Charmaine Sheh Refused To Play Villains For 15 Years After War And Beauty Role Made Her Lose An Endorsement Deal
Apparently, the iconic scene of Charmaine grabbing Gigi Lai by the hair and pushing her down the stairs worried advertisers.

Charmaine Sheh’s turn in the classic TVB drama War and Beauty was iconic —and the 47-year-old knows it. However, the role left such an impact on the public and Charmaine, that she went on to reject all villain roles for the next 15 years.
The actress revealed her reason for doing so on an episode of variety show Memories Beyond Horizon, which features younger stars re-enacting scenes from classic Hong Kong dramas and movies.
During the episode, Charmaine, who played royal concubine Noble Lady Chun in War and Beauty, shared that she lost an endorsement deal 'cos of the role.
Charmaine’s character in the drama had a strong rivalry with Gigi Lai’s character, and in one episode, Charmaine pulled Gigi by her hair, then pushed her down the stairs.
That particular scene was seared into the minds of viewers, and according to the actress, the executives of a particular mooncake brand too.
The actress said the brand initially wanted her to endorse their mooncakes by dressing up as Moon Goddess Chang’e.
However, they changed their minds after that War and Beauty scene as they were afraid that customers would view Chang’e differently if Charmaine was involved.
As a result, Charmaine refused to play villains for the next 15 years. She only changed her mind when the producers of Chinese drama Story of Yanxi Palace approached her. Charmaine shared that after reading the script, she was still hesitant, but was eventually persuaded by the writers.
And of course, her turn in the wildly-popular drama went on to propel Charmaine’s career to new heights, with the actress receiving even more endorsement deals now.
Finally, Charmaine also cleared up the rumours that she did not get along with Gigi. According to reports, it was rumoured that the two actresses fell out after Gigi won Best Actress at the 2004 TVB Anniversary Awards, beating fellow War and Beauty co-stars Charmaine and Sheren Tang.
“At that time, we were both busy filming, so we didn’t have time to meet. Both of us are quiet people and we didn’t clear the air, we only [cleared things up] 17 years later when we took a picture together,” she said.
Photos: PBE Media
Catch Charmaine and Gigi in War And Beauty on meWATCH. The first episode is embedded below: