Hongkong singer-actress Gillian Chung recently became the unfortunate target of some very cruel fat-shaming comments after the trailer for variety show Twinkle Love, where she appears as a guest, was released last month. The Chinese media even (unnecessarily) guesstimated that she had put on “at least 18kg”.

As it turns out, the 40-year-old deliberately gained weight for a new role — think Renée Zellweger for Bridget Jones’s Diary or, in a local context, Rui En for 2016’s If Only I Could.

According to Hongkong media reports, Gillian is set to star in a film that’s similar to 2006 Korean romcom 200 Pounds Beauty, which revolves around an overweight singer who undergoes head-to-toe plastic surgery to become a pop sensation.

Since the actual plot of Gillian’s upcoming movie is supposed to be a closely guarded secret, everyone involved has been unable to discuss the details with the public, so it’s not known if she is supposed to suddenly revert to her slender self again mid-production.

While South Korean actress Kim Ah-joong donned a fatsuit for 200 Pounds Beauty, it seems Gillian decided to pile on the pounds for real.

And it’s been harder than you’d think.

In order to achieve her target weight, Gillian has reportedly been eating at least five meals a day and just gorging on food.

Although that might sound like a dream come true for foodies with enormous appetites (or female celebs who have to practically starve themselves for work), it hasn’t been so fun for the star, who experienced vomiting, had stomachaches and cramps ‘cos of her new diet.

Gillian 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 Gillian 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”.

Photos: Gillian Chung/Weibo, YOUKU/Youtube, IMDb