Kids Can Act: Why Act and why at such a young age?

 

Wen Long: It was actually an opportunity, a chance. I was in this Speak Good Mandarin Class because I couldn’t really speak mandarin when I was younger and then I met this producer who told me to go for an audition so that was when it all started. I was I think, 8 at that point of time and she told me to go for my first audition and that was when I started my first role in Channel 8 drama: Stand by me.

 

KCA: What do you find most meaningful by starting to act at such a young age?

 

WL: I guess I get experiences which very few kids can actually say they have went through, such experiences can be good or bad but I choose to think that it’s good I guess I got to experience such things from a very young age.

 

KCA: What were your most favourite/ memorable moments?

 

WL: In TV, I guess it would be to have my own show.  I was in 2 seasons of Robbie and the Book of Tales so that was quite an accomplishment for local children’s drama. Because Robbie and the Book of Tales was actually the first kids drama on Kids central; because Kids Central was new at that point of time.

 

KCA: Did you undergo any form of training?

 

WL: Nope, not at all. It was all from bits and pieces from the different actors and actresses I’ve worked with, the different producers and directors who groomed me.

 

KCA: If you could choose one word or a phrase to describe your childhood, what would it be?

 

WL: “different” “fast” “interesting”

 

KCA: Do you think you have missed out on certain things that an ordinary childhood would encompass?

 

WL: Definitely, because my schedule was that I would go to school, sometimes I’ll have basketball training, I was in basketball and I played for the school and then other times I would be filming so I didn’t really have time for my friends because of that I didn’t have very very close friends in primary school. I had a few but I rarely had time for my friends, so I guess that was the biggest part that was missing from my childhood.

 

KCA: How did you manage your time? Were you very disciplined?

 

WL: I didn’t have a choice, it not whether I was disciplined or not. Because with the acting schedule when I was doing two or three shows at one go, it would be school, training and then filming. Sometimes I would have to skip training. So it would be just school and filming. And whatever time I have left were for my meals and my studies. If we were shooting a couple of scenes and I wasn’t in the scene, I would be doing my homework in-between the scenes.

 

KCA: Were your parents very supportive of it?

 

WL: They were because i was a kid so I needed a chaperone, so one of my parents would come along. Actually it was a good balance between my Mom and my Dad, but I see my Dad more often, so my Dad would bring me around and they were actually very supportive of me.

 

KCA: Were they worried about how you would turn out in the future when starting at such a young age?

 

WL: I don’t think they really thought about it, they just thought that it was an opportunity that the producer approached me, so they went along with it and they just supported whatever decision we made together as a family.

 

KCA: How did you deal with your popularity or celebrity status especially at such a young age?

 

WL: It was weird at first to have random uncles and aunties come up to me when I was really really young and then I remembered this one time when this auntie scolded me because she said I made her cry last night so I was like okay, interesting. Then after a while people recognize you and people sort of look up to you especially kids, that really hit me when I hosted an event for Kids Central and there were like hundreds of kids just screaming your name and that was when I realized actually they kind of looked up to me so I had to be a good role model. And that was what my parents actually told me to behave myself in public when I was younger. So people will be like this kid behaves himself.

 

KCA: Out of all the productions you were involved in, which one were you most proud of?

 

WL: I would be most proud of the 2 seasons of Robbie and the Book of Tales. That was like kind of my own show so I guess that was kind of cool as a kid.

 

KCA: How would you describe the acting environment then; the technical support, emotional support, facilities, people-relations, behind-the-scenes etc?

 

WL: I’ll start from producers, directors, assistant directors and the camera crew. Because as a kid you only see these things, you don’t see anything else. You actually only see names, you see “Amida”, “Lehar”, you see your directors not as directors but as adults that you listen to. So they were my guidance, so they were very very supportive, especially with scenes that you were not clear of, you don’t know what you wanted to do, don’t know to go in what direction. That was what guided me through, the support. And of course the crew was very helpful, I learned skills like don’t be in the shadow, don’t cast a shadow on someone else, and also they helped me with my lines. And another form of support was from your fellow cast. Like from Robbie and the Book of Tales it was with “Liane” who was (acted by) Therese (Heng) so we had to have good chemistry because most of time it was just both of us and lastly would be your family when you were tired and cranky and don’t really feel like doing anything but you got to continue filming, they were the ones that gave you the moral support.

 

KCA: Since you started out at age 8 and your last involvement was when you were 16, in your opinion, how did the environment developed over the years?

 

WL: There was definitely a change, because as you get older they expect more out of you. They don’t hold your hand anymore, when you were 8, they’ll tell you this scene is going to be like that like that like that but when you are 16, 8 years later, they expect you to have read the script, know what character you want to play and the directors will have an expectation of you and if you can meet their expectations or not, especially with the experience that they think you have. So there is definitely more being expected out of you through the years.

 

KCA: How did you rate your treatment as a child actor? Were you disregarded, insignificant, or maybe well taken care of?

 

WL: I felt that I was really really really well taken care of. I would go “I want coke with ice” and they would get me coke with ice. So that was kind of amazing, I was like “WOW!” I could get coke with ice any time I wanted.

 

KCA: What value or contribution do you think child actors bring to the production?

 

WL: They add innocence to the production because they don’t know anything. Especially if you were a first timer, you don’t know anything, you need the guidance. Everyone would actually chip in to give their advice, different techniques and different ways of doing things. It’s kind of a less tense environment a kid would add to the production, like how a new baby would be to a family.

 

KCA: In general, do you think prime time (7-9pm) drama featuring children are common? Do you see any trends on going through the years?

 

WL: I think it’s on and off. It’s not really a trend. It’s production-based like whether the story requires the kid or not, like in Stand by me, “家人有约” they needed the kid. The story was about a father who cheated on his wife, and got into an accident and became a bit retarded. So they needed the family to have that kid to show the audience what a family goes through when these kinds of thing happen to a family. I guess there is not really a trend, but story-specific and the type of value to the story line that the child would add.

 

KCA: Since you were involved in several movies like Home Run especially, do you think that the Jack Neo series featuring kids were vital in the changing emphasis on child actors, taking up more lead roles?

 

WL: Definitely, I wouldn’t think a sudden emphasis; I would think it was a generation of child actors, the generation with Shawn (Lee), Joshua (Ang), the whole JTeam. I think Jack Neo started that generation of actors, that’s why “I’m not Stupid” had children as lead roles, ”Home Run”, children as lead roles, “Ah Boys to Men”, teenagers, because these people grow up. Of course “Ah Boys to Men” wasn’t the old JTeam, but if you were to look at trends, it would be kids becoming teens, becoming young adults, so that is how I feel.

 

KCA: Recognition, Ruminations, Rewards for child actors what are you views on these 3 aspects?

 

WL: I would say depends on how lucky you are. For me my producer really liked me, I shall not name names, so we have grading systems for different actors. So we start from a grade C/D and then your pay gets higher as you get to A and I got to A really quickly after first 1 or 2 productions. So I think you’ll feel like you are treasured in Mediacorp I guess. So that would be the ruminations and rewards. 

 

KCA: Comment on the current status of the television industry in Singapore.

 

WL: I think that over the years, there is a lot of emphasis on local programs especially with the competition of Channel U previously. There was always the need and the want to provide good quality local programs to our audiences. I would think Mediacorp really emphasizes that on Channel 8 because every time there is a “大制作 (da zhi zuo, big production) ” at the end of the year, so more budget is put in and of course they use all the stars. I think although it feels like it has stagnated, I think they are improving gradually and with enough time and exposure, I think we will continue to have quality drama from all the channels.

 

KCA: What do you envision the future of Singapore’s television to be like?

 

WL: I would envision it to be a lot like the US because we are heavily influenced with the pop culture from the US and Kpop that is in Singapore right now, and the Japanese and all the different influences in our media, be it music, pop culture, fashion, television so I think all that plays a part in how television will be in the future. You see now our actors from the new generation of adult actors; they all dress differently now from say from Zoe Tay and Fann Wong, you see the change so I think we are going in the direction whereby we are very heavily influenced by the other countries now so we will definitely see those influences in the future of television.

 

KCA: What are you doing now currently?

 

WL: I stopped filming because I wanted to pursue my studies in A levels and after that I was training to be a pilot with the Air Force so I have finished my commitments and I’m studying again now. So I’m actually in talks with Fly Entertainment to see what opportunities I would have now as a part-time while I’m studying.

 

KCA: Do you consider taking up bigger roles in the future?

 

WL: Depends on the opportunities that will come across. Definitely that is a thought. Whether it would happen or not, I do not know, but I’ve been doing theatre, television and movies so the media industry is definitely one on my options list besides flying.

 

KCA: Did you join Wee Kim Wee School of Communications so that you will gain some knowledge to prep yourself to re-join the industry in the future.

 

WL: They saw that I had a history and foundations in the media industry so I guess that helped me to get into Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and I was very interested in finding out what happens behind the camera, production team, script writing that’s why I joined this course in the first place.

 

KCA: Do you have words of advice for young budding actors out there?

 

WL: First advice would be to manage your time well, second advise would be to watch yourself, because as you gain popularity, people look up to you, people look at you and you are in the media’s eyes, so behave yourself and with that lastly to be true to yourself, don’t be somebody that you are not and to always remember where you come from.