Once an average-looking girl with no special talent to speak of, Elanne Kwong is now one of Hong Kong's most recognisable actress-singers, having played a string of coveted roles in Hong Kong drama E.U. (2009), Chinese drama Mulan (2012) and Singapore-Malaysia production The Wedding Diary, a romantic comedy which opened here on Feb 9.
The 24-year-old has also been quite a magnet for controversy, with numerous online threads discussing her "enhanced" appearance which has gone from less-than-flattering during her pre-debut days, to the current doe-eyed beauty we see.
Many suggest she could have gone under the knife during her two-year hiatus, following her film debut in A Side, B Side and Seaside (2005). She has repeatedly denied such allegations.
Kwong did, however, explain how she morphed from a "Plain Jane" to her present gorgeous image: "I was a little fatty back then, my face was very round," referring to the period of time she had to stay out of the limelight whilst training under Universe Entertainment.
"I love eating, but they (the management) refused to let me binge on food. They said I look ugly on screen...and the harsher their comments were, the more I wanted to prove my worth. I'm this sort of person since a young age," she explained.
Kwong also said it was her idea to wear iris enhancers to make her eyes appear larger and more attractive, but she doesn't wear them if she is filming a period drama these days as "it is inappropriate".
The young actress also shared how she caught the eye of her ex-boss, Universe Entertainment co-founder Chiu Suet Ying when she accompanied her friend to an audition.
Click on the thumbnails below for more photos.
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» From plain Jane to hot babe
Of course it's the make-up.
Without the make-up, she is really ordinary.
Even with make-up, she is still ordinary.
No big deal really.
Not really cute.