1L milkshakes for breakfast? How Desmond Tan gained 15kg for his role in the movie Pace

1L milkshakes for breakfast? How Desmond Tan gained 15kg for his role in the movie Pace He stars as a rehabilitated drug addict in the new movie. HIs recipe for rapid weight gain? Full cream milkshakes, and double portions of nasi lemak and char kway teow. More commonly associated with fashion spreads and topless shoots, actor Desmond Tan made his biggest physical transformation to date by piling on 15kg in just six weeks for Pace, premiering Oct 8. In the Mandarin movie (rated NC16), he plays Malcolm, a rehabilitated drug addict who struggles to find his place at home and in society until he earns redemption through the discipline of running. It is the first full-length feature film from director Jonathan Choo, who also scripted the movie. The 37-year-old is from a family of actors: His father, Zhu Hou Ren, and his younger brother, Joel, also have roles in Pace. The idea for the film first came to him in the months before the pandemic “at a point in my life when I was running quite frequently,” Choo said. “I thought, ‘Running looks great on film’. And then, instantly, the idea of a prodigal son returning to a family just hit me.” Subsequently, his research into addiction led him to visits to halfway houses and conversations with former drug users. At no point, though, is the film ever preachy or heavy-handed, choosing to steer clear of plot cliches and overwrought acting in favour of understated emotion, visual irony and genuinely funny moments. The result is a movie that’s refreshing, heartfelt and life-affirming. Tan in the lead role was “able to understand completely” how “shrouded in shame” the character was, Choo shared. “It’s not an easy thing to bring out, especially in silent moments.” And, the weight gain went beyond the issue of appearance. “When he gained that weight, and physically changed, it also helped him tap into the character emotionally,” Choo said. Zhu praised Tan’s performance too, saying: “I have friends from halfway houses, many people whom I respect. Desmond was able to bring out a sense of hopelessness at different stages, with the heart changing along with the body,” he said. “I was pleasantly surprised that he was able to portray all of it so well, from inside out.” To gain weight as quickly as possible, Tan divulged: “For breakfast, for the whole regime, I had a one-litre, full cream milkshake.” Then, on set, “two portions of whatever was served – char kway teow, fried noodles, nasi lemak.” At night, “I would end the day with supper at one of the fast food restaurants. I know exactly which meal has the highest calorie count.” Fellow Pace actors Simon Khung aka Simonboy and Zaki Hussain witnessed Tan’s dedication. “During our shoots, he really had to eat two or three meals as one meal. It’s really not easy when you have to act, remember your lines and eat.” Still, Tan found the energy to help the crew move equipment when the camera wasn’t rolling, Khung shared. Zaki quipped that he also witnessed Tan transform from being “handsome” into the character, who also has acne scars. “Every morning, he'll be the first to come on set, because he's the only one who needs prosthetic makeup,” he recounted. “All of us were relatable and normal-looking enough – we didn’t need makeup!” While Tan focused on his performance on set, at home, “my wife was quite concerned because of the amount of food that she saw me eat on a daily basis,” he recalled, although, “She did mention that I was more huggable during that period!” It wasn’t a total loss: “I managed to eat a lot of things I never had the chance to eat because of my career – I’ve been watching my diet all this while,” he said. After completing his scenes, he then went on to lose 18kg in six weeks through diet and exercise. He’s now realised he’s less vain than he thought he was. “When I was in my teens, 20s and 30s, I think I focused too much on how I looked, and that mattered to me a lot, especially when people said, ‘Hey, you don't look as good as before’. It bothered me,” he confessed. “But, during this whole transformation, I realised that I'm still me. It's just a different version of me, whether I'm fat, I'm skinny, or muscular. That makes me more confident. It gives me more control over how I allow people to see me. And, I think that's a very liberating growing process for me.” Pace is in cinemas Oct 8. [Image text:] Smoking Area