Bernice Liu Bik-yee comes from a background in beauty. The 31-year-old Chinese-Canadian actress was Miss Chinese Vancouver 2000 and Miss Chinese International 2001.
But her appearance in Eric Tsang Chi-wai's Chinese New Year comedy 72 Tenants of Prosperity might make your jaw drop. The former Miss Photogenic is seen in scruffy outfits, with greasy hair, bushy eyebrows, huge buck teeth and a bulked out body. While these features are far from beautiful, the actress says this extreme look actually makes her feel prettier.
What do you think of your new look in this film?
My beauty queen days seem long gone thanks to Eric. He told me about this project and said there was a perfect role for me. I didn't even think about how my character would look until I went for a screen test with full make-up. Bam! I was a whole new person. I had fake skin, a new set of teeth and a 44F chest, which was definitely a first for me. No one recognised me on set, including people I had worked with for years. I am honoured that Eric chose me for this part. I also had a lot of fun working with my idol, Jacky Cheung Hok-yau.
What is the story about?
It is a fun Lunar New Year movie based on the original Shaw Studio movie The House of 72 Tenants (1973). The underlying message is for people to enjoy their life more. Current issues such as the acid attacks in Mong Kok are brought up in a lighthearted way.
So what is it about this role that requires such a shocking appearance? My character is called Jane. Everybody calls her 'Fish Ball Jane' because she rents a food shop in Mong Kok and makes fish balls all day long. Jane's business is in trouble because of an outrageous rent increase, so she decides to team up with the other tenants to demand fair rent. You know, it was the first time I'd eaten a whole stick of fish balls. When I first came to Hong Kong I was told that eating street food could upset your stomach, so I never tried them. We had real fish balls on set, not props, so when I was bored or hungry, I could just tuck in. I lost count of how many fish balls I had.