I’m really just a SHY GIRL
Model-actress Christy Yow claims she’s ill at ease playing sexy
By Kwok Kar Peng
September 21, 2009
MODEL Christy Yow is a hard one to figure out.
POUTING: Christy during a bikini shoot.
–PICTURE:
FHM SINGAPORE
She preened and pouted her full lips for The New Paper’s camera crew and threw us come-hither looks.
She said she was willing to strip naked for a lead role in Eric Khoo’s upcoming movie Chinese Rose.
Yet, in the same interview, the 23-year-old recalled how uncomfortable she was modelling for FHM Singapore.
Christy, known for her ample 34C bosom, shot to fame when she posed in a skimpy bikini for the December issue of the local lad mag.
She also claimed she had difficulty acting sexy in her first acting attempt in straight-to-DVD movie Aunties United, where she plays a shy and conservative girl.
‘I trust nude scenes in Chinese Rose will be tasteful’
Will the real Christy Yow, please stand up?
She insists she’s a shy girl at heart, but transforms into a sex goddess only in front of the camera.
Away from work, she wears spectacles and goes without make-up. She is always in T-shirt, jeans or shorts, and flip-flops, she said.
She added: ‘I want to gain a foothold in the showbiz industry, so I have to behave professionally. I cannot portray a role badly just because I’m shy.’
A scene that she found particularly tough in Aunties United was one that required her to walk slowly towards the camera, looking sexy.
She said: ‘I had to pose, sway a little and look sexy. I didn’t think it would be difficult and everyone thought I would be able to complete it in just one take.
‘But it felt weird when I did it. I wasn’t natural. I thought it could be because it was my first time acting.’
The scene was filmed in a sports hall and it was only after the director asked the crew to leave the hall that Christy managed to wrap up the scene. It took her close to 10 takes to get it right.
Christy also had problems during her FHM photo shoot. The Ipoh-born girl had told her manager that she wanted very much to be on the cover of FHM Malaysia.
So her manager approached the editor of the men’s magazine in Singapore, who agreed to feature her after seeing her photos.
Silk dress
She went for a fitting session and tried on a long silk dinner dress.
But Christy had a rude shock when she learnt she had to wear bikinis for the photo shoot in Bali.
‘I couldn’t turn down the photo shoot because we had already travelled all the way to Bali. I eventually didn’t model the silk dress,’ she recalled.
It was her first time modelling in bikinis. The male photographer, sensing her discomfort, asked everyone except the female make-up artist to leave the shoot.
It was only after a few breaks, when she chatted with her manager, that she relaxed and finished the session.
When the photos were published, a local Chinese daily nicknamed her the Busty 36C Lady from Malaysia.
She has since lost weight and is now a size 34C.
‘I was shocked at the nickname. It sounded like something from a Hong Kong gossip magazine. But over time, I slowly accepted it.’
Full frontal
Christy said she is keen to play 1950s cabaret star Rose Chan in Eric Khoo’s upcoming movie Chinese Rose, even if it means having to do scenes with full-frontal nudity.
She said she was moved by Rose’s tragic life.
‘Rose is a very strong and proud person. It’ll be a very challenging role and a very good opportunity for me if I get it. I have to think professionally and not be so bothered about the nude scenes.’
She admitted she initially had reservations about the role. ‘But after reading the script, I realised that the nude scenes are an essential and small part of the entire story. Rose is more than just a striptease performer. She had a very tumultuous life and the movie will be about her spirit.’
Christy said she trusts the nude scenes would be tasteful.
Eric has been having problems finding the right actress to play Rose.
He first announced he was looking for an actress for the role at a press conference in April last year. One year later, Eric told The New Paper that he had yet to find his Rose despite 200 applicants and 20 auditions.
Then again, the actress has to meet his stringent criteria. In Eric’s own words, she should ideally have ‘the sultry lips of Shu Qi, the voluptuous figure of Fiona Xie, the height of Beatrice Chia, and the poise and complexion of Gong Li’.
She must have the acting skills of Maggie Cheung, tell jokes like Irene Ang, be comfortable with snakes and be able to speak Mandarin and Cantonese.
On top of that, she must be willing to strip for full-frontal nude scenes.
When contacted, Eric confirmed that Christy is one of a few actresses on his short list. The other contenders are also fresh faces.
Eric said he sees a lot of potential in Christy and likes her determination and maturity.
He pointed out that the role is challenging as the actress would have to play Rose from the age of 17 to 36.
Actors for the other roles have yet to be confirmed, but Eric wants to use mostly fresh faces.
The movie is in pre-production and filming will likely begin in the first quarter of next year. The screenplay is by James Toh, who also wrote Eric’s 12 Storeys.
During her audition, Christy had to display a range of emotions, from sad to happy to angry, as demanded by the script. But she did not have to pose nude.
On her personal life, she would only reveal that she is dating a Taiwanese, a ’30-year-old upcoming actor’.
They met early last month when she was in Taipei to attend a 10-day acting class. They played a couple in a skit but it was only after she returned to Singapore that love blossomed.
Christy said: ‘He would give me a call at 6.30am every day when I filmed Aunties United.
‘If you see me with heavy eyebags and bad complexion, it just means that we had chatted till late the night before.’
The NewPaper
Rock On 2011 