[2022.07.06] JEANA HO MAKES BREAKTHROUGH APPEARANCE IN NEW FILM

Jeana Ho sacrifices her long hair for her role
courtesy of on.cc

Jeana Ho says that her self confidence went with her hair and eyebrows

Sean Lau and Jeana Ho play father and daughter in the new film
courtesy of mingpao.com

Jeana Ho Pui Yu in the film DETECTIVE VS SLEUTHS (SUN TAM DAI JIN) had an extremely big breakthrough, as she had to cut her hair short and shave her eyebrows. Thus for awhile she lost self confidence. However in the film she played the role of Cheung Lam, daughter of Sean Lau Ching Wan. Her biggest gain was working with Best Actor Lau Ching Wan. Jean revealed that during the 3 month shoot, she never saw Ching Wan looking at his phone. His focus and attention span truly left her speechless.

DETECTIVE VS. SLEUTHS would open on July 21st in Hong Kong. Jeana worked with director Wai Ka Fai for the first time and he asked for a super breakthrough with her appearance this time. She cut her hair and as a pretty girl the biggest psychological obstacle was shaving her eyebrows. Finally Jeana agreed after struggling for half a day, only because she had the rare chance to work with many elders. She did not want to lose the opportunity. She said, "While shaving I was crying and laughing. I couldn't tell it was me at first, and the eyebrows would grow a little everyday. At day at work I was shaving like the guys, just like that I shaved for 3 full months. However with the short hair I had self pity for two years. Friends around me all felt that I lost my self confidence. If I had to shave my head, at this moment I might not be able to do it."

Jeana in the film played the role of Cheung Lam. "Cheung Lam's personality was extremely rebellious, because of misunderstandings with Papa she would constantly oppose him and caused a lot of trouble. Later she would come to a realization. Over the 3 months of production, the most memorable was that I never saw Brother Ching Wan look at his phone. I completely didn't know which model of cell phone he was using. He could be thinking in all 5 hours while waiting on the shoot. His attention span was very sharp. I was really very surprised. I couldn't do it. I am mortal, but I would try to look at the phone less."

Jeana also praised how influential Brother Ching Wan was, as he very easily was able to bring his co-stars into character. "In one scene he was chasing after me and speaking German, when I heard his voice I already couldn't help but cry. His voice was very infectious. Once I had a major scene, I prepared 2 versions and asked Brother Ching Wan for advice. However Brother Ching Wan suggested why not prepared 10 or 20 more versions to meet the director's need, perhaps on the set he would take the one with the most spark." Brother Ching Wan's professionalism convinced her.

This time Jeana mainly had chase and gun fight scenes, which was rather exhausting. She stated that she had to run nine blocks. In one scene she and German Cheung Man Kit had to run like mad, but she ran too slowly. Cheung Man Kit had to push her from behind to run. In another shoot on the 9th floor roof of a Temple Street building, if she had to go to the bathroom she had to go to another building. Going up and down 9 floors truly was too much. Thus that day no one dare to drink water. She also praised her co-star Raymond Lam Fung for being quite a gentleman and humorous. During action scene he would be very nervous, worried if he has hurt her.

The movies that she has made in her career so far had their shares of action and intimate scenes. Earlier in LOVE IS BLIND, HATE TOO (JI MING 24 SIU SI) she had a passionate scene with Ron Ng Cheuk Hei. Ron said that she helped him get into character. Jeana after hearing that cracked up. Between action and intimate scenes, Jeana admitted that each had its pleasure, but intimate scenes with co-stars who were too familiar or not familiar with would both be bad. Halfway would be the most suitable. Fight scenes would be treated as weight loss, but being an action actress was not easy. For now she did not dare to consider focusing on being an action actress.

Recently working in the Mainland, Jeana despite the pandemic did not worry about having no job. Last year she made 6 movies and series in the Mainland, and was very pleased with the income. The Mainland had many opportunities, with just as many talents. It was an enormously competition market and can even make the entertainment business bloom with variety. For her personally the greatest gain was to be able to be with her family. She happily said, "My family came from the North, when I wasn't working I would go home to visit my parents and Grandma. I properly cherish the joy of family. The happiest has to be Grandma. She said that I came to Hong Kong for over 20 years, since then we rarely saw each other. She didn't expect that at this time she would be able to spend so much time with her granddaughter. Everyone was able to eat vegetarian." Jeana admitted that she has considered settling her family with a home in the Mainland, but she knew nothing of nesting. She joked that she was an financial idiot and all investment questions would be handled by her parents. The choice of buying a home in Beijing or Shanghai would depend on the financial situation. She said that it would depend on where the real deal would appear.

Once dated Cecilia Cheung Pak Chi's brother Parkman Cheung and director Philip Yung Tsz Kwong, Jeana has been single for almost 5 years but is still waiting for the real deal to appear. She admitted that currently she was in pursuit of marriage. "I really want to get married, want to obtain balance between career and life. I have a sense of fulfillment from working nonstop, but I want to have some support for the soul too. Destiny arrangements depend on the Moon Elder. The ideal mate would have the same three values and goal direction, kind, filial, I wouldn't pay attention to whether he has money or not, of course the most ideal would be a Buddhist like me. We would be able to practice together."

She became Buddhist long ago. Becoming vegetarian in the past few years the biggest change for her was that she was more at peace and had no temper. She slowly learned to let go of stubbornness and desire, unlike when she was younger and angry at the world. She would try to be friends with good and bad emotions, she also has seen through life and death and believed in cause and effect. Jeana did not promote taking a life, in the future if she had the chance to hold a wedding banquet it would be vegetarian.

Jeana in another suspense thriller SOCIAL DISTANCING (DIN JI LING) would face her own inner demon. She revealed, "This look took 3 hours to complete, it's so frightening that even I didn't dare to look at it in the mirror. During the shoot I constantly was in the sun for positive energy." In the film people became obsessed with the electronic world. Jeana admitted that ordinary people would be addicted to looking at their phones, she read the Buddhist scripture, about the UFO and some religious subjects the most on hers.