Entertainment: Gillian jumps back in

2009/07/29

Dennis Chua

Hong Kong singer and actress Gillian Chung is picking up the pieces after last year’s sex scandal. She shares with DENNIS CHUA the lessons learnt. AS one half of pop group Twins, Hong Kong singer and actress Gillian Chung Yan-Tung is a household name across the Chinese-speaking world.

Sharing the limelight as vocalist and lyricist with Charlene Choi, Chung’s star rose meteorically following the group’s formation in 2001. She also launched a successful acting career.

Among the major films she starred in were U Man, Summer Breeze Of Love, Happy Go Lucky, The Twins Effect, The Twins Mission, Love On The Rocks, House Of Fury, and Trivial Matters.

Chung, 28, also appeared in Hong Kong Television Broadcasts productions such as The Monkey King, All About Boys, Kung Fu Soccer and The Spirit Of The Sword.

Trained in martial arts, Chung has often been cast as an action star, but she also excels in character acting, and was nominated for Best Actress for her work in Beyond Our Ken at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

In the 2004 film directed by Pang Ho Cheung, she played a woman dumped by her two-timing boyfriend, who uploaded her nude photographs on the Internet.

Unfortunately for Chung, it was a case of life imitating art. Chung’s career took a tumble when obscene photographs of her with heartthrob film star Edison Chen surfaced online.

Despite a public apology, Chung was “penalised” by television producers and was dropped from popular entertainment shows.

The biggest humiliation came when she was dropped from the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

After lying low for a few months, she re-surfaced. The public seemed to have forgiven her and product endorsements soon followed.

She was appointed brand ambassador for Jaz Beer, and made an appearance in Sunway Pyramid, Subang Jaya recently, to mark the occasion.

Dressed in a black blouse and golden trousers, Chung arrived at the shopping centre in a Robertson R44 Raven 1 helicopter, and was ushered into the complex by 10 bodyguards dressed in black.

Chung and the brand’s owner, Napex Marketing’s general manager Leong Yim Meng, then launched Jaz Beer’s latest advertising campaign Jaz It Up.

“When your life hits rock bottom, the only thing you can do is bring yourself back up by doing the things you love doing. In my case, it’s reinventing myself and being different,” she said.

Chung said she chose to be the beer’s brand ambassador because it “mirrored my personality”.

“I’m basically gutsy and adventurous and that’s the image the brand wants,” she said, adding that she was also the ambassador for Tough Jeansmith fashion in Hong Kong.

“Whenever I endorse a product, I go for those that are hip, trendy and in sync with youths of today.”

Chung will soon appear in the film The Fantastic Water Babes. A theatre production I Ought To Be In Pictures is also in the pipeline.

“I’m looking forward to doing theatre, as it’s a new challenge. Unlike acting on television and films, the audience sees you up close and I have to deliver,” she said.

While Chung and Choi are still together as Twins, they are each concentrating on their individual projects this year.

“Charlene and I have decided to do our own thing. We want to prove that we can stand on our own,” she said.

“We are still great friends and meet up as often as we can.”

Chung cites Michael Jackson as her favourite music icon and also admires the late Leslie Cheung, whom she describes as a genius.

“I’m very much a fan of Jackie Chan’s. He’s a successful actor, director, stuntman, martial artist and entrepreneur,” she said.

Chung admits that her “misadventure” last year has taught her to be “moderate” and to lead a “balanced” life.

It has also taught her to be more careful with the people she mixes with.

“I’ve learnt to value friendships more, and be more careful.

“Above all, I try to do things that make me happy, such as watching a good movie, working out and listening to great music,” she said.