Since winning the title of Miss Hong Kong in 2011, Rebecca Zhu (朱晨麗) was known more for her romantic rumors than her acting career. Starring in two well-received dramas this year, The Last Healer in Forbidden City <末代御醫> and Over Run Over <EU超時任務>, Rebecca’s opportunities are finally emerging.
Portraying two tragic roles back-to-back, Rebecca admitted that it was difficult to extricate her emotions from the characters. “It felt like I became an entirely different person. I liked to isolate myself. Back then, I wouldn’t cry while practicing [my dialogue], but after filming commenced, I couldn’t stop crying! I remember during that time, I also had to do voice overs for another drama. The dialogue I read was supposed to be very relaxed, but I instead delivered it in a very disheartening way. Luckily at the time, Gigi Wong (黃淑儀) was there and she reminded me to relax so I could perform better. I immediately became more awake!”
Despite being unable to swim, Rebecca had to film a scene in The Last Healer in Forbidden City where she had to jump into and be submerged inside a deep well. “Because we wanted the scene to be very realistic where I was struggling in the water, the staff would step on my hands when I tried to cling to the sides of the well. So I kept drinking the dirty water when I was submerged. It was very difficult. After filming the scene, my entire body had an allergic reaction. There was water in my ears and my nose was very uncomfortable.”
Filming opposite Pal Sinn (單立文) in Over Run Over, Rebecca praised Pal for his humor and ability to lighten up the atmosphere. “In the past, he portrayed my father. This time, he portrayed by husband. We understand each other, so the atmosphere is very cheerful. But once the cameras started rolling, everyone will immediately change their expressions. So thanks to him, it’s like I’m back in acting class again!”