HK artiste Po Yiu Wong, 29, is a member of the Cantopop girl group Staries. Photos: Handout
Malaysian director Michael Chuah and Hong Kong director Eric Lam closed the year with a bang with their latest action-comedy movie, Call Me Agent.
The 90-minute Cantonese flick revolves around Miu Ling, an ordinary young woman who dreams of becoming a secret agent. One day, she rescues an injured agent who promises to make her his apprentice. From then on, her life becomes a roller coaster of madcap adventures.
Being a co-production between Malaysia and Hong Kong, Call Me Agent is a new experience not only for the two directors, but also for Cantopop singer Po Yiu Wong, who is making her debut as an actress with the starring role.
As a newcomer in the film scene, the 29-year-old admitted that she was under intense pressure at first because she wasn’t confident of her acting skills.
Fortunately, she received valuable advice from Malaysian actress Mimi Chu.
“I was afraid my delivery wouldn’t meet the expectations of our directors. I also didn’t know anyone when I first came to Malaysia, but Mimi was kind enough to guide me on facial expressions, gestures and intonations,” Wong said.
Preparation for the action sequences was another challenge for Wong, who had to go through stunt training for her role.
Mimi Chu (right), 68, is a Malaysian-born actress who's currently developing in Hong Kong.
Wong said that this was the most demanding part of the shoot for her.
“It was difficult for me to cope because this training went on for months – not just in Hong Kong but in Malaysia too. We had to learn how to do somersaults, splits and martial arts.
“I had bruises on my knees while filming the movie. There’s one scene where Miu Ling slides on her knees to take cover. I had to shoot that scene many times because the directors wanted it to be perfect,” she explained.
Although the injuries hurt, Wong said she felt accomplished after filming was done because those bruises were “proof she gave her all”.
She also shared that she had fun portraying Miu Ling as the character was “very similar” to her in real life.
“What I love most about her is, how determined she is to pursue her dream. How she feels about becoming an agent is how I feel about breaking into the movie industry. I put a real part of myself into my character while filming,” she said.
Vincent Luk (left) and Po Yiu Wong (right) got along well on first meet due to their shared interest.
Wong’s professionalism and level of commitment received praise from her co-star Luk.
“I really admire how dedicated Po Yiu is towards acting. When we first started stunt training, she felt really pressured because of how physically demanding the role was.
“But she never let that pressure get to her. She kept working hard and as time went on, I got to see her grow and perform so well,” he said.
Both actors stated that they had fun working together.
For them, it wasn’t just their chemistry on set but their bond off screen that made the experience memorable.
Wong shared: “At the end of the day, when filming was over, all of us remained friends. I feel grateful having had this opportunity to work with such a talented team.”
Call Me Agent is now showing at cinemas nationwide.
