Hong Kong — Last month, Hong Kong singer-actress Gillian Chung was fat-shamed by netizens after the trailer for the variety show Twinkle Love, where she appeared as a guest, was released. Chinese media guesstimated that the Twins singer had put on “at least 18 kg”. Now it seems the 40-year-old purposely gained weight for a new role — think Renée Zellweger for Bridget Jones’s Diary or, in a Singaporean context, Rui En for 2016’s If Only I Could.
Hong Kong media reported that Chung is set to star in a movie similar to the 2006 Korean romcom 200 Pounds Beauty. 200 Pounds Beauty is about an overweight singer who undergoes plastic surgery to become a pop sensation. It is not known if Chung is supposed to suddenly revert to her slim self again mid-production as the plot of the movie is still a secret.
In 200 Pounds Beauty, South Korean actress Kim Ah-joong wore a fatsuit, but it appears that Chung decided to put on weight for real. You would think that gaining weight is easy, but it is not. Chung has been reportedly eating at least five meals a day and just gorging on food to reach her target weight, according to 8days.sg. It may sound like a dream come true for foodies with enormous appetites (or female celebrities who have to practically starve themselves for work), but it has not been fun for Chung.
She has been vomiting, having stomach aches and cramps due to her new diet.
Chung shared in an interview that, when she received the script, she thought it was a good opportunity to take on a different challenge.
“And it just so happens that I usually love to eat, so it’s a perfectly justifiable reason for me to put on weight,” she said. “However, the process of gaining weight has also been very difficult.”
When the news came out, netizens praised Chung for her dedication to her craft. “It’s not easy to willingly give up your goddess-like image for a character,” wrote one, while others gushed about looking forward to her new production.
Fans also continued to shower her with body-positive remarks such as “She’s cute when she’s chubby, the most important thing is to be happy.”/TISG