Showing posts with label Living. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Living. Show all posts

Monday, August 3, 2020

She sells her body for a living

Source Website: https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/she-sells-her-body-living
By Seow Kai Lun, kailun@asiaone.com, AsiaOne, 31 July 2020 at 05:00 pm


PHOTO: Grace Teo, 張嘉軒 Zhāng jiā xuān, stunt actress, stretching is a must before any stunt sequence.
PHOTO: AsiaOne
Picture posted by Seow Kai Lun, kailun@asiaone.com, AsiaOne on 31 July 2020 at 05:00 pm

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If you watch the recent Mediacorp show, A Quest to Heal, whenever you see a scene of actress Carrie Wong's character flying in the air and spinning around, it may not be the actress herself you are seeing on screen.

Instead, the person you are looking at might be stunt actress Grace Teo, 張嘉軒 Zhāng jiā xuān.

The 28-year-old is one of the few females in the local media scene who stands in for actresses (and sometimes actors) when there's a scene that requires physical skills.



Posted by Seow Kai Lun, kailun@asiaone.com, AsiaOne on 31 July 2020 at 05:00 pm
https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/she-sells-her-body-living



And you would never have guessed that she engages in such physical activity on a regular basis. Rolling, falling, being slammed against the wall, and breaking tables as she falls are all in the day's work for her on set.

Growing up, Grace never thought that flying around in a harness would be all in a day's work for her.



PHOTO: Grace in MediaCorp show, A Quest To Heal
PHOTO: Provided by Grace Teo
Picture posted by Seow Kai Lun, kailun@asiaone.com, AsiaOne on 31 July 2020 at 05:00 pm

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She did, however, have dreams of being an actress, and this was how she ended up in the Lasalle College of the Arts. It was here that she was exposed to stunt work during one of her course modules.

Her Wushu and Aikido training from her younger days helped her pick up doing stunts fast. "I thought, wow, this is very cool, so I thought I might as well just have fun with it."

Little did she know that this would open the doors to the career she is pursuing today.

Starting out in stunts
Her official induction into the production happened by chance though. One of her classmates was acting alongside actor Sunny Pang, who is the founder of the stunt team, Ronin Action Group, and mentioned that he knew a girl who could do stunts. "I had a meeting with Sunny and that was the start of it all," she shared.

A few months after joining the group for their training sessions in 2015, she got her first paying job in the movie Siew Lup by Sam Loh.

It wasn't to show off her fighting skills though. "I was a stunt double who needed to know how to get 'abused', fall safely and get thrown on a table," said Grace. "For a day's work, the pay was not that bad. Definitely higher than what newbie actors would get."

Most local productions in Singapore don't require stunts that are too extreme. And for her group, they usually let her know which stunts a job would require before she agrees to it. "Sunny will ask, this one requires body slamming. Are you okay with it?"



PHOTO: Stunt practice
PHOTO: AsiaOne
Picture posted by Seow Kai Lun, kailun@asiaone.com, AsiaOne on 31 July 2020 at 05:00 pm
 

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She also makes it a point to inform her family about the stunts that she takes on. As her parents learnt Aikido alongside her, they trust that she knows what she is doing and that she knows what her limits are.

Her job is not without its own hazards though. Once, while doing a rehearsal for a stunt, Grace was slammed against a wall and suffered from whiplash. She had to be taken to the hospital immediately.

It took her six months to fully recover and the spunky stunt actress headed right back into stunt work.

I'm not that fearless
When people hear that she does stunts, they assume that she's very chor lor (uncouth) and is not afraid of anything. "I'm quite scared of cockroaches," Grace quipped.

Heights is another fear that she has, rather ironic for a stuntwoman. But as it's part and parcel of the job, she takes it on like a professional.

And when she takes on jobs with other groups, she doesn't always fully know what the stunt will involve, and one time it required her to jump off a four-storey building (with a harness, of course).

"The first try was really a leap of faith, but subsequently, once I got the hang of it, I thought, actually it's quite safe, and then it became something fun to do." That said, she will still hesitate to do it again.



PHOTO: Some of the protective equipment used while performing stunts
PHOTO: AsiaOne
Picture posted by Seow Kai Lun, kailun@asiaone.com, AsiaOne on 31 July 2020 at 05:00 pm

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kVEy1Zug2xNr4QTFUBm2hjUTyJLSnfLOvLTO7ZMzxUGrnhAv3BWy8UPsPQBjg_mWG4Df0I7BPUuREC0ajFzo_qqLr9jbEzNsEtiMnLAfFwXjc6ItnK4D-36Pa-Yyzp56hJHSoNF-Xho/s1600/20200731+Stunt+Actress+2.jpg
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Other stunts that are a no go for her, are rolling down the stairs, as she has a lower back injury, as well as car stunts, especially those that might have direct contact with a car. Though there is protective gear provided and safety precautions taken with every stunt, she'll rather not take the risk.

Keeping stunt skills sharp
Not all stunts are that physical though, and it can be as simple as falling on your back. But doing that takes skills and it's not as safe as one may think. "Doing these [moves] can actually break your bones. Knowing how to fall safely is very important."

When her group meets, they do a variety of training, everything from knife work and gun handling to fight scene choreography and how to be thrown about.



Posted by Grace Teo 張嘉軒 Zhāng jiā xuān, gracetjx on 22 May 2020 at 1:02am - Throwback knife-fight choreo with @jazephua @roninaction
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAe48ebHD8q/



Interestingly, though people may think that those doing stunts need to be physically fit, Grace debunks that immediately. "You see stunt people with bellies as well, but they are skilled in their moves," she shared, citing Sammo Hung as an example of an actor who does stunts and fight scenes skilfully, something you may not have guessed if you just judged him based on his appearance. 

The actress that she looks up to is fellow Malaysian Michelle Yeoh. "She's a good example of a good actress who is able to do her own stunts, which is very admirable."

Her dream to meet the actress came true a few years ago, thanks to a friend. She recalls being absolutely star-struck but she "still managed to utter out a question".


PHOTO: Working out a knife fight sequence
PHOTO: AsiaOne
Picture posted by Seow Kai Lun, kailun@asiaone.com, AsiaOne on 31 July 2020 at 05:00 pm

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https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/she-sells-her-body-living



For now, Grace's calling card of being an actress who can also do stunts has helped her carve a niche in the industry and clinched her acting jobs. "They know that I have an acting background and my selling point is that I can fight. For one of the roles, I was cast as an MMA fighter. As it was rather heavy in stunts, they took it as one of their considerations, and I got the job."

She does want to expand her acting portfolio though and had the chance to do it recently. "When they called, they said, 'Grace, I know you fight, but are you okay to act in a different type of role?' I said yes immediately. It was great to try something different and I hope I get more chances."

As stunt jobs don't come by every day, Grace does hold a full-time job to pay the rent and her boss allows her to take on acting and stunt jobs whenever they come her way.


PHOTO: For now, Grace's calling card of being an actress who can also do stunts has helped her carve a niche in the industry and clinched her acting jobs. As stunt jobs don't come by every day, Grace does hold a full-time job to pay the rent and her boss allows her to take on acting and stunt jobs whenever they come her way.
Picture posted by Seow Kai Lun, kailun@asiaone.com, AsiaOne on 31 July 2020 at 05:00 pm

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANitEETx0TCdy6OHOFLav9WDfVZ5svhN94KaPn947I5YMhLfgHo-IME557Hcq_EgLinN22yf9CNCA2-s0Fejc_C22OUBDGREiG7G-HyPGCY40ReVmKQyDpqJz9z3RQoFoHiPOUjo_brg/s1600/20200731+Stunt+Actress+header+1_1.jpg
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https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/she-sells-her-body-living



This is the case of most stunt performers as the income from stunts alone is insufficient and unsustainable, not to mention the high risk it carries.

She does have a role that she's looking forward to — she's been cast in Ranjeet Marwa's upcoming flick, Blood Rush. Her Ronin Action Group boss Sunny set up a meeting with the director, and thereafter, a role was written into the script just for her, something she's very grateful for.



The income of most stunt performers from stunts alone is insufficient and unsustainable
The income of most stunt performers from stunts alone is insufficient and unsustainable
PHOTO: The income of most stunt performers from stunts alone is insufficient and unsustainable, not to mention the high risk it carries. If a role was written into the script just for them, something they will be very grateful for.
Picture posted by Vincent D., Vehemel on 24 March 2011 - I Have A Friend VIII
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https://www.deviantart.com/vehemel/art/I-Have-A-Friend-VIII-202136215



However, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, filming that was supposed to start in June has been pushed back to next year.

For those who aspire to perhaps be the next big action star in Asia, she advises first picking up a martial art and watch action shows. Joining one of the stunt groups is also another route to learning how to do stunts. "We hold workshops and join us for one of those. And from there, if you are ready, you could become one of us."


For those who aspire to perhaps be the next big action star in Asia, she advises first picking up a martial art and watch action shows.
For those who aspire to perhaps be the next big action star in Asia, she advises first picking up a martial art and watch action shows.
PHOTO: For those who aspire to perhaps be the next big action star in Asia, she advises first picking up a martial art and watch action shows. Joining one of the stunt groups is also another route to learning how to do stunts.
Picture  posted by artisticnin on 01 July 2011 - Kie 4
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihxEuf9Cmpnm0vVtcL41IwghA6nPmTT1A4XU8SdpiFAd-GI6iAcma8d08qH9l2hQXhxEJKH-oZSue8h0V_U8sUjiCL5Qkcm9NGA0zkL6DEe-pDFfjcFb5dvy1DOZ0FxFYZYMKOS-5coaE/s1600/kie_4_by_artisticnin_d3kkn4j-fullview_11.gif
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https://www.deviantart.com/artisticnin/art/Kie-4-215953939

 

Her dream to meet the actress came true a few years ago, thanks to a friend.
PHOTO: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21).
Artwork by Mabel Rollins Harris - Fairy In A Sea Breeze
Picture posted by ETSY
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By Seow Kai Lun, kailun@asiaone.com, AsiaOne, 31 July 2020 at 05:00 pm





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https://www.asiaone.com/sites/default/files/original_images/Sep2019/widwid_nudephotographer_cover.jpg
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Seniors can queue since 4am for a S$54 handphone but then demand a seat on the MRT, posted on Tuesday, 06 August 2019
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Reference
[1] Seow Kai Lun, kailun@asiaone.com, AsiaOne, She sells her body for a living, posted on 31 July 2020 at 05:00 pm, https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/she-sells-her-body-living


Links


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Monday, July 19, 2010

Living on the edge of a knife

China Daily/Asia News Network Sun, Jul 18, 2010
Website:
http://business.asiaone.com/Business/Office/Hot%2BJobs/Story/A1Story20100713-226700.html
Website:
http://chinadaily.cn/china/2010-07/13/content_10097427.htm
Website:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/indepth/2010-07/13/c_13397118.htm
By
Wang Qian



PHOTO: Wang Xuemei, 54, the first female forensic doctor of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, is seen in an artistic photo (right) and at work.
[
PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY]
China Daily/Asia News Network Sun, Jul 18, 2010

http://business.asiaone.com/A1MEDIA/business/07Jul10/others/20100713.180411_july1310_forensicdoctor_350.jpg


BEIJING, CHINA, Respected, elegant, daring, straightforward, even cheerful, are not exactly the first words you would think of to describe someone who works with the dead.

Yet for Wang Xuemei, China's top female forensic doctor, that seeming contradiction is her reality.

While remaining positive and happy in her daily life, in her work she uncovers the truths of life and death waiting silently to be discovered below the flesh.

Through her training she communes with the dead and lets them tell her what happened. "The living may lie, but the dead don't," says the 54-year-old as she looks at two human skeletons standing motionless beside her office desk.

Over the past 30 years, Wang has performed autopsies for countless criminal cases. Under her scalpel, bodies offer up their secrets.

"I learn a lot from my work. When a dead body is lying there, he or she is using their whole life to teach me, and I must respect the clues they have left for me in order to find out about their past," Wang said.

She is one of the few people in the country to hold a master's degree in forensic medicine and the first female forensic doctor of the Supreme People's Procuratorate. In 2008 she was named a Model Career Woman of China.

(The Supreme People's Procuratorate (simplified Chinese: 最高人民检察院; pinyin: Zuì gāo Rén mín Jiǎn chá yuàn) is the highest agency at the national level responsible for both prosecution and investigation in the People's Republic of China.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_People%27s_Procuratorate)

Through her autopsies she has made crucial contributions to tracking down and punishing criminals. "That's why I always respect the dead," Wang said. "I might behave funny sometimes in my daily life, but I immediately become careful, serious and decisive as soon as I get to work."



PHOTO: Wang Xuemei [PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY]
http://chinadaily.cn/china/2010-07/13/content_10097427.htm
http://business.asiaone.com/Business/Office/Hot%2BJobs/Story/A1Story20100713-226700.html
http://business.asiaone.com/a1media/business/07Jul10/others/wangxuemei.jpg


She recalled a recent case involving a woman who died soon after giving birth. Her husband was accused of killing after he had slapped her during a quarrel the night before she gave birth, rupturing her eardrums, which could have led to the bacterial infection that killed her.

But her autopsy proved his innocence, showing that she died because her immune system was too weak to fight the bacteria that had infected her long before the incident.

"It is a great pity to see a life disappear this way," Wang said. "When a person gets angry, the immune system gets weak and viruses can attack the body more easily than usual, which might be the real cause of her death."

Her years of hard work have resulted in her own immune system being seriously impaired. Nevertheless, she has no intention of putting aside her scalpel any time soon.

Sometimes, she said, it is not others who kill you, but by giving up you let yourself die. "I love life and I can easily lighten up my life," added Wang, a single mother with a 24-year-old daughter. "Whenever I feel down, I sing. When I sing, I can see sunshine pouring into my life.

"This is probably the reason that I can always explore the dark world of death and crime yet without being dragged down."

Born into an army family, Wang has learned to be optimistic and always laughs at any hardship and embarrassment she encounters in her career.



PHOTO: (Source: China Daily)
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/indepth/2010-07/13/13397118_11n.jpg
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/indepth/2010-07/13/c_13397118.htm


She happily recalled her third autopsy as a student when she had still barely managed to hide her fear of corpses. This time she had to perform an autopsy on a bloody body contaminated with hepatitis B.

While she tried to avoid getting blood on her clothes, a colleague unintentionally splashed it all over her while trying to clean the corpse with tap water.

"I simply threw down the scalpel, ran out of the lab and cried for almost three hours," Wang said, laughing about her old fears.

The next day, Wang, however, was back and as smiley as ever. "After that good cry, I wasn't afraid of corpses any more," she said.

Wang took to forensic medicine because of her teacher Liu Mingjun, who is also an excellent forensic doctor.

Wang said she initially thought forensic doctors would appear cold and ugly because they had to deal with ruined bodies every day. But Liu's elegance changed her mind and let her know that a forensic doctor could be as graceful as a dancer.

"She made me feel forensic medicine is a marvelous and charming world, like dancing," Wang said. "We forensic doctors are dancing on the edge of knives and thinking about life through our communication with deceased souls."

Nevertheless, as romantic as she phrased it, a forensic doctor's work has always been very challenging, not only physically but mentally, Wang said. "You'd never imagine what's coming from the autopsy. It makes me feel like there are new surprising things every day, which always keeps me interested and excited. This is the very life I like."
By Wang Qian



Reference