Actor Ethan Juan reconciles with manager-producer after 10 years through their new movie

Prior to the making of his new movie The Pig, The Snake And The Pigeon, Taiwanese actor Ethan Juan had not spoken to its producer Lee Lieh for 10 years.

Lee, 65, was once 40-year-old Juan’s manager and also produced Monga, the 2010 gangster film that nabbed Juan the Best Actor prize at the Golden Horse Awards – Taiwan’s equivalent of the Oscars – that year.

The two were tight like mother and son.

But at the 2013 Golden Horse Awards, its 50th edition, attendee Juan headed home early.

As a result, he missed the climax of the ceremony, which saw 41 past acting winners such as Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Maggie Cheung and Brigitte Lin gather onstage with directors Ang Lee and Hou Hsiao-hsien to present the Best Feature Film award. 

Juan was shamed by the media and netizens for being rude and skipping out on the ceremony when so many of his industry seniors stayed on.

Lee was so incensed, she cut ties with him. 

A decade on, the two have finally reconciled through the action-crime thriller The Pig, The Snake And The Pigeon, which is showing in Singapore cinemas.

Juan plays assassin Chen Gui-lin, who receives a terminal cancer diagnosis and decides to atone for his sins by killing the other two fugitives ahead of him on the list of the most wanted criminals.

In a video conference call with The Straits Times, Juan says: “I knew (Lee) was mad at me. But I also knew that no matter how mad she got, we are family. And given everything we’ve been through, we won’t ever forget about each other. 

“In the past decade, I didn’t forget what I should do and feel as an actor. I held out hope that I would be able to meet her again and return to our family as someone who is, maybe not better, but more mature and grown-up.”

When asked if he offered Lee a formal apology, Juan says: “A lot of things cannot be resolved by just an apology. If I could apologise and take away what happened at the 50th Golden Horse Awards, that would be too simple. 

“I feel like I can’t apologise. I can only use my time and actions to show that I care about what happened and it is something important to me. I’ve said it before: I’ll try to live for a long time, so I’ll be onstage for the 100th year of the awards even if I have to use a walking stick or a wheelchair.”

Juan does not have to wait till he is 80 to attend the awards again.

The Pig, The Snake And The Pigeon has been nominated for seven awards at the upcoming ceremony on Nov 25, including a nod for Juan in the Best Actor category. 

Much like how Gui-lin wants to go out in a blaze of glory by taking down two other big bads with him, Juan says he relates to the feeling of craving a big accomplishment.

“I used to feel that way when I was fresh in the industry. This idea of wanting to do something big, to be remembered,” he says. “But over time, I am letting myself be smaller, because what made me feel pain was me. Because I put myself at the forefront and saw myself as so important, I felt pain and caused pain to others.”

To prepare for the role – which involves long, gruelling street chases and fight-to-the-death sequences – Juan and his co-stars like Hong Kong’s Ben Yuen and Taiwan’s Li Li-jen trained for two months with the movie’s action instructor.

Yuen plays the most-wanted fugitive Gui-lin is hunting for while Li is the policeman hot on his heels.

Juan jokes: “Every time I see him, I know I’m about to run for my life. He’s also such an adorable guy. I like him a lot. His words often don’t match up with his actions. He’ll be talking about how old he is even as he warms up and gets ready to chase me.”

While he has put in a lot for his role as Gui-lin, Juan does not feel “that sense of competition” when it comes to the upcoming Golden Horse Awards as it “isn’t a sporting event where whoever is fastest wins”.

“I’d be lying if I said I’m not nervous, especially as the date nears. But I’m trying to suppress the nerves and excitement because it’s not helpful to me. I want a steady, peaceful state of being.”

• The Pig, The Snake And The Pigeon is showing in cinemas.