Shuhua Steps From K-Pop to Film in Toronto Premiere Happily Ever After
K-pop star Shuhua Yeh makes her acting debut in Happily Ever After, which is having its world premiere in Toronto.
The film is the second feature from director Feng-I Fiona Roan. It moves Yeh from the concert stage to the cinema screen, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
She plays Kitty. Xuan Chen plays Claire. Veteran performer Kuei-Mei Yang also appears, according to TIFF.
The story follows two sisters and asks what happiness means for each of them, according to TIFF. TIFF bills Chen as a rising star in the film.
Yeh grew up in Taoyuan, Taiwan, as the middle child of three sisters. She attended an arts high school in Taipei, where she majored in drama. That early training pointed her toward performance long before film came calling.
At 15 or 16, she left home to work in South Korea. She spent two years training under Cube Entertainment, the Seoul-based music company behind several well-known pop acts, before her debut as a K-pop idol.
She debuted in 2018 in i-dle, the girl group formerly known as (G)I-dle. The group is now recognised around the world for its records and tours. Acting is a new step.
Roan cast her as Kitty opposite Chen's Claire. The pairing puts two young performers at the centre of a family story. Yang brings longer screen experience to the ensemble.
For fans, this means a first chance to see Yeh in a different kind of role. No singing routines. No fan chants. Just a character, a sister, and a story playing out in Toronto.
