YOU probably know Karen Mok and her risque outfits - or no outfit at all.
The Hong Kong actress-singer lay nude on a sofa for the album cover of her 1996 Cantonese record, Karen Mok In Totality.
Her 2001 Cantonese album Golden Flower also featured publicity shots of her wrapped only in cellophane.
Raunchy concert costumes are also the norm for the 38-year-old, who is of Chinese, Welsh and Persian descent.
She opened her 2005 concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum clad in body stocking, her modesty protected only with some strategically-positioned gold lace.
So it was no surprise when Karen launched her own lingerie line, Passion Play, in Hong Kong early this year.
Naturally, she fronts the ad campaign.
'Who else?' Karen joked to The New Paper over the phone from Hong Kong, speaking in her crisp British accent.
Posing in lingerie is obviously not a daunting task for her and it would not be the first time she is doing it.
The album cover for 2006's If There Wasn't You showed her in a bra, her back to the camera.
The leggy star revealed she has a huge private lingerie collection that includes corsets.
Karen said: 'You name it, I have it.'
But when it comes to bedroom wear, it seems modesty and comfort are more her style.
'I actually wear pyjamas with cartoon characters,' she said, adding that there was a time when she was so obsessed with the animated TV series South Park, she filled her home with merchandise from the show.
Karen said: 'I had its slippers, drank from its mug and wore it to sleep.
'I'm also a big fan of Snoopy and penguins.'
So does her extensive collection of intimates ever see the light of day?
A coquettish Karen said: 'I guess it's the same for everyone. Only the person closest to you will see you in it.'
Apart from Passion Play, Karen also debuted her own perfume, Karen Mok The Fragrance, in Hong Kong early this month.
She is the first Asian star to follow the Hollywood celebrity trend of releasing personal scents.
The perfume bottle is enveloped in a fishnet stocking print with a stylised kitten charm dangling from the bottle's neck.
She said: 'Asian women tend to focus on more tangible stuff like bags and shoes. I don't think we have paid enough attention to perfumes. I think wearing one is an essential element of beautifying oneself.
'I have tons of perfumes at home, but I've never finished any. I'd use one intensively for a week and it'd fall out of favour. There just hasn't been the right scent.'
Yummy
Karen described her perfume as being representative of Asian women. It is refreshing and fruity, but not sickeningly sweet.
She said: 'At the heart of the fragrance is honeysuckle, jasmine and lily of the valley. Overall, it's absolutely yummy.'
And she hopes to introduce all Asian women to her fragrance.
'I'm hoping the perfume will hit stores in countries like Taiwan, China and Singapore by the end of the year. I think fragrances make excellent Christmas gifts.
'I know my girlfriends will be getting one from me for Christmas this year.'
And with the recent announcement that Hollywood heavyweight Creative Artists Agency will be representing her, Karen says that the perfume is a great vehicle to project her fame beyond Asia.
The actress, who has more 30 films to her name, made her first international big screen appearance in 2003's Around The World In 80Days.
In the movie, she plays villainess General Fang, alongside Jackie Chan.
| Lingerie in public, PJs in private |
 |
| STAR: (Above) Karen in a scene from the movie The Coffin, which opens here on Thursday. |
Carefully chosen moves
But she is cautious about jumping onto the Hollywood bandwagon.
'I'm always on the look-out for opportunities outside Asia. But I'm also going to be patient and wait for the right roles and scripts. I want to be ready before I take on any projects.'
That was why she did not accept any horror roles until The Coffin, her latest movie directed by Ekachai Uekrongtham.
It opens here on Thursday.
In The Coffin, Karen's character engages in the Thai ritual of lying in a coffin to ward off bad karma. However, it brings her more grief than anything good.
The horror film buff, who lists the Nicole Kidman chiller The Others as one of her favourite movies, said: 'A horror film is not just about scaring people.
'In The Coffin, it's not the act of lying in a coffin that is confrontational, it's also about coming to terms with life's issues.
'While I believe in fate and destiny, I still think that at the end of the day, it depends on oneself.'
Added the actress with the ever-expanding CV: 'I'm not using 'fate' and 'destiny' as an excuse for me to be lazy. You have to work for what you want.
'I'll put in my best effort, but if things still don't work out in the end, there's really nothing I can do. One has to be realistic about one's goals.'
This article was first published in The New Paper on Oct 28, 2008.
