Athena Chu Said To Be “Very Difficult” On The Set Of Her First TV Drama In 12 Years, Allegedly Made Child Actors Stay Quiet In Between Scenes

Many know Hong Kong actress-singer Athena Chu, 51, from her big screen work in the ‘90s, with movies like A Chinese Odyssey (1995) and Shanghai Affairs (1998) coming to mind.

Following a five-year break, Athena made her showbiz comeback in 2016, though her onscreen appearances have been limited to films and variety shows.

She will star in her first television drama in 12 years — the 15-episode ViuTV series The Parents League 2 (反起跑线联盟2), which is slated to air next year.

However, there have been rumours about Athena’s behaviour on the set.

The actress, who plays a mean teacher in the drama, was said to have been “too immersed in her role”, with reports claiming she was “very difficult to deal with” on set.

She was said to be the only cast member who was very serious about leaving work on time, and was also reported to have requested for the child actors to stay quiet when the cameras weren’t rolling, so she could focus on her scenes.

There was also talk that she kept flubbing her lines, resulting in many NG takes.

In a recent interview, the show’s director, Lau Wai Hang, addressed the rumours regarding Athena’s on-set behaviour.

He looked stunned when he was asked if the actress was difficult to work with. He immediately jumped to her defense, saying “the vibe between everyone on set was very good”.

He did not deny the reports about Athena wanting to leave on time, but stated that the contracts of the cast clearly detail their working hours.

According to him, Athena did not behave like a diva at all. She would stay behind after filming to hang out with the cast and crew, and would often buy snacks for everyone.

He added that the child actors were indeed noisy at times, and he had requested for them to keep quiet so they wouldn’t affect the performance of others.

“Athena was the one who said it wasn’t an issue,” he said.

Wai Hang also debunked the rumours of Athena being an “NG Queen’.

He recalled taking a peak at her script, and saw they were filled with notes. When he made last-minute changes to the script, she also had to make on-the-spot adjustments to her performance.

Photos: PBE Media, Athena Chu/ Weibo