Ann Kok Was Worried Her Family Would Not Accept Her Wearing That Iconic 1996 Star Awards See-Through Top
It ended up being one of, if not, the most classic Star Awards looks of all time.
Who can forget Ann Kok’s sheer top at the 1996 Star Awards? The fresh-faced star was only in her third year of showbiz and all of 22 when her daring look made headlines.
The 48-year-old discussed that outfit and more on this week’s episode of Quan Yifeng’s talk show Hear U Out.
When Yifeng brought out a photo of Ann in the sheer black Dolce & Gabbana top, Ann laughed, “I was taken aback [at how sheer it was] too. The outfit didn’t look like that when we were trying it on. Not at all!”
Yifeng suggested that the spotlight and camera flashes could have been the cause, which Ann agreed with.
We can see why she made headlines
Ann continued: “In the immediate aftermath, I didn’t feel great about what happened. At the time, society was still not as open-minded, so my very first worry was that my family would take it badly. I wondered if my parents were able to accept [the outfit], but what happened was that they didn’t give me any pressure about it at all.”
While she was worrying about how she should deal with being labeled as a sex symbol, those around her assured her that trying new things is part and parcel of being an artiste, and that she shouldn’t feel affected or pressured about the newfound attention.
“There were some people saying that I was trying to show off my chest (…) but there were also the more open-minded folk who got to know about me because of what happened,” she concluded with a smile.
Ann's bikini shoots for 8 DAYS were instant classics
Soon after, offers for sexier roles and bikini shoots poured in, which Ann didn’t shy away from.
“[I’ve always maintained] that I needed to have at least have a bikini on, and that it can’t be a G-string. But it’s always possible to cheat in photos. I remember I had a bikini on but they edited it away in post. It looked like I was posing in the nude, but that isn’t true.”
While the actress was comfortable with showing some skin and filming intimate scenes for dramas, she recalled the one time she asked for the crew to leave the set during one risqué shoot. "When I was filming Cooking Without Clothes, there was a scene where Joseph Chang had to take my clothes off," she said.
Ann, who said she wore three pairs of shorts and had taped her bra to her skin, laughed: “I made the request because there was a lot crew around that day, and all of them were men. Only the director was female. But the sound man had to be around ‘cos he had to hold the boom mic as a mic couldn't be taped on to me.”
Click here to watch Part 1 of Ann's interview on Hear U Out.
Photos: Ann Kok's Instagram, Mediacorp, 8 Days
