Super Spy!

Gwendoline Yeo shows us why she’s no damsel in distress

Born in Singapore and now residing in Los Angeles, GWENDOLINE YEO is an established actress who has appeared in almost 50 — and counting! — movies and TV series, and some are big name titles such as The OC, 24 and Desperate Housewives. The 31-year-old multi-talented actress even lent her voice to popular cartoons such as Kim Possible and Batman!

Now, Gwendoline will be making an appearence on Episode Five of Chuck in which she’ll be playing a Chinese spy gunning after poor Chuck’s rear. Gwendolyn talks to HOT about her character in Chuck, her crush on the super-suave James Bond, and why she is desperate to save someone.

How did you get involved in the show?

I was invited by the producers to have a meeting with them. It turns out that one of the producers actually directed me in Desperate Housewives. They knew I could deliver and we totally hit it off.

Could you tell us a little bit more about the character you play in Chuck?

I play Mei-ling Cho, a Chinese spy form mainland China. Or Hong Kong, that’s up to you to decide [laughs]. I can’t really give the plot away, but Chuck sees me as a bad spy. It will be revealed that, perhaps, there’s more to me than meets the eye. This role really involves a lot of stunts and is very action-driven. I got to wear really tight pants and use guns!

So how do you prepare for such a tough role?

This is a difficult role so I really have to build my stamina up and try to keep myself in shape as much as possible. For that episode, I ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes, and I don’t love running. [Laughs] I love working out but I feel running really keeps me in shape. And I had to learn how to shoot a particular type of gun, ride a motorcycle and scale a wall, so a lot of it was difficult. It’s very physical, but it’s a lot of fun.

Did you get injured on the set?

I did not! I have stunt doubles and I said: ‘Please let me ride the motorcycle’, but they said no. So my stunt doubles get to have all the fun.

Can we expect more from your character in the future?

That’s a great question. The producers have talked to me about that, and they said she could possibly return, but that is really the producers’ decision. But the ending is open-ended, so I would go back if I’m invited.

Because you play spy, we just have to ask you this: who is your favourite spy?

Ooooh! [Laughs] I love those in the Hong Kong TV series, you know, like Jet Li, the kick-butt kind of spies, but I’m also a big fan of James Bond. And I also love Jennifer Garner in Alias. But James Bond is my pick!

If given a choice, would you prefer to play the one who saves people or the one who needs to be saved?

[Laughs] I like this question. You know, I have yet to really play a damsel in distress. Well, I did play a prostitute who needs to be saved, but I’m still a strong woman. I’m not the ‘Ohhh, save me’ kind, and I don’t think I would be terribly happy about playing someone like that.

You also had a cameo appearence on Desperate Housewives. What is the biggest difference between working on the two shows?

They are completely different roles. Xiao Mei, the role I played on Desperate Housewives, is a maid, pregnant, and a home-wrecker. On Chuck, this woman is highly educated, she is a spy, she is very active, she wears very hot outfits and she always runs around. The natures of the roles are very different from each other.

So, if given a chance, would you like to work on Chuck or Desperate Housewives?

I’m open to both. If my schedule allows it, and they invite me back, I’m happy to do both!

— AXN Hot News, June 2008