'I was almost disfigured': Ann Kok recalls scary experience during filming of period drama

One of the perks of being an actor is to be able to experience different times and events that are impossible in your own life.

For veteran local actress Ann Kok, that was one of her reasons for participating in costume dramas, including Heavenly Ghost (1995), Legend of the White Hair Brides (1996) and The Legends of Jigong (1996).

Speaking to radio station Capital 958 DJs Lin Lingzhi and Jernelle Oh yesterday (April 1), the 51-year-old expressed that she still has an interest in this genre.

Lingzhi asked: "Do you still want to wear a wire harness for filming now? Are you sure?"

Ann responded that she tried it before in the past and understood there are more safety procedures for actors now.

"There was once when I fell from a height. I was almost disfigured," she shared as Lingzhi and Jernelle gasped.

While Ann did not elaborate when the accident happened or which drama it was, she said that when she fell, she landed on some stones with her palms first.

She said: "I sprained my right arm. Just a while ago, the old injury acted up again."

Last year, she told Shin Min Daily News about her experience filming the 1996 period drama Legend of the White Hair Brides in Xinjiang, China, for three months.

She recounted then that she suffered a stunt accident on set where the wires suspending her came loose and she fell. She hit her head against a rock and suffered a sprained right hand and had to be sent to the Accident and Emergency department.

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Lingzhi asked if Ann would still dare to film a similar scene again and the latter replied she would.

"But I did develop a slight fear for heights," she confessed.

After 31 years in showbiz, Ann will receive the All-Time Favourite Artiste trophy in Star Awards this year, an honour given to celebrities who have won the Top 10 Most Popular Artiste award 10 times.

The DJs asked Ann about her experiences throughout the years, from venturing overseas for her acting career, joining the now-defunct MediaWorks in 2003, returning to Mediacorp later to leaving the broadcaster again in 2014.

"I think I am just someone who doesn't stay in my comfort zone… Maybe I was young at the time and didn't think too much about it, but just working in the direction to pursue my dreams," she said.

Despite that, Ann said that joining the entertainment industry was completely unexpected for her.

"Acting was never something that I wanted to pursue. It wasn't my interest… I actually wanted to work in a marketing company. I told myself at that time that I wanted to look for a job that didn't require me to put on makeup," she said.

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She added that she was studying travel and tourism at the time and was working in a travel agency, but wasn't happy during her time there, which led her to join Star Search in 1993 "just for fun".

Ann said her interest as an actress only started after filming her first few dramas, when she was able to express her own thoughts and communicate with the director, actors and production team about her performance.

In 2019, she took a hiatus and returned three years later for the 130-episode drama Healing Heroes.

Star Awards will be telecast live on Channel 8 and U on April 21, starting from 3.30pm, with simulcast on mewatch and Mediacorp Entertainment YouTube channel.

ALSO READ: Paige Chua recalls time she 'broke down' after Best Actress loss in 2018, but she's 'okay' not being nominated for Star Awards this year

yeo.shuhui@asiaone.com

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