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15 minutes with Sandra Ng, Ivana Wong and Matt Chow

SINGAPORE — If you think Sandra Ng’s comedies are funny, wait till you meet her in person.

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SINGAPORE — If you think Sandra Ng’s comedies are funny, wait till you meet her in person.

Speaking at a press conference for her new movie Golden Chickensss at Hotel InterContinental Singapore with fellow actress Ivana Wong and director-screenwriter Matt Chow, the veteran Hong Kong comedian kept reporters in stitches.

“I thought about bringing them home,” the 48-year-old quipped, referring to the enormous breast prostheses that she had to wear while shooting Golden Chickensss, to raucous laughter in the room. “On the last day of our shoot, I thought about bringing them home for the whole family to enjoy.”

Ng, who also produced the movie, reprises her award-winning role Ah Kam in Golden Chickensss, which sees the simple and kind-hearted prostitute nurture new talent as an enterprising mamasan. Golden Chickensss is the second sequel to 2002’s Golden Chicken, which won three awards at the 40th Golden Horse Awards.

Golden Chickensss also features about a dozen superstar appearances, including Andy Lau, Louis Koo, Donnie Yen, Nick Cheung, Wyman Wong, Edison Chen, Shawn Yue, Ronald Cheng, Anthony Chen, Dayo Wong and Tony Leung Ka-Fai – all of whom agreed to appear in the movie because of their personal friendships with Ng.

REPORTER: Out of all the actors you’ve invited to star in Golden Chickensss, who did you have to pay the most?

SANDRA NG: We paid every one the same amount, out of fairness. But it’s because we also really didn’t have the budget. They were all big stars, and I wouldn’t be able to afford to pay them, even if you divided their usual commission by four. So I wrote a thank you card to each one of them, to say that I was crying tears of gratitude. (Laughs) The hongbao is just a gesture – I told them it’s meaningless to take my money. Of course I hope this movie will make a profit. If we make a $10 profit, at least every one will get about $1.20. That is my biggest dream.

REPORTER: You invited Andy Lau to make a special cameo appearance in your movie. Can you tell us a little more that “foot massage” scene.

SANDRA NG: Actually he was my “secret weapon”. The movie is heart-warming, and I wanted to put that scene with Andy Lau at the end of the credits, after we roll the names of our sponsors, after the audience has left. But in the end, every one wanted us to put the scene earlier in the credits – even though I think if people miss the scene they can always buy tickets to see the movie again. (Laughs) And I think every one really loved to see Andy Lau at the end of the movie. (To reporters) Didn’t you? Did you expect to see him? Why did you stay so long before leaving the theatre?

REPORTER: We were waiting to see the gag reel.

SANDRA NG: Ohhhhhhhhhh...they thought there would be a gag reel. Every one was afraid that the audience wouldn’t see the scene with Andy Lau, so we decided to put it right after the cast’s billing. And Andy Lau is Hong Kong’s spirit. (Laughs) Members of the audience expect to see him. Andy Lau must become Hong Kong’s Chief Executive. Even if you didn’t watch the first Golden Chicken movie — because in the first Golden Chicken, Andy Lau played a customer who came in for a massage. And in Golden Chicken 2, he played the Chief Executive of Hong Kong — it doesn’t matter. Andy Lau has become an icon in Hong Kong. When they poll members of the public, he is always picked as the man people want to be, or the top ten most hard-working people in Hong Kong. Children always pick him, when they ask who they want as a father. (Laughs) Andy Lau is number one on so many top ten lists, he is the spirit of Hong Kong. So we thought people would be happy to see him at the end of our movie, with the credits.

MATT CHOW: Everyone would scream.

SANDRA NG: Were you happy to see him?

REPORTER: Yes, but…

SANDRA NG: Oh you were asking about the scene. Yes, Andy Lau is very professional. He let go completely, and I was stunned. He took his own socks off, and he designed the scene. Of course we discussed how we wanted to do it together, and Andy Lau was very willing…I think many of these handsome actors, they have been suave for so many years. And now there is a comedy and they are very happy to let go. I’ve never seen Louis Koo like this – his white highlights and sequined jacket. (To reporters) Is it okay that I am speaking Cantonese?

REPORTER: Actually, can you speak Mandarin? Some of the other reporters don’t understand Cantonese.

SANDRA NG: Do I have to repeat everything I just said?

REPORTER: No it’s okay. You wore breasts prostheses in the movie. Have you thought about getting a boob job in real life?

SANDRA NG: I thought about not taking the prostheses off. (Everyone laughs) I really thought about bringing them home. On the last day of our shoot - because we shot scenes with them for many days – I thought, why don’t I bring them home so the whole family can play with them? (Everyone laughs loudly) We can make it a family activity so every one will be happy. My daughter always asks me what I am doing, and what my movies are about. She’s very curious. When I started on this film, she said, “oh, big boobs Mom”. So I regret not bringing my big boobs home, after that last day of my shoot, so my whole family can have fun.

REPORTER: Did your boyfriend, director Peter Chan, get to enjoy them?

SANDRA NG: Yes he did. (Everyone laughs uncontrollably) The breasts looked too real. He came to visit me on set, and after I shot the scene on the beach, I had to take the fake breasts off. The whole process takes about 30 to 45 minutes. So we took a photo together, using his cell phone. And they were really amazingly beautiful – we think it is a work of art. We still take the photos out once in a while to admire them. Peter Chan joked once, and asked if I could leave them on and take them home. (Since) I had to take them off, I suggested taking photos instead as a momento.

REPORTER: Were there many people who watched you put them on and take them off?

SANDRA NG: No, only two people. Because they really looked too realistic, and I had to take my clothes off for them to put them on. And they even paint the details – like the veins and the pores. When I asked (director and screenwriter) Matt Chow to come into the room – every man who walked in turned red and didn’t know where to look. Because they really looked so real, it was like I was naked. Even the photographers who shot the making of the movie blushed.

REPORTER: Ivana, you were great in the movie! Can you tell us which scene was most difficult to shoot? Are you looking forward to winning awards for your role?

SANDRA NG: Oh yes, this was your first film? I will certainly nominate you for an award.

IVANA WONG: I don’t know. I think the whole movie was very difficult, and a huge challenge for me. The most difficult scene was the kissing scene with Ronald Cheng. Usually when I shoot music videos, approval has to be sought from my manager before actors can even touch me.

SANDRA NG: Your manager asked me many times. I said if you were not willing to do it, I would. Ha Ha! (Everyone laughs) I am willing to do everything other actresses refuse to do – whether it is appearing naked in a scene, showing my back, or my chest, or kissing scenes.

REPORTER: Are there scenes you would never do?

SANDRA NG: Oh, I can do anything.

IVANA WONG: For this kissing scene, I was very worried for several days before we shot the scene. Every time I walked by and saw Sandra, I would ask her if it was necessary to shoot the scene. She would say yes and scare me by telling me it has to be very exaggerated. So I quietly asked the director if the scene was necessary.

SANDRA NG: She wanted to persuade us to take the scene out!

IVANA WONG: In the end, the director explained the story to me. I was very moved by what he said, so I accepted it. And Ronald Cheng was very professional, he didn’t make me feel nervous.

REPORTER: How was the kiss? Was it your first onscreen kiss?

IVANA WONG: I don’t remember how it felt, I was more worried that I would mess up a lot. But luckily, we finished the scene quite quickly. And I was very moved by the scene.

MATT CHOW: Tell them what you did after you finished shooting the scene.

IVANA WONG: It was my first time, so I didn’t know what to do after the kissing scene. So after we finished the scene, I said thanks and shook Ronald Cheng’s hand.

SANDRA NG: (Pretending to be Ivana) Thank you!

REPORTER: Are you worried that you won’t be able to return to your demure image as a singer-songwriter after this movie? Because your character was so memorable in this movie.

SANDRA NG: Yes, she won’t be able to get rid of it. And she’ll be holding a concert soon, in May. You must perform a scene from the movie at your concert.

IVANA WONG: That’s a good idea! Maybe I can think about that.

REPORTER: Sandra, you mentioned on a television show that you’ve met actors and actresses who have undergone so much cosmetic surgery that they can no longer move their faces. Did you witness that with any of the actors in Golden Chickensss?

SANDRA NG: No!!! (dramatically) Actually, I was just speaking generally. I have been making films for so many years, and yes I have seen some cases. But I wasn’t speaking about anyone specifically, just the fact that maybe some people, right after they finish their surgeries…(laughs) Actually cosmetic surgery has been going on for many years. And it’s very understandable. Some people feel more confident after they get some work done on their faces. So you don’t have to try and guess who I was talking about. I wasn’t thinking of anyone specific. I was just talking about the fact that a lot of people have gone under the knife, but they won’t admit it.

Golden Chickensss premieres in Singapore on Jan 30.

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