Actress takes a dressing down

It's not quite Charlize Theron in Monster, but Angela Tong Ying-ying has never been more popular - or drab.

The Montreal-raised actress, whom TVB usually casts in gold-digging bitch/bimbo roles, has been unexpectedly warming viewers' hearts as a meek, ugly wallflower in the current serial Life Made Simple.

'Whatever role the producers give me, I just try to play it to the best of my ability,' Tong says during a rehearsal break. 'If it's a bad girl, then I try to be the baddest. This is an ugly girl, so I try to be the ugliest.'

That means greasy hair, a false set of teeth, freckles, and an unruly eyebrow (which she didn't trim for months), completely transforming the former beauty queen.

'It was a weird feeling. I was really self-conscious. When I looked in the mirror with the teeth, I thought I was really ugly. My own confidence was shot. I started hiding a lot in the studio and didn't go out.'

Her popularity has resulted in several magazine covers and closer scrutiny by tabloids trying to dig dirt on the normally lower-profile actress. For now, the new attention doesn't bother her too much.