[2024.10.02] LOLETTA LEE SHATTERS HER GODDESS IMAGE TO PLAY A FAT HOUSEWIFE

Loletta Lee and Gladys Li had some reflections on their family because of the filming of ONCE IN A BLUE MOON
courtesy of singtao.com

The warm family film ONCE IN A BLUE MOON (MONG YUET) will be officially released on 19th of this month. Playing mother and daughter in the film, Loletta Lee Lai Chun and Gladys Li Ching Kwan would not only spend the holiday with their families during the Mid-Autumn Festival, but also be busy with the film promotion as they called all their families and friends to see the movie; which was also one of the best programs of the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday. In reality Lee Lai Chun also has a daughter who is similar in age to Li Ching Kwan. She admitted that she did not deliberately play old to match the role. Even the director told her, "Just use your usual communication method with your daughter and you are fine."

The movie ONCE IN A BLUE MOON was shot during the epidemic in 2022 and encountered some difficulties before the filming started. Lee Lai Chun said that when director Andy Lo (Law Yiu Fai) invited her to perform, she told the director "I got a lot fatter" because she did not go to exercise due to the epidemic. The director actually asked Lee Lai Chun not to lose weight, performing as she was would be enough; but about two weeks before the shoot began, Lee Lai Chun slipped and sprained her leg in the bathroom at home. The director then said that he could shoot less scenes of her walking and focus on shooting her standing or sitting. Lee Lai Chun laughed, "When the director thinks it's OK, I'm OK. Although I was working in pain and had to keep taking medicine, the shoot was successfully completed in the end!"

In the film, Lee Lai Chun and Li Ching Kwan played mother and daughter. In reality, Lee Lai Chun also has a daughter who is about the same age as Li Ching Kwan. Lee Lai Chun said she has played the role of a mother in the past, but for the first time she has such a big daughter, she felt very different during the performance. "Yet I also have such a big daughter in real life, because I married early at age 30. Back then I stipulated myself to be married at 30 years old, which was an ancient idea. I felt that 30 years old was a stage for a woman." Thus Lee Lai Chun said that she has projected her daughter on Li Ching Kwan for the performance. "Because since the director said, 'You don't play old, or play a mother, you are normally a mother, use your usual way of talking to your daughter and you are fine', I got it but I questioned how the director eavesdropped on me talking to my daughter? Haha!" Lee Lai Chun this time put some white dye in her hair to add to her sense of old age, no special makeup, only foundation and no concealer for the Mommy role that was so busy with making a living that she did not have time to dress up.

Li Ching Kwan said that she treated herself like Lee Lai Chun's daughter to play the role. They did not cultivate feelings beforehand, but got along as soon as they took their marks. "Actually I am crazy happy, with a superstar like Sister Chun as my Mommy, It is my honor. In terms of age Sister Chun is so young she is not like my Mommy, but with the costume she looks a little like her. However I didn't think about it; because I knew she was going to be my mother, I didn't question it." After every scene, everyone would chat. Lee Lai Chun often shared how she and her daughter got along. She felt that her mother and daughter relationship was very good. Although she did not know Lee Lai Chun, but hearing her experience with her daughter she treated me just like her own daughter. As it happened, Lee Lai Chun injured her leg at the time. She and her on screen brother Peter Chan Charm Man were very nervous about Lee Lai Chun. Sister Chun said, "The entire team was staring at me, constantly asking me to sit down wherever I was; but the feeling was quite warm!" Just like that they gradually had chemistry like a family.

Li Ching Kwan admitted that playing the role of a daughter was not difficult, but playing the role of growing up in a single-parent family was a bit difficult. "With the roles I played before I can use a lot of experiences to make myself invested, but this time playing a single-parent family I can never understand. Because I grew up in a happy family, so initially I did not understand how much impact a father who had been away from the family for many years would have on me. Fortunately the script helped me a lot. When shooting a reunion scene with my father, after rehearsals I changed from lacking confidence to having the confidence to interpret the role." In the film Lee Lai Chun had an argument scene with her daughter, Lee Lai Chun said, "We didn't cultivate our emotions for the shoot. In addition I don't have enough air, so the yelling starts around one and ends with two sentences." In reality, she has never quarreled with her daughter. "Although she too grew up in a single-parent family, she has been very obedient since she was a child. Now that she is older, she will ask me for my opinion before doing anything." Li Ching Kwan said, "Having known Sister Chun for a while, I noticed that her relationship with her daughter is like a friend. She is a very open mommy." Would Lee Lai Chun be very open to letting her daughter go and be independent? Lee Lai Chun said, "Because my daughter was very obedient in kindergarten and primary school, she would ask me about everything until she was 14 or 15 years old. This period is the easiest to turn bad but also want to learn, so I let her going to a boarding school. By the time she graduated at 21, she no longer was rebellious and would care about her family instead."

In the movie, Li Ching Kwan lost her virginity because she was fooled on dating apps. She admitted that she was curious about dating apps but never tried them. "I got into the business too early, so I haven't used it. Because this business gives me a burden, I don't know how others would see me or I have to watch what I said. In addition I don't need to. I have a boyfriend of 6 years, and the relationship is very stable." Li Ching Kwan has been fooled by her ex before. She admitted that she definitely had her share of romantic wounds. "I can't say that I'm not wrong just because I'm hurt. Dating is about two people getting along. There are always some problems in getting along that we don't handle well. I think this is an inevitable journey, maybe you have hurt people, and people have hurt you; then you will become more mature, clearer about what you want in love." Aside from sharing her film production experience, has Lee Lai Chun shared her romantic experience with her "daughter"? Lee Lai Chun laughed and said, "Wow, I don't need to share this. She is such a big girl, the most important thing is our sincerity, we have to learn to cherish it!" How is Lee Lai Chun's current relationship life is? She said bluntly, "No! Now I want to focus on making a movie that will make everyone happy." Lee Lai Chun said she wanted to make a movie where she could dress beautifully to fight, or where she and her classmates fight after growing up, but for the court struggled costume drama she was afraid that it would be too hard. She revealed that she wants to make comedy the most, "Because in recent years I haven't had the chance to make Lunar New Year films, in the 80s and 90s I constantly made Lunar New Year films and was very happy. People are looking to go out during the New Year. Would they stay home and fry cakes instead? Going out and watching movies are good activities, but I think movie tickets are too expensive now. There should be discounts during the holidays."

ONCE IN A BLUE MOON made family its subject. Lee Lai Chun said that she has a great relationship with her family. "When my parents were still alive, the family often had meals together; but now they are gone. My younger brother immigrated and my younger sister got married. There are only two of us, my daughter and I. Personally, I often feel that it is a very happy thing for a family to have meals together. We should cherish the love of our parents. Mom and Dad will leave before us. We must cherish them. My daughter and I rarely argue, she was better behaved than I was when I was younger. I would steal fifty cents from my mother to buy ice cream, and I would have fights with the family; but as soon as my father came out to take charage of the situation, I would listen to him." Li Ching Kwan pointed out that during the rebellious period nothing seemed right to her. After she moved out she realized that many of the things she did not like were not big things. She let go of her stubbornness. "This is the first time for everyone to be a parent or a child. You will make mistakes, don't be too stubborn; the older I get, the more open I am."