Natalie Tong (唐詩詠) has often been stereotyped as the nice girl-next-door in TVB dramas. However, Bullet Brain <神探高倫布> proves to be a breakthrough for Natalie who proves herself ready and matured to handle more challenging roles. Playing the role of Mui Mui in Bullet Brain was a challenging experience for Natalie. To prepare for her role, she not only locked herself in a bathroom for three hours to get into the mindset of her schizophrenia-like character. Natalie said, “I have always played characters which are like me. For once, I was given a role that is so unlike myself. Because I had no idea how to play her initially, I spent a lot of time talking with former mental patients and recorded their stories. Slowly, I began to get into the character’s world.” Acting for more than 10 years since her debut in Youth @Y2K <青春@Y2K>, it had been a long path to success for 32-year-old Natalie. Unlike her costars Charlene Choi (蔡卓妍) and Shawn Yue (余文樂), Natalie’s career seemed to be several steps behind. However, Natalie said she had only herself to blame for her slow rise. “I never really thought about my future and did not make an effort to work hard. My mentality then was just to try new experiences. Perhaps some may think my efforts now are too late, but I don’t want to think about that. I just want to focus on what I need to do.” Mother’s Death Matured Natalie Overnight In reality, Natalie has matured through the hard way. In 2009, when Natalie’s mother passed away from heart attack, the considerate Natalie took upon herself to take over caring for her father and elder brother. With the sudden added burden, Natalie turned from a pampered daughter into a matured adult overnight. With the passing of her mother, Natalie also learned to cherish her loved ones. She said matter-of-factly, “I used to be fussy and loved to pick on others. Now, my thinking is simple and I will not expect others to be with me wholeheartedly.” Natalie’s romance with on-again off-again boyfriend, Amigo Chui (崔建邦), has always been in the limelight. Despite numerous reports of Amigo’s cheating and his subsequent career downfall, Natalie gave him unwavering love and support. Learning from experience, Natalie only wished to speak about her work and left her heavily gossiped romantic life without comment. Creds: ihktv
