[2010.04.16] LYNN XIONG: GETTING SCOLDED WAS WORSE THAN GETTING HIT

The formual for success is "hard work + luck + talent + opportunity", all four are needed to coordinate to achieve the result. Lynn Xiong (Hung Doi Lam) went from modeling to the film industry. In her first film IP MAN she played Ip Man's wife Cheung Wing Sing. With the success of the film, Lynn's fame and popularity in the Mainland both rose as she continued to perform in the second installment. Lynn in IP MAN 2 was elevated to play a pregnant woman to test her acting and patience. She even revealed that on the set director Wilson Yip Wai Shun and Donnie Yen Chi Tan both "counted her faults and scolded her". Actually Lynn was no more comfortable than Chi Tan!

Hung Doi Lam played Cheung Wing Sing in IP MAN. Although she did not have many lines or scenes, in front of the camera she also stood "taller" (half a head taller than her on screen husband Yen Chi Tan). With her "rolling eyes", she indeed left a deep impression.

In the new film Lynn had to put away her "model" look and turned into a pregnant woman, the process of which was quite challenge. She said, "In order to be more convincing, I tried deliberately gaining weight. Everyday I had rice boxes, ice cream and late night snack, all of which failed. I could only make up for it in the costume. Everyday on the set I 'carried' a fake belly, walking back and forth or standing for most of the day. The back and hip pains were not the most difficult, the worst was I didn't look like one at all!"

Lynn recalled when Yen Chi Tan instructed her. Chi Tan criticized her as modeling. She only looked pretty and was not the least bit convincing. "The director pulled me aside on the set. Chi Tan said that when I walked I had too much model feel. Which pregnant woman would walk like she was on the catwalk? Even playing pregnant was a challenge. Maybe he had experience with his wife Cecilia Wang's pregnancies, Chi Tan personally "instructed" and demonstrated. Thus everyday after the shoot he would return to the hotel, personally taught him and practiced." Why did she not ask her Best Actor good friend Aaron Kwok Fu Sing for advice? "He has never played pregnant before, he has no experience at all. Asking him would be very strange and very awkward!" Lynn even asked the team to create an over 10 pound fake belly to practice with.

Did she feel her acting has improved? Lynn said, "I don't dare to say improvement, I can only say that I am able to make the character more vivid. Previously I did whatever the director wrote. This time I would make a suggestion, like when the Putonghua lines were not written as well I would make a suggestion to the director." IP MAN did not land her a Best new Actor nomination, she too did not have the confidence for a chance to be nominated for Best Actress. "Of course not! I can't, not so soon! My goal is for my performance to be even more exciting. As long as it doesn't make the film bad, I am already very happy!"

Getting yelled at ultimately did not feel good, but with her high emotional quotient Lynn felt it was very useful. She even felt lucky to receive advice that improved her acting. She deeply believed that she performed better than in the first installment. She also talked about the

joy of the production. "I got along well very the cast and the crew. (Sammo) Hung Kam Bo even brought a personal chef to cook and share with everyone. It's very happy! I remember in one scene I had calf cramps, my husband Chi Tan gave me a massage which felt very warm. In real life I also had a similar experience but I lived alone. When I ran into cramps no one would care, how sad is that!" Getting yelled at on one hand and being gently treated on the other, no wonder Lynn both loved and hated playing pregnant!