Li Yuanling Rates Her Acting 60 Points, Chu Mimi Jokingly Quips, 'How Am I Supposed to Live?'

Malaysia’s ‘Piano Goddess’ Li Yuanling takes on her first lead role in a Lunar New Year movie, starring as the heroine of “Spice Up The Celebration” (Lame Duo Xi Shi). Asked if she felt pressured about the box office performance, she calmly replied, “A movie can’t be carried by just one person; it’s the result of everyone’s hard work. I don’t have many works yet, so I can only do my best with my part.” She rated her own acting a 60 out of 100, saying there was still lots of room for improvement. This drew a quick-witted response from veteran actress Chu Mimi, who joked, “You’re sitting next to me saying you only got 60; then what about me? How am I supposed to live?” sending the whole crowd into laughter.

The magical New Year film “Spice Up The Celebration” is set to premiere across Malaysia on February 26. On the 3rd, director Ko Chien led the cast—including Li Yuanling, Taiwanese actor King Kong, Hong Kong’s Karl Ting, Chu Mimi, as well as Malaysian actors Joey Leong, Lin Jingmiao, and Gan Gan Ge—at a press conference to share filming stories. The movie centers on “hotpot + spice god,” blending magical and comedic elements while sharing themes of family, love, and self-redemption.

King Kong described the film as a reminder that many things shouldn’t be judged on the surface. While saying this, he teased Karl Ting, “This guy looks handsome, but his IQ isn’t high.” He then went on to praise himself: “I’m both handsome and smart.” Chu Mimi immediately debunked him: “I’ve known you so long, never thought you had any of that.” The room burst out laughing.

King Kong and Li Yuanling have many scenes together in the film. He praised her as “every man’s dream goddess,” and admitted he was both nervous and excited when he heard they’d be working together. But then he switched it up, saying with a laugh: “After filming, I realized she’s actually a ‘crazy goddess’!” He explained that Li Yuanling is so serious on set that she often sits quietly in a corner memorizing her script, “making us afraid to go over and chat with her.” Li responded with a laugh, “You’re working hard to clear my name.” She also said King Kong is extremely funny, and that she often couldn’t help but crack up while acting with him. She confessed that once, after just drinking spicy soup and trying to hold back laughter, chili ended up sticking to her front teeth in a rather embarrassing scene.

Chu Mimi, whose character is always looking for her husband with dementia, poked fun at herself for “walking around looking for my husband,” and was teased by King Kong: “You walked so much you slimmed down.” She cried out, “Don’t do this to me,” and then laughed, “It’s the director who wanted me walking! He thinks I’m fat!” When asked by the host what she gained most from filming the movie, she replied in her usual forthright manner: “Getting paid!” and joked that people ought to keep an eye on money.

Karl Ting, filming in Malaysia for the first time, joked that the biggest challenge was “how easy it is to gain weight,” citing the endless temptation of local food. As for Joey Leong, she said after watching the special screening she felt touched, revealing she had gone through a rough patch last year, and the film made her reflect on many things: “It reminded us to really cherish the people who love us, and those whom we love.”