Charlene Choi of Twins, star of The Lady Improper, on sex in Chinese culture
- Actress turned down original script for her new film because sex scenes were too graphic, but believes Chinese society is wrong to see sex as embarrassing
- Her latest role, and playing a sex abuse victim in 2015 film Sara, have given her courage, 36-year-old Canto-pop star says, and she hopes to act into old age
Four years after earning her second best actress nomination at the Hong Kong Film Awards for her courageous portrayal of a former sex abuse victim in Sara , Charlene Choi Cheuk-yin, of the Canto-pop duo Twins, is again a nominee – for another sexually charged role.
In The Lady Improper , the commercial feature debut of indie filmmaker Jessey Tsang Tsui-shan (Flowing Stories, Big Blue Lake), Choi plays Siu-man, a woman struggling to cope with her fear of physical intimacy.
Recently separated from her husband, Siu-man gradually learns to appreciate sensuality after a free-spirited chef (Taiwanese actor Wu Kang-jen) starts work in her father’s restaurant.
Choi recently sat down with the Post to reflect on her part in the film.
This is your third best actress nomination at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Does it feel any different from the previous experiences?
As The Lady Improper is a project supported by the Hong Kong government’s Film Development Fund – in the sense that they have given us money – I hope we can achieve good results [in the awards and at the box office]. I hope they will continue to support our film industry.