Brand new romantic series Hello (Again) recently made its premiere on CBC Gem on March 25th. Hello (Again) was created by Nathalie Younglai and Simu Liu and follows the complicated romance between chef Jayden and ER resident Avery. On a fateful day, Jayden and Avery bump into each other at a park and immediately fall hopelessly in love. Sparks fly… until they stop. Six months after their unceremonious breakup, a chance encounter will send Jayden back in time to the day that he and Avery met.
We had the opportunity to chat with star Rong Fu about her character, what she hopes the audience connects with, her favorite scenes and what’s next.
Kat: You portray Avery in the brand new romantic series Hello (Again), how did you prepare for your role?
Rong: I wish I had a cool story like, I shadowed an ER resident for a week or I actually broke up with my boyfriend and got back together with him. But truthfully, Avery is a character that I understood very well on a deep level. There wasn’t much to do but to bring myself into the role. In terms of preparation, I rely a lot on script work so I broke down the scenes and made sure that I understood what Avery wanted.
Kat: Did you find any commonalities between yourself and Avery?
Rong: Avery and I share a lot in common when it comes to our sense of humour and what we need out of a relationship. Beyond that, Avery reminds me so much of my best friend, and I drew a lot of inspiration from her in my portrayal. She’s confident, witty, and committed to the people she loves.
Kat: What were some of your favorite scenes to shoot and why?
Rong: Two scenes in particular come to mind. The first scene was our big break up in the first episode. The push and pull between intensity and vulnerability was a lot of fun to play. I remember finishing the scene and there was just this silence and stillness in the air. Everyone on set had their breath held in. It felt really alive. The other scene that I had fun shooting was the scenes where Avery and Jayden kept meeting over and over again. That was so much fun because Alex Mallari Jr. and I just goofed around in the park, and our director Melanie Chung really let us improvise a lot of new things.
Kat: What do you hope the audience takes away from the show?
Rong: I really hope that the audience gets to enjoy a little break from their daily hustle while watching our show. It’s a fun rom-com with a lot of heart. I hope it makes the audience giggle and cry – and forget their troubles!
Kat: Is there a type of character that you’d like to portray, that you haven’t had the chance to yet?
Rong: I would love to play some kind of humanoid monster or creature in a Sci-Fi or Fantasy genre. Having played Avery, who is a character that is very close to me, I would love to take on the challenge and really transform into a character that is completely outside of myself.
Kat: What’s next?
Rong: I am currently filming a project that I can’t talk about just yet! But I have a couple projects that are soon to be released including a drama called SkyMed (CBS/CBC) which is about first responders in Northern Canada. I also have a very fun comedic role in the movie, My Fake BoyFriend (Buzzfeed/Lionsgate) which comes out later this summer. Outside of acting, I am starting to plan out my little balcony garden. My first goal is to find some Carolina Reaper seeds, because I am obsessed with chillies!
Connect with Rong Fu on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rongideas