Kai Ko recently revealed that he actually gained nearly 10kgs for his role in the new movie, “I Blew Out the Candles Before Making a Wish”.
The actor, who plays the role of a soft-hearted debt collector in the movie, said that he deliberately gained the weight to portray the life of a Macau casino employee.
“Macau casino employees work day and night shifts, and due to the fact that they eat late-night snacks, the director wanted the character to not be too thin. I needed to gain weight in a short period of time, which put a strain on my body. I was worried that my metabolism would slow down after I turned 30, making it difficult to lose weight later,” he said.
Besides the physical challenge, Kai revealed that he also spent six months learning Cantonese from a teacher. He joked that he was most afraid of being teased by his young co-star Mui Cheng-in, who plays the lead character Jojo in the movie.
“The tones of Cantonese are really difficult. If you mispronounce it, it can become a completely different meaning, or even a derogatory word. Fortunately, Cheng-in would correct me gently, which helped me gradually master it.”
In the movie, Kai plays a debt collector who collaborates with an 11-year-old who orchestrates a casino scheme in the hopes of solving her family’s problems.
(Photo Source: Candles Wish movie IG)