[2022.07.08] CHARLENE CHOI ALMOST KILLS BEST ACTOR SEAN LAU

Charlene Choi spends 8 months in make up, has to get her head wrapped in plastic and runs into a smelly gutter
courtesy of singtao.com

Gun fight is only child's play for Charlene Choi now

Ah Sa's lack of driving experience has her worried about getting Sean Lau killed

courtesy of on.cc

The car chase scene has Charlene Choi sweating buckets

courtesy of mingpao.com

Charlene Choi Cheuk Yin in the Wai Ka Fai directed, produced and written film DETECTIVE VS. SLEUTHS (SUN TAM DAI JIN) turned into a female detective. She stated that this time she tried many firsts in her career. Everyday was like playing extreme sport. She even faced life and death. Ah Sa revealed in her excitement that she almost killed co-star Sean Lau Ching Wan. Ah Sa has always admired Director Wai Ka Fai's work, earlier they worked together on FANTASIA (GWAI MA KONG SEUNG KUK). However they had little contact. This time DETECTIVE AND SLEUTHS opened her eyes. "Because Director Wai is someone who is looking for the most perfect of the perfect, his script is very mysterious. When I took this movie, I only knew what role I would play and the basic story. So everyday at work was very exciting, I wouldn't know what to do until I get to the set. 'Oh, today I have to jump off a building? OK!' Every shoot is like playing an extreme sport. If I am not running the stairs, I have to swim. It requires a lot of energy. After making this movie, I feel my health is better!"

Ah Sa worked on many fight scenes, so wire work was routine. However with DETECTIVE VS. SLEUTHS, Ah Sa admitted that it felt like entering another world. She had many unique experiences that she never had before. "I never jumped into the sea, had full body special effect make up, each time it took 6 to 8 hours. Then I had to go through a very smelly gutter. That gutter really had 'everything galore'! Not to mention the countless explosion scenes, some really were close. They were right next to me. When I got home I would find bruises. Although the wounds were nothing major, you could imagine how many things were exploding on the set! I also jumped off a building on Temple Street, I have jumped off buildings before, but not on Temple Street. So many people were looking downstairs."

Although it was heart pounding, Ah Sa never wavered. "After I toiled through the special effect make up, I would have the 'come on' feeling without any regards!" Ah Sa's character in the film was pregnant, Ah Sa also spent a lot of time on studying pregnant women's behavior. She said, "I really went on YouTube, watched many, many videos. What should a pregnant woman be like? When the birth process was less than smooth, what would that be like?"

When she worked on the car chase scene, Ah Sa was finally sweating bullets and felt like she was facing life and death. She recalled, "Honestly, driving for me is already a very hard mission. Although I have a license, I really very rarely drive. In addition I don't really understand the mechanical operation, but this time I have to be like a race car driver. In one scene I almost ran over Ching Wan on the highway!" Ah Sa grew more intense, as if she was still there. "I have to drive and act, and keep looking at the rear view mirror. With the lights, I could barely look at the side mirrors. As soon as I turn, I almost hit another car! Before I am able to settle down and drive again, I almost jump the line and crash. I haven't made any noise, Ching Wan is very peaceful too. Then I stop at the traffic light, I stare at him and feel guilty. He looks at me, we stare at each other and crack up! In front of our car is the crew car, in it the crew sees us laugh and they laugh because they witness the entire process. I almost kill this Best Actor!"

When she got a script in the past, Ah Sa would definitely do all of her homework, handle the character's different layer. This time with Director Wai's improvisation production style, she inevitably was a little panicked and uneased. She said, "I was really worried at the first month, like I didn't have any director. Director Wai doesn't say much normally. After a shot he wouldn't tell you whether it's good or not. One day after a scene, the director came over to me and said, 'You did great, just like a female sleuth!' At that moment I immediately relaxed, I was loosened right away! Brother Ching Wan was great too, one day he gave me some encouragement. The next few months I was all comfortable!" Ah Sa said, "Actors need encouragement!"