Hollywood blockbuster “Godzilla vs. Kong 2” (Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire) is currently a global sensation. The film, which had a budget ranging from 135 to 150 million dollars, has so far grossed a total of 440 million dollars worldwide, making it the fifth highest-grossing movie of 2024.
“Godzilla vs. Kong 2” is the fifth film in the Hollywood monster universe featuring Godzilla and Kong. Starting with the 2014 collaboration between Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures on “Godzilla,” followed by “Kong: Skull Island,” “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” and “Godzilla vs. Kong,” this series of films has been a hit globally, paving the way for the latest installment, “Godzilla vs. Kong 2,” which is the lowest cost production among the series.
Of particular note, among the six main actors in this new film, there is a familiar face from the East. She is Hong Kong TVB’s former leading actress, Charmaine Sheh, who plays the role of Iwi Queen in the movie. It is noteworthy that Charmaine Sheh relies solely on facial expressions and body language in her performance, without speaking a single line, showcasing her acting skills.
In fact, in the fourth installment of the series, “Godzilla vs. Kong,” released in 2021, it was mentioned that a young girl named Jia, belonging to the Iwi tribe, was the only human who could communicate with Kong through sign language. It is shown that the Iwi tribe primarily communicates through eye contact and body language. In this sequel, the portrayal of the Iwi tribe is expanded, with Charmaine Sheh playing the role of the Iwi Queen who communicates through sign language, sharing many scenes with the main characters.
Charmaine Sheh revealed in a recent interview that in order to portray the non-speaking “Iwi tribe member” effectively, she conducted extensive research beforehand and also communicated using sign language and eye contact with her co-stars off set.
Charmaine Sheh, 42, born in Chengdu, Sichuan in 1982, immigrated with her family to Atlanta, USA during her childhood. A graduate in Business Administration from Emory University in 2005, she won the titles of Miss Chinese International, Miss New York Chinese, and the first runner-up in the Miss Chinese International pageant before signing with TVB. She started as a TVB host in 2005 at the age of 23 and later transitioned into acting in dramas and films.
Charmaine Sheh’s notable works at TVB include “Beyond the Realm of Conscience” series, “War and Beauty,” “Perish in the Name of Love,” “Triumph in the Skies 2,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” among others, where she won the TVB Anniversary Awards for Best Supporting Actress twice.
In “Godzilla vs. Kong 2,” Charmaine Sheh’s portrayal of the Iwi Queen has received high praise for her effortless performance. This marks another significant role for her in Hollywood after her appearance in the Marvel movie “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”
The last Chinese actress invited to the “Godzilla” series was the mainland actress Zhang Ziyi, known as the “International Zhang.” In 2017, Zhang Ziyi joined the cast of the sequel to the 2014 “Godzilla,” titled “Godzilla II: King of the Monsters.”
Comparing Charmaine Sheh, who debuted six years later than Zhang Ziyi, even the mainland media Tencent commented, “She (Charmaine Sheh) has reached this point today all because she chose a different path at a crucial moment in her life.”
In 2013, after finishing filming “Triumph in the Skies 2,” Charmaine Sheh ended her relationship with the billionaire heir Xue Shi Heng, fulfilling the notion of the “seven-year itch.” In 2014, she left TVB upon contract expiration. At the age of 32, she restarted her life, choosing to pursue a four-year Master’s degree in Drama Performance in the USA, graduating with all A’s, becoming the first Chinese student at the Juilliard School to receive a Master’s degree in Drama Performance. After graduation, she signed with a prestigious American talent agency, officially entering Hollywood.
Finding success in her career and love life, Charmaine Sheh married her French boyfriend, Emmanuel Straschnov (Chinese name: Simano), in France, shifting her focus entirely to Europe and the USA. When asked by Hong Kong media about returning to Hong Kong to continue her acting career, she denied the possibility.
Starting in 2020, Charmaine Sheh appeared in projects like “The Undoing” alongside A-list stars like Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, Alicia Vikander, and Dan Stevens. Balancing both her career and family life seamlessly, she gave birth to her daughter “Minnie” at the end of 2020 and announced the birth of her second child in March this year.