Xu Jiao goes ape
Did you know
Xu Jiao won the Best New Performer at the 2009 Hong Kong Film Awards.
By Tatat Bunnag
Photographs are courtesy
of Sahamongkol Film International
Hitting local cinemas on August 1 is Mr. Go, one of South Korea’s most talked-about films of the year. Directed by Kim Yong-Hwa, Mr. Go is adapted from Heo Young-man’s popular comic 7th Baseball Club, about a baseball-playing gorilla named Ling Ling.
With its jaw-dropping visual effects and top-class computer graphics, Mr. Go has made quite an impact on the South Korean film industry. Besides the computer-generated gorilla, the film stars 16-year-old Chinese actress Xu Jiao as Wei Wei, a gorilla trainer and Ling Ling’s best friend.
Student Weekly recently had an exclusive interview with the cute young star to ask her about the making of Mr. Go.
Student Weekly: You surprisingly became famous playing a boy in the Chinese film CJ7, which also starred Hong Kong star Stephen Chow. Were your fans confused by that?
Xu Jiao: Yes, many people were surprised by that! [Laughs.] But it turned out to be good publicity. Now I’m easily recognised by fans. When people see me on the street, they say, “That’s the girl who plays a boy in Stephen Chow’s movie!”
Student Weekly: Can you tell us about your character in Mr. Go?
Xu Jiao: I play Wei Wei, a Chinese circus master who tries to save her deceased grandfather's circus with Ling Ling, a gorilla who has a talent for baseball. Wei Wei is the only person that Ling Ling trusts.
Student Weekly: What was it like working on your first Korean film production?
Xu Jiao: It was an amazing experience, but also very challenging. I had a lot of language and communication problems. Also, I had to act with a computer-generated gorilla the whole time, which was very difficult. But having such a professional team made it easier. Kim Yong-Hwa is very talented director. He has an optimistic vision that makes the film appealing.
Student Weekly: How does it feel being hailed in the press as Asia’s answer to Dakota Fanning or Emma Watson?
Xu Jiao: I feel honoured. I’m a fan of both actresses, but I don’t think I’m good enough yet to be compared with them. I’ve been in a few different movies, but I’m still a young girl. I’m proud of what I’ve done. My mom is an avid fan of movies, and I was raised to be a film lover too.
Student Weekly: Is it true that you’re a big fan of cosplay?
Xu Jiao: Yes, it’s my hobby. I love reading comic books and dressing up. Dressing up as a cartoon character is quite fun. Sometime cosplay can make you feel like you’ve escaped from reality and into another world, where you can either be a kid or an adult.
Student Weekly: What makes Mr. Go worth seeing?
Xu Jiao: It’s a superb movie. I’ve never seen any other film where the CG effects look so realistic. It easily compares with Hollywood’s best animated films. It’s also a film full of touching moments that will make you cry with pleasure!
Vocabulary
- jaw-dropping (adj): very impressive, surprising and exciting
top-class (adj): of the highest quality or standard
generate (v): to produce or create something
publicity (n): the attention that is given to somebody or something by newspapers, television, magazines, etc.
deceased (adj): dead
optimistic (adj): expecting good things to happen or something to be successful
appealing (adj): attractive or interesting
hail (v): to describe something or somebody as being very good or special, especially in newspapers, etc.
avid (adj): very enthusiastic about something
superb (adj): of very good quality
touching (adj): making you feel emotional
