[2011.04.01] KITTY ZHANG DANCES BAREFOOT IN ZERO DEGREE TEMPERATURE

Japanese star Masanobu Ando and Kitty Zhang Yuqi starred THE BUTCHER, THE CHEF AND THE SWORDSMAN will open next week. In the film, Zhang Yuqi played a sexy and talented courtesan who due to her background even was mysteriously reserved and had a heroic side. In order to play the character well, she even started her dance and flute training lessons early. In an extremely difficult performance, he had to wear a red dress and robe in less than zero degree Celsius temperature to dance down the stairs barefoot to the table. The director and she were both satisfied. Zhang Yuqi said that the reason that truly attracted her to this film performance was the chance for the character to display her talent.

As for Masanobu Ando he played a mute chef. Without language as a tool to express himself, he performed with physical movement. In particularly the eyes were very important. Ando was the first actor who joined the cast and even gladly rehearsed while practicing his Chinese. He would also study how to cook with the chef. In one scene Ando had to play a beggar. The bamboo basket that he carried scratched his entire back and made him bleed. Workers asked if he needed treatment, he had a little fun at their expense and joked that few could tell when he was playing injured . His professionalism was exceptionally high and had a positive influence on the set.