Oh gee, Gigi Leung's a D?

It is not every woman's desire to have ample breasts.

And it is certainly not the desire of Hong Kong star Gigi Leung, who experienced life as a buxom babe in her new movie Aberdeen (M18).

In the Hong Kong socio-drama, now showing in cinemas here, Leung, 38, plays an ageing model-actress with 36D assets.

With her figure nowhere near such on-screen voluptuousness - Leung has never revealed her vital stats, but it is believed she is a B-cup - she had to artificially prop up her chest with "special make-up", which includes wearing a prosthetic.

"I'd arrive on our film set two hours before everyone else to have that effect created," she told The New Paper in a phone interview from Hong Kong.

"Personally, I don't think having extremely big breasts is ideal. They are really heavy, they weigh you down, they make you feel hot. I think it's better to have a proportionate figure. Chest size doesn't matter."

Lest you think it is a case of sour grapes, the singer-actress, who is married to Spanish businessman Sergio Crespo Gutes, stressed that she is confident of her own body. The couple have no children.

When quizzed if she has had bosom envy, Leung laughed.

"No. I'm not that small anyway (referring to her chest)," she said.

Aberdeen, which has Hong Kong ensemble cast that includes Eric Tsang, Miriam Yeung and Louis Koo, sees Leung in her sexiest and boldest role to date. It is possibly a career-defining role.

Her character, Ceci, feeling insecure about the competition in showbiz, contemplates giving sexual favours to rich businessmen to gain an edge over her younger rivals.

There is even an implied oral sex scene between Leung and her on-screen husband (Koo), where she is seen rolling about in bed in only a baggy T-shirt and underwear.

Leung acknowledges that playing Ceci was a departure from her usual sweetie-pie, girl-next-door roles, such as in romantic flicks Tempting Heart (1999) and Turn Left, Turn Right (2003).

PASSIONATE SCENE

She added that she had no issue with shooting such an intimate, passionate scene with Koo.

"The idea (of us having oral sex) might be bold, but everything is implied and nothing is actually exposed," she said. "Of course, I felt the script warranted it, too."

That, and the fact that she and Koo go a long way back.

"It was great acting opposite Louis again, as the last time we played lovers was a decade ago, in (rom-com) Love On The Rocks," recalled Leung.

Another scene, which showed Ceci attending a party for socialites and female celebrities with many under-table offers of paid sex, is a concept foreign to Leung.

"In my career, I have never been invited to such parties," she said firmly.

"Our director, Pang Ho Cheung, has never been to one, too. Initially, he thought of attending one as part of his research for the film, but he was worried about being recognised. So he backed out."

She said he imagined up the scene and felt he had done it creatively.

She added: "We always have the impression of wealthy businessmen as old and grey-haired, but the guy Ceci cosies up to at the party turns out to be young and handsome (Shawn Yue in a scene-stealing cameo)."

Towards the end of the movie, Ceci admits to having had plastic surgery in her younger years.

Leung said: "Director Pang chose me to play Ceci because he was 100 per cent certain that I have not had work done on my face. I'm very honoured that he finds my natural features attractive enough for the role."

"Going for plastic surgery is an individual choice. I'm not against other artistes going under the knife, but I won't do it because I have a low pain threshold."

"Plus I'm quite happy with the looks my parents gave me."

This article was first published on May 26, 2014.
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