandmate Anson Lo also has a supporting role in the series.

The questions and replies have been edited for clarity and brevity.

Tell us more about that scene where you fly into a rage and beat a person up.

Keung To: I have a very deep impression of that scene as well, and I actually felt like I had, in a small way, returned to the person I was before. I hadn't lost my temper at someone for a long time. [The character in that scene] is very similar to how I was when I was younger where I got angry and threw tempers often. Filming the scene helped me to relieve some emotions.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o_OiRNvEBs[/embed]

You had a scene where you used an Ouija board. Have you used one before and what do you think about ghosts?

Keung To: I came into contact with an Ouija board for the first time because of the drama, and I was scared. I didn't use to be afraid but after I had some supernatural experiences, I became more aware. Thankfully, filming went smoothly and nothing strange occurred.

[[nid:546675]]

Acting allows you to experience someone else's life for a short period. What did you get from playing French Toast?

Keung To: I don't have his profundity, to be honest. I only think it must be a pretty fortunate thing to be a foreign exchange student because there is too much delicious food in Taiwan. I think if he remains in Taiwan for a few more years, he would gain a lot of weight.

What do you want to achieve in your career?

Keung To: I hope that when I leave the industry, people wouldn't think of Keung To only as an idol has-been. In other words, I hope they would remember me as an idol who had great songs and shows that people still remember.

Sometimes When We Touch is available on Viu.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_72-vt9c7g[/embed]

kwokkarpeng@asiaone.com