Lingo Lingo babe makes movie debut as sexpot
Lingo's bombshell leaps onto big screen
Two months ago, she drew eyeballs as the voluptuous female lead in Ah Boys To Men star Tosh Zhang's controversial music video Lingo Lingo, which was panned by netizens for portraying an unrealistic, glamorous lifestyle of Singaporeans.
Freelance actress-model and YouTube personality Melody Low, 22, has moved on from posing coolly in front of private jets and supercars to a bigger stage.
Low, who first found fame in the past year by acting in several skits on YouTube channel cheokboardstudios, is making the leap onto the big screen with a supporting role in new local Mandarin movie Lucky Boy.
In the family comedy, slated for release in the second quarter of next year, she plays Yu Mei, a sexpot and friend of the male and female protagonists, played respectively by Ah Boys To Men star Wang Weiliang and Hong Kong actress Venus Wong.
Veteran local TV stars Chew Chor Meng and Chen Xiuhuan portray Wang's parents.
Low is unfazed by the "sexy" label - for now.
"At this point, I am open to any opportunity to act, so long as the storyline is good," she told The New Paper over the phone.
"But yes, in the future, I hope to break out of this sex symbol stereotype. I don't want to be typecast.
"My dream would be to play an obedient girl next door. In real life, I'm quite different from the sexy image you see in photo shoots. Other than going to parties at night, I usually am too lazy to slap on make-up."
Sighing, she admitted that her 32D assets do get in the way of her aim to crush stereotypes.
"Somehow, people always equate sexy with slutty, which is so not true," she stressed.
UPCOMING ROLES
However, seeing her in a meek, demure role will have to wait.
Low will also be starring in the sequel to local R21 erotic horror-thriller Lang Tong.
Released in March, Lang Tong revolves around a serial womaniser (William Lawandi) who meets his match in alluring Li Ling (Vivienne Tseng) and her younger sister Li Er (Angeline Yap). The film raised eyebrows as Yap bared it all for a few scenes.
While she declined to divulge details, Low said she is "one of the movie's two female lead actresses" and that it features "an entirely different cast as the first".
Lucky Boy director Boris Boo, whose film credits include 2010's Phua Chu Kang: The Movie and last year's Filial Party, said Low "aced her audition".
During yesterday's film commencement ceremony, the 39-year-old said he did not cast Low because of Lingo Lingo.
"Even before (the MV) came out, Melody was already quite famous online and on social media," he said. "We needed someone with a pretty face and someone who could pull off the character's 'bimbo' personality."
He said she even brought along "different sets of outfits", to portray the different ages of Yu Mei, as her character spans two decades, transforming from a 16-year-old to someone in her late 30s.
"She was very professional and came well-prepared, unlike many others who auditioned unsuccessfully," he added.
Dancing to stardom
YouTube is turning into the go-to platform for fresh talent.
Besides Melody Low, Lucky Boy also stars local YouTube personality Terence Then, who makes his big-screen debut as the smart-aleck buddy of Wang Weiliang's character.
While his name might not ring a bell, the online community may recognise the 28-year-old as a regular fixture on popular YouTube channel Wah!Banana, which has garnered more than 545,000 subscribers to date.
STARS: (From left) YouTube star Terence Then, Ah Boys To Men star Wang Weiliang, and actor Jeremy Chan. The trio play best buddies in new comedy Lucky Boy. -- TNP PHOTO: DALENE LOW
Then, a full-time dance instructor at O School, Temasek Secondary School and Pioneer Junior College, told TNP: "Acting in a film is really different from acting in YouTube videos.
"YouTube videos are short as they're meant to be viewed on the go, so acting-wise, it's very straightforward.
"But acting in a film, I need to understand my character's background. There is definitely a lot more depth."
Director Boris Boo, 39, said he had been following Wah!Banana for a long time and found Then "very hilarious".
"In real life, he looks different from his YouTube persona. At the audition, I couldn't recognise him at first! But he was great, his audition was a blast."
Boo added that as a filmmaker who makes mainstream flicks, he likes to cast YouTube personalities such as Then and Low to attract the younger, social media-savvy crowd.
"We are getting older and we need younger faces like Terence to inject our movies with a breath of fresh air," he said.
Then, who made his TV debut in Channel 5 telemovie Love Is Love earlier this year, hopes to strike a balance between his acting and teaching careers.
"I am extremely passionate about teaching dance, and I love acting as well. So hopefully, I can continue doing both and need not choose one over the other," he said.
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