Reaching For The Stars

24 February 2011,

Henley Hii Bei Voon left his home in Sabah to reach for the stars in Kuala Lumpur, chasing his dreams to join the entertainment industry. In the early 2007, his charming personality and unique voice won him many votes and supporters and he emerged first place in the 2nd grand champion of “Project Super Star” Malaysia 2007 and therefore successfully opening the door to achieving his dreams.
Henley continued to strive in the industry, all through out working hard and self-improving, he slowly began to receive recognition for his talented traits. But the industry constantly required him to travel around a lot to build on his own brand and meet the fans, so then creative home met up with him to ask him what does a home really means to him.

从东马沙巴离乡背井到吉隆坡追逐梦想的Henley许亮宇（原名许俾文），2007年初凭着独特的舞台魅力获得不少支持者的投选，成为马来西亚第二届《绝对Superstar》的总冠军，也因此成功打开了他的梦想之门。数年来，他一步一步地朝自己的梦想前进，并凭着努力与不断自我突破，终于获受广大观众的肯定。然而，艺人常常需要到处奔波，家对他来说又有着什么意义呢？Creative Home 将带你一一解开Henley私底下不为人知的一面。

About his work.
After Henley’s EP promo tours, he immediately participated in two local dramas as the leading role; ‘Goodnight DJ’ and 8TV’s Anniversary blockbuster drama ‘A Time to Embrace’. He then proceeded to sing three songs for the drama’s soundtrack and spend some time promoting the album. “Right now I am just relaxing for a little while, and have just started on composing some new tracks for my next album,” explained Henley.

About his acting vs. his singing.
Asking Henley to choose between acting and singing was almost impossible to answer before taking a long thoughtful pause. “It’s really very hard to just pick one! I have been singing ever since I was young, and I love acting ever since I venture into my acting career. But I have been listening to music from as young as I can remember, and I would love to continue composing songs as an outlet to tell my fans what I At the same time, his interest and passion in acting is undeniable. Henley’s dedication allows him to work easily with a crew, and although acting may drain almost his entire energy, he’s always saddened at the end of the series when he has to part and bid farewell to the team he has grown so fond of.

About his inspiration.
His inspiration mostly derives from his experiences in life. “Being a Pieces, it usually takes me forever to fall asleep at night, if it comes at all. But what happens instead is that I will somehow get a stream of ideas at night. When I listen to the sounds from a guitar, drums, piano or any other musical instrument, a solid tune will start to form so I’ll record it with my hand phone because if I wait until morning, I will surely forget it!” says Henley with a laugh.

A look into his mind.
Henley was sent to Taiwan in late 2008 to act in a Taiwan idol drama Roseate Love and stayed in a tall yet small house during his duration there. “I would sit downstairs in a small comfortable chair while watching television and strum away at my guitar. It was very relaxing,” said Henley. Now most of the time he finds solace and inspiration on his bed in his bedroom, especially before sleep.

About his favorite things to do.
Young Henley loved to exercise and get involved in sports. When he was only 11 years old, Henley climbed up Mount Kinabalu with his father, “I even have pictures to prove how we conquered the mountain!” he exclaimed. But now being in the concrete jungle and the chaos that comes with it, Henley doesn’t have the privilege indulge in such outdoor activities anymore, instead he hits the gym. “I love sports, so I’m glad there are plenty of fitness equipments for me to buy!”
Going back home to Sabah and to spend time with his mother is another favorite thing that Henley likes to do. Mother and son would sit by the fountain and chit-chat whilst enjoying the fresh air. And his big brother mode would turn on when he spends time with his nieces and nephews.
“Because there is no television at home, I would bring some movies with me and host a small party with my family or group of friends as we watch the flick on my laptop,” chuckles Henley, sharing with us just how important family and friends are to him.

About his singing in the bathroom.
*laughs* “Yes I do sing in the bathroom, you know I think everybody does that. But nowadays I don’t sing at the top my lungs so much, just in case my housemates start to kick up a fuss, so I’ll usually be in my room, crooning away.”

About his dream home.
“A friend of mine has got this really awesome concept in his house. Upon walking into his house, the flooring tiles are transparent so we could all view the fishes in a pond that was specially built to run underneath the house! Imagine that, fishes swimming just beneath your feet,” marveled Henley, who then expressed his fancy for a good piece of sofa, neither too large nor too small. “The sofa is very important because I want to be comfortable in the living room when I’m playing my guitar or composing songs. But definitely not leather though, it’s a bit uncomfortable to lie down on.
And ambiance is important too, so there has to be lighting to influence the moods.”
Being the family guy, Henley also aims to have a flat screen television so that he and his family and lounge and watch movies. And to cater to his other passions, there should be enough room for his fitness equipment and piano that is currently standing stagnant in his Sabah home. Although it may be ambitious, but Henley also would like to create an artificial waterfalls in his dream home, to reminisce the time spent between mother and son.

About his dream bedroom.
People generally like the nicer things in life and Henley is no different. “First things first, a nice large comfortable bed. Then a walk-in-wardrobe where I can store all of my clothes neatly… this isn’t too much to ask right?” laughs Henley, who enjoys quiet contemplation most in the bath hence a bathroom decked out with a big bathtub is also on his list. “
When Henley was in Shanghai for business previously, he could enjoy sitting in the bubble filled bathtub despite the ice cold weather!” piped in his manager. And after that luxurious soak in the tub, there’s nothing better than walking into a bedroom that has a balcony that looks out into lush greenery and fresh air softly billowing into the room.

About his dream kitchen and dining.
Despite a busy schedule, Henley does in fact, like to cook! Amongst some of his dishes are minced tofu and smoked meat pasta which his friends love. “Yes I do cook, so my kitchen should be simple and practical. But the dining table should be big to accommodate all my guests! The more the merrier! But for some reason, I’m not fond of round tables,” shrugged Henley.

About Henley’s emotions.
His idea of a home is a place for Henley to relax and unwind from a long day at work. A place where his creativity flows out easily. He has already began to look for his own apartment, and anticipates the moment he finds the perfect unit so that he can welcome his family to come and stay with him over the holidays. Indeed Henley misses his family a lot, and has even requested for an extended leave over Chinese New Year! “I think 13 days is fine considering since I haven’t been home in a very long time! Just thinking about my mother’s delicious home cooked food, hitting some nature activities with my father and to play with my sister’s adorable children is making me very homesick.

About love and ambitions.
Valentine’s Day will not be extra special for Henley, instead he foresees getting together with a group of his other single friends after work and chill out with a couple of movies. But 2011 will be filled of hope and aspirations. “Whether it is music or acting, I hope to work harder and succeed in the fields,”

To Creative Home readers.
“Wishing everyone a very happy new year, I do hope things will go smoothly for all of you in the year of the Rabbit – and most importantly, wishing all of you good health to come.”

个人篇
Henley的近况
自《声空感应2》宣传结束后，Henley便开始投入8TV八度空间电视台7周年台庆重头剧《追影.筑梦》的演出。近期，他忙于为《追影.筑梦》与其戏剧原声带做宣传。不仅担正剧中男主角，他更参与演唱其戏剧的主题曲《光影》、插曲《我们都一样》与片尾曲《筑梦》。他说：“我目前较处于休息阶段，并开始收集一些新歌曲，以筹备下一张个人专辑。”

唱歌VS演戏
在两者之间选一还真难倒了Henley，热爱演艺事业的他无论对唱歌或演戏都有着无法割舍情感。他说：“唱歌对我来说是天生的兴趣，而对演戏的喜爱则是在后来的演出机会中培养出来。”他从小就接受了音乐的熏陶，也时常透过创作表达内心感觉，早已把音乐当成生活的一部分了。
爱表演的他也对戏剧有着浓厚的兴趣，并非常享受与一大班人一起合作与工作的日子，即使拍戏相对来得会比较疲惫，他也不亦乐乎。“每一次演完一部剧时，心理难免会对剧组的分离而有一些失落感。”

私密篇
Henley平时最喜欢的活动
喜欢运动的Henley，从小就常常与爸爸一起爬山，11岁的他就征服了那座很多人都不敢恭维的哥打京那巴鲁山。他强调：“我可有照片为证的呢！”然而，因为吉隆坡都是高楼大厦，加上繁忙的都市工作，让他没有机会参与类似活动。在吉隆坡的唯一运动就是健身了，“我很喜欢运动，所以也在这里购买了许多健身器材呢！”

Henley的家乡在东马沙巴，每次回乡他最喜欢就是与妈妈聊天了。母子俩坐在喷水池旁，一边聊天，一边享受清新空气。除此之外，犹如大男孩般的Henley也很喜欢带姐姐的小孩到处玩乐，感受那种孩子专属的单纯与快乐。他说：“因为这里的家没有电视机，所以我也会窝在家里用电脑看电影、创作、或则找来一班好友到电影院去。”

Henley的创作灵感来自于
Henley歌曲灵感的来源多是生活中所发生的事，他笑说：“灵感通常是发生在晚上躺在床上的时刻，可能双鱼座会经常失眠吧，常在夜晚昏昏入眠前一刻，灵感会汹涌而来。当我听到许多吉他声、鼓声、钢琴声等音乐出现在脑海，我便会赶快用手机录下自己哼唱的旋律，因为如果等到早上才录，我就会忘了。”
很多时候，灵感也会在他拍戏期间浮现、洗澡或驾驶的路途中忽然闪出。“其中一首摇滚歌曲《耳边风》则是我在拍《眉飞色舞》的休息空档时，有感而发的创作。”

Henley的创作天空
“在台湾拍摄《紫玫瑰》的家是属于小阁楼型，我喜欢窝在阁楼下的小小沙发上看戏与弹吉他，也喜欢在那个小小空间创作。我现在大多数的创作是在房间的床上，尤其在入眠前那一刻，哈哈！”

有没有在厕所唱歌的习惯？
他说：“当然啦，我想每个人都会在厕所哼歌的习惯吧。但现在没什么在家里练习了，因为害怕太大声而遭室友投诉，所以大多数时候都躲在房间练习。”

梦想篇
Henley的梦想家居
每个人的心中都有一个梦想，而他的梦想家园是充满“感性、创作与爱”的元素。他说：“我梦想客厅的地砖最好有一部分是透明的，并能在底下透明的地设置鱼池，养几只鱼。当客人走在我家地砖上时，就可以看到鱼儿在脚底下游来游去。”这样的概念是来自于Henley的一位好朋友，因之前在好友的家中看到如此的设计，觉得还蛮酷。

“沙发对我来说还蛮重要的，因为我喜欢在客厅的沙发上弹吉他或创作，所以要躺下去绝对要舒适。但我却不喜欢皮革沙发，因为皮革的沙发很不舒服。天花板则不要太单调，可摆设些特别的灯饰增添情调。”

有了沙发，他喜欢一家人聚在客厅里看电视或聊天的感觉，所以一个大平面电视机当然也是少不了主角。他说：“电视一定要大，那样看电视才享受嘛，而且我还可以和姐姐的小孩们一起看光碟呢！”另外，他也要留些空间摆放他的健身器材与大钢琴，“我搁置在沙巴的钢琴没人使用，很浪费耶！”。

不仅如此，他希望家里可以听见潺潺流水声，在墙壁上打造一个人造瀑布。他说：“我喜欢沙巴家中的喷水池，也常常在喷水池旁与妈妈谈天说地，母子俩联络联络感情，哈哈！”

梦想卧室
Henley说：“梦想卧房当然是少不了的超级无敌大床褥，这样才睡得舒服嘛。”我想，爱美总是人的天性吧，总是对漂亮的衣服爱不释手的Henley希望在卧室拥有私人更衣间。他说: “我希望可以拥有一个大大的衣柜，最好是步入式衣柜，会不会有点贪心呢？哈哈！”

卧房里要有个私人浴室，浴室里还要有个大浴缸，他说：“我很喜欢泡澡，出国的时候也常常在饭店里一个人静静享受泡澡。”他的经理人还说：“Henley早前在上海公干，在大家冻得快结冰的时候，他竟然还可以泡澡呢！”他说: “卧房要有个可以看见美丽视野的露台，这样醒来后就可以打开窗户呼进新鲜空气。”双鱼座的他特别强调: “卧室是要以暗色系为主，因为我比较容易失眠，暗色系会帮助入眠。”

梦想厨房与用餐区
他说：“我的厨房设计要简约与拥有基本设备，因为我有时还会下厨，而且厨艺还不赖呢！哈哈！”他的拿手好菜就是肉碎豆腐，还有香喷喷烟熏肉配意大利面，凡试过他煮的意大利面的朋友都会举手赞好。“抽油烟系统是必备的帮手，要不然厨房在煮食后，地上很快便会油渍。”
“我喜欢比较大的餐桌，桌子大比较热闹啊！爸爸、妈妈、姐姐们都可以过来吃饭。”

感性篇
对家的感觉与思念情
家对于他的感觉就是一个好好休息的地方，希望可以在工作后回到家好好放松心情与放下工作压力。他说：“我算是一个蛮爱家的人，没事做便会呆在家里休息与创作。”他目前正计划购买属于自己的公寓，他说：“我也一直都在寻找合适的单位，因为平常都很想念家人，所以希望可找到适合的房子，让家人过来度假的时候有个住所。”Henley说：“现在最想念的就是沙巴的家人，这次我还特别向公司要求在农历期间可拥有比较长的假期，哈哈！”他迫不及待地说：“太久没回家了，这次可以回去13天，除了可以吃到妈妈煮的菜，也可以回归大自然的怀抱，应该会与爸爸爬山或到海边去吹海风吧！”“还有，少不了的当然是看到姐姐的孩子们的天真面孔，然后带他们到处去玩！”

Henley的情人节与2011年最大愿望是…
他说：“那天应该不会有太特别的节目，而且那时候他应该还会沉醉在新年的气氛。但如果当天没有工作的话，可能会在家创作，再不然就找一堆单身的朋友聚一聚或看场电影。”在新的一年里，Henley最希望的当然是工作更加顺利。“无论是在唱片或戏剧都希望可以有更好的表现。如果有机会的话，他还希望拍电影或是有一些突破的尝试。”

给Creative Home读者的祝福…
Henley说：“希望大家在新的一年，一切都很顺利，有兔（too）many lucksss~还有身体健康才是最重要。”

About Novel
Novel Home Design is a one-stop centre for quality furniture and decorative item. Look out for its Diamond series collection. Inspired by the diamond’s shape and cutting, the design consist of clean lines and high gloss materials, so that the products are a perfect three dimensional rendering. In addition, its simple and elegant crystal embellishments highlight exquisiteness in the small details.

Diamond系列家具运用小篇幅钻石型的设计，再使用高光泽表面与全白的衬托，让家具呈现完美无瑕的立体感。另外，其简单的水晶点缀突显主人的典雅高贵，加上白色基调简洁明朗，在光和影的嬉戏中尽显和谐，也让空间瞬间显得更加宽敞。

Special thanks to Novel for the venue sponsor. The interview was held at its Bandar Sri Damansara showroom.
特别感谢华乐时代（Novel）场地赞助 。 Tel: +603-6277 9024 Website: www.novel-malaysia.com