PUBLISHED ONSeptember 08, 2022 9:23 AMByKhoo Yi-HangSurrounded by durians in a durian plantation, how could this self-proclaimed durian lover resist the temptation?
In an interview with local media today (Sept 8), director Jack Neo and actress Yeo Yann Yann revealed that the latter was covertly chowing down on durians while filming his latest movie titled King of Musang King in Malaysia.
"While she was filming, she was also secretly eating durians," Jack, 62, said to AsiaOne. "She just ate it without my instructions."
He said the durians are meant to be treated as props and not food, since durians are now scarce outside of the durian season.
Yann Yann, 45, wasn't eating the luscious fruit for a scene — she was gobbling them down because she couldn't restrain herself when flanked from all angles in a durian plantation.
The award-winning Malaysian actress has enjoyed major success outside of local showbiz, having acted in both Netflix and Disney+ productions. She explained why she has returned here to act in Jack's upcoming Chinese New Year film.
Admitted Yann Yann: "Durian is one of my biggest loves in life, so when I heard we were going to make a film about durians I couldn't resist (joining the cast)."
King of Musang King is a romantic comedy movie directed by Jack, where Yann Yann plays Meilian, the heiress of a durian plantation and the wife of Jinshui (Mark Lee).
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When Jinshui leaves in pursuit of a Vietnamese woman, Meilian continues to tend to her plantation. In his absence, she slowly falls for her childhood friend Maoshan (Jack), who also happens to secretly harbour feelings for her.
But after finding out that the Vietnamese woman was swindling him for his money, Jinshui returns to Meilian 20 years later.
Yann Yann added she managed to add in a scene to satiate her durian cravings.
"I added my own scene just to eat durians. The crew kept saying, 'You can't eat the durians because we don't have enough props.'"
Upon hearing this, Jack laughingly interjected: "She ate the props!"
Justifying her actions, Yann Yann explained that the "props" were "fresh" and had just dropped last night, adding that the pungent durian aroma was irresistible to her.
"Only the female protagonist has this power," Jack shared. "Let me tell you this: Even if the extras held the durians for five hours, none of them were allowed to eat the durians."
Chiming in, Yann Yann cheekily said: "I added my scene but nobody dares to scold me. Sorry director!"
Jack Neo's King of Musang King is expected to open in cinemas for Chinese New Year in 2023. It also stars Henry Thia as dishonest durian seller Liu Lianwang and Glenn Yong as Meilian's son. Jack is keeping Xixi Lim's character a secret for now.
khooyihang@asiaone.com