PUBLISHED ONJune 21, 2023 5:59 AMByDrima ChakrabortySometimes in life, you do something you don't expect to enjoy but discover you gained an appreciation for it by the time it's over.
That was the case for actress Charmaine Sheh, who told Hong Kong media at the wrap party for her upcoming TVB drama The Queen of News that she initially didn't like her character.
Playing a news anchor, the 48-year-old was wary about the challenge of memorising so many lines, but ended up feeling sad about leaving the role behind.
"I no longer have to memorise lines when I get home now, so I personally feel a little empty," she added.
Cast and crew for The Queen of News gathered for a large-scale wrap party last Friday (June 16) consisting of 19 banquet tables, a rarity in Hong Kong showbiz since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Charmaine even reportedly contributed a five-figure sum to the lucky draw out of pocket, and her co-star Rosita Kwok took to Instagram to thank the former for her generosity.
"Thank you, Sister Man," she wrote, referring to the nickname of Charmaine's character on the show.
In one of the photos, Rosita and fellow cast and crew members, including actors Enson Lau, Danny Hung, Leonard Cheng and Henry Lee can be seen holding HK$1,000 (S$170) bank notes.
In another photo, Charmaine can be seen with a large group of over 20 holding up their cash prizes.
Rosita, 25, wasn't the only one with praise to give for the veteran actress.
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Matthew Ho, 34, who plays the assistant and potential love interest of Charmaine's character in The Queen of News, told Hong Kong media: "I never thought she would take care of the younger actors, and I've already started to miss her.
"It's not just me, all our colleagues said that they were reluctant to part with her. After the end of filming, she immediately flew to mainland China to start working there. I really admire her."
He also admitted that he — and most people who have worked with Charmaine — ended up being enamoured with her.
"Everyone loves her, and no one will have a bad impression of her," he explained. "I was surprised by how great she was. She would chat with everyone during filming and treat everyone with kindness.
"You think, playing a news 'queen', she would have a certain aura, but she was very friendly in private."
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drimac@asiaone.com
