Culture

Star caught in sex photo scandal makes comeback with new movie

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-07-22 07:53

Hong Kong actress Gillian Chung has spent two years trying to walk out of the sex scandal shadow. [Provided to China Daily]

Gillian Chung, former member of the pop band Twins has been in a slump since she was involved in the Edison Chen sex photo scandal two years ago.

From publicly apologizing for her nave behavior to having her photo illegally used on a recent erotic DVD cover, Chung went from low point to low point.

"I work hard and get encouragement from many friends. The most important thing in my life is to live happily," she said, when her movie The Fantastic Water Babes, which was shot one year before the scandal broke, finally hit the big screens.

The movie was shot in 2007 and was set for release in the summer of 2008.

But due to the erotic picture scandal, in which photos of Hong Kong actor Chen and Chung were stolen from Chen's computer and released on Internet in early 2008, the film was suspended.

Some insiders in entertainment industry even said they though that Chung might leave performing permanently.

Chung hasn't received any movie offers in the two years since the scandal.

But Chung is back in the spotlight again and seems to have become more outgoing and talkative, and is projecting a more mature public image of herself than she did before.

"I feel better to be myself like this," said Chung.

She is once again doing media interviews, although she refuses to talk about the scandal.

In The Fantastic Water Babes, Chung plays a woman who is cheated by her boyfriend and takes revenge to regain her self-esteem.

"The experience of the character is kind of similar to mine," said Chung.

Chung, who seemingly had a bright future in the entertainment industry before the scandal, was the subject of many unfounded and unsavory, online rumors after it broke.

In the first three months after the scandal she stayed at home and her family forbade her from going online, watching television, listening to the radio or reading newspapers.

She had acted as Mei Lanfang's younger wife in Chen Kaige's film Forever Enthralled, but all her scenes were deleted because the movie producer worried her appearance would potentially damage the movie's revenue.

But Chung says she has weathered the storm of criticism and rumors well.

Born in a single-parent family in Hong Kong, Chung lost her father as a one-year-old and was raised by her extended family and family's friends.

"I had a different childhood from my peers, so I am perhaps emotionally stronger than most people," she said.

Chung cautiously returned to public life about a year ago, appearing in advertisements and attended charity activities.

"Everything will pass," said Chung.