Hong Kong actor Nicholas Tse on the shooting shite of upcoming film "Bodyguards and Assassins" . [sina.com.cn]

Hong Kong actor Nicholas Tse has gone all out for his new role in Director Teddy Chan's "Bodyguards and Assassins" (formerly "Dark October").

The actor had his head shaved bald, for the first time, to play a "rickshaw puller" role in the upcoming star-studded film.

However, Tse has to undertake more than that. The actor who usually appears on screen with a squeaky-clean, handsome image will make do with a scared face in the film. Special makeup for his character allegedly takes hours to do.

Moreover, the actor also needs to devote time to sun bathing in order to get tanned and look more like a weather-beaten rickshaw puller.

Hong Kong actor Nicholas Tse in the upcoming film "Bodyguards and Assassins". [sina.com.cn]

The film "Bodyguards and Assassins" tells the story of a group of people protecting Sun Yat-Sen against assassination when he was in Hong Kong raising funds on October 15, 1905.

Director Teddy Chan once explained that Sun Yat-Sen is not the key figure in 'Bodyguards and Assassins," rather the film shows the history of Hong Kong through a group of people protecting Sun Yat-Sen.

The power cast also includes Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Tony Leung Ka-Fai, mainland popular actress Fan Bing Bing, veteran actor Wang Xueqi and Hu Jun. Pop singer Li Yuchun would make her screen debut in the film.

The 150 million yuan film produced by Peter Chan begins production in early April 2009 and will be released in December 2009.

(CRI May 4, 2009)