'More stressful to play beautiful character than ugly one': Hong Huifang on Ajoomma role

Her character in Ajoomma isn't ugly, maintained local actress Hong Huifang, especially when one compares it to other roles that she has played. Not that looks even matter at all. 

With a long career spanning close to four decades, the 61-year-old has certainly dived into a myriad of mainly supporting character roles —  not all of them pretty. From vengeful characters to prostitutes, Huifang has seemingly played them all.

Highlighting the buck-toothed auntie character she portrayed in the 1997 Chinese drama Price of Peace, Huifang stated pointedly: "That character was so ugly but I could accept it. How is Ajoomma ugly'?"

In a recent interview with Shin Min Daily News, the veteran actress shared how playing roles that require her to be beautiful actually stresses her out more.

She added that she loves playing characters that are completely different from who she really is, "because I can remove myself completely from the role".

"It doesn't matter if the character is ugly. If they're beautiful then it's actually more stressful," Huifang admitted.

Ajoomma follows the story of Auntie (Huifang), a middle-aged Singaporean woman who has dedicated the best years of her life to caring for her family. Now widowed with her grown-up son Sam (Shane Pow) who is about to fly the roost, Auntie is left to contend with a whole new identity beyond her roles of daughter, wife, and mother.

A solo trip to South Korea becomes a wild adventure for Auntie where she embarks on an unexpected roller coaster ride where hearts flutter and unlikely bonds are formed.

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To Huifang, actors have a responsibility to portray not just the beautiful sides of life.

"People who are not as beautiful or who aren't perfect can live just as happy lives and it's important to show that."

When asked if there's a limit to roles that she would take on, for example — would she ever consider playing her son Calvert Tay's love interest in a film?

Huifang's reply is diplomatic. "It's not about whether I can accept it but whether the audience can accept it. I don't think I have to resort to such roles to challenge the audience's perceptions and I don't think it's necessary."

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It's the same for whether she would mind her daughter Tay Ying playing the love interest of her actor husband Zheng Geping in a production.

"Why invite unnecessary criticisms if audiences aren't ready for it?" is her reply.

Okay, so having her son playing a love interest might be out of the question, but what about starring opposite other much younger leading men?

"That would have to depend on the script. If it's a really good script I wouldn't mind. But I would also have to see my co-star's response and how famous he is," said Huifang.

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The reason? "I don't want to ruin their reputation," she laughed.

Huifang is currently in the running for Best Leading Actress at Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards, which will take place on Nov 19. The movie has also been selected as Singapore's entry for the 2023 Oscars.

Among other nuggets of info behind the filming of Ajoomma that Huifang has dropped in interviews with other media include the fact that she had lost weight for the role but was promptly requested by the director to put it all back.

"I ate and ate and gained about 6kg to 7kg for the role, that was the happiest time," she shared.

As for her South Korean co-stars in Ajoomma, Kang Hyung-suk and Yeo Jin-goo, she stated that "both of them feel like they're my sons", but revealed that she shared a closer bond with Kang Hyung-suk due to the amount of screen time they shared.

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The movie premiered last Friday (Oct 7) at the Busan International Film Fest to overwhelming response, with many in the audience — including cast and crew — moved to tears.

Huifang, who was interviewed by Lianhe Zaobao following the premiere, shared that she couldn't help but cry during the scenes with the three male characters in the film — Jung Dong-hwan, Shane and Jin-goo.

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She told Zaobao that she was proud of her performance in the movie but reminded herself not to be complacent.

Ajoomma's director He Shuming, producer Anthony Chen as well as Huifang's husband Zheng Geping were also reportedly reduced to tears at the premiere, albeit for different reasons.

"It's not because of my wife but because the storyline was very moving," shared Geping on why he cried.

Shuming and Anthony on the other hand, were touched by the reactions from the audience.

When asked to rate his wife's performance, however, Geping stated that "it's not fair to rate my wife," and that he'd leave it to the audience to judge.

Ajoomma opens in Singapore cinemas Oct 27 with sneaks from Oct 21 to 24. 

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