Published: Thursday February 26, 2015 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Updated: Thursday February 26, 2015 MYT 12:58:57 PM
Kara Wai Ying Hung trades punches for punchlines in 'Kungfu Taboo'
BY SETO KIT YAN
Wai says her action movie director part in "Kungfu Taboo" is almost like playing herself.
After making over a hundred movies, action genre veteran Kara Wai Ying Hung says she's elated to be taking on a comedic part in the Malaysian comedy Kungfu Taboo for the Chinese New Year season.
“This time I get to bring in the laughs while others do the fighting. I have complete confidence in my comedic abilities but filmmakers keep casting me in action movies. Fortunately I worked with the filmmaker in The Wedding Diary 1 and 2, so he knows how funny I can be. Although it has taken me almost 20 years, I finally got the kind of funny role that I really want to play,” she said.
Wai, a Hong Kong-based Chinese actress of Manchu descent, speaking to reporters at a press conference where she was accompanied by her Malaysian castmates Frederick Lee, Lim Ching Miau, Rabbit Chen, Elvis Chin and January So, along with Singaporean actor Henry Thia.
In Kungfu Taboo, Wai plays an action movie director whose brother (Thia) is a down-on-his-luck martial arts instructor with only one disciple (So) and his playful daughter (Lim). “I’ve served as action choreographer in other movies, so it’s a bit like playing myself,” Wai said.
Her funniest scene sees her revealing some "inappropriate" body hair, but she said, “It’s good, clean fun. Even kids will find it hilarious. It is after all a fun movie for the whole family.”
Wai, an award-winning actress who turned 55 this month, also revealed that every time they filmed her romantic scenes with Lee, there would be attacked by ants and mosquitoes. “We ended itching all over because of the insect bites,” Wai said with a chuckle.
Though the movie was a fun shoot for Wai, it was probably less so for her co-stars who were part of a group battle scene involving extras wielding traditional Chinese weapons including swords, spears, halberds and poles. In the filming of the final showdown, as the main cast brandished multiple weapons, Chin’s halberd slashed into Lee’s head, causing an injury that needed 10 stitches.
“The director specified that he wanted to use genuine weapons while filming. But the actors were not martial artists and lacked the experience required to deal with such weapons. However, such accidents are part and parcel of action movies, so I consoled the cast and crew,” Wai said.
Wai, best known for movies like My Young Auntie (1981), At The End Of Daybreak (2009) and Rigor Mortis (2013), is already shooting her next movie. “I play an old lady in her 60s. It’s quite a challenge to get into her psyche and adopt the stance and posture of a much older person who is physically and mentally affected by her age and health,” Wai said.
Having worked on roughly 150 movie and TV projects, Wai said she doesn't have a preference for any genre. Instead, she prefers to explore different territories to avoid repeating herself or taking on similar roles. She has been busy in China on a variety of productions including the historical costume drama series Heroes Of Sui and Tang Dynasties 5, and a modern romantic movie called Love And Movies alongside Simon Yam, Francis Ng and Ian Kim.
> "Kungfu Taboo" opens in cinemas today.
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