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Fann Wong is the latest guest on the latest episode of Guo Liang's talk show, "The Inner Circle".
During the extended chat, the 50-year old actress reminisced about her filming experience with co-star Mark Lee and director Jack Neo for 2008 movie "Ah Long Pte Ltd", and also touched on the personal side of things, such as caring for her seven-year-old son, Zed.
Screenshot via meWATCH.
"Fun" time working with Mark Lee
Fann admitted that filming for "Ah Long Pte Ltd" was "quite difficult".
In the movie, Fann played a young, masculine female triad boss, Wang Lihua, who marries an effeminate dance instructor, played by Mark, under the pressure of her mother.
Screenshot via video by Double Vision on YouTube.
She shared that when she had to speak in dialect for the role, specifically swearing, she received feedback that she sounded as if she was "speaking Italian".
On the contrary, Fann described the experience of filming with Mark as fun and relaxing.
She cited a particularly memorable scene that involves the two hiding in a cesspit, which was "artificially made" and not an actual cesspit.
Screenshot via meWATCH.
A few days after they had shot that scene, Neo reportedly said, "The cesspit in that scene didn't look authentic."
Mark then relayed what Neo said to Fann, who candidly replied, "Indeed, it didn't look authentic, so I suggested to him to do a reshoot."
Screenshot via meWATCH.
According to Fann, Mark allegedly retorted in shock, "Huh?! You told him to do a reshoot?!" and took a deep breath with an exasperated look, which Fann re-enacted.
Caption translates to "Taking the initiative to suggest a reshoot". Screenshot via meWATCH.
Fann concluded the story by confirming that they did the reshoot in the end.
Taking the initiative
Unlike Fann, Mark had a different scene in mind that was memorable for him.
Screenshot via video by Double Vision on YouTube.
In a pre-recorded clip that was screened during the show, Mark spoke about the wedding scene for "Ah Long Pte Ltd".
At that time, Fann was not yet wedded to Christopher Lee, so Mark was thrilled that he was "marrying" her first.
According to Mark, a kiss was inevitable during that wedding scene.
Screenshot via meWATCH.
He said he felt "nervous" as Fann was "the world's number one beauty", a comment that Fann rolled her eyes at in jest.
"If ugly guys like us kiss her, her film and TV career may be affected," Mark said, drawing laughter from the actress.
Screenshot via meWATCH.
He continued,
"I didn't expect that she would actually take the initiative of grabbing my face to kiss me when 'Action!' was shouted. This move really shocked me because being a person who has no looks but with character, I really admire her ability to still kiss me."
After confirming that the kiss scene was part of the script, Fann explained,
"As I was the 'Lao Da' (triad leader), I had to [kiss] my husband. I had to be the one with more initiative, of course, it had to be me to pull him over. I couldn't possibly kiss him in a shy and gentle way, could I? No, that's why I had to [do it]."
Learnt baking for her son
Towards the end of the episode, Guo steered the conversation to discuss Fann's recent interest in baking.
Fann insisted that she gained weight from her baked creations, which she learnt from the Internet.
The mother of one disclosed the motivation behind her recent bakes,
"I've always had a teeny tiny regret, which is why haven't I cooked anything that my son enjoys eating? When my son is all grown-up, he would not know the taste of Mum's [home-cooked food] and would not think about going home to drink Mum's soup or something."
Due to Zed's love for naan, pancakes and the likes, Fann has also started to learn how to make such dishes.
Social media dedication to son
Guo also brought up Fann's social media dedications to her son, where she would address Zed directly with her thoughts or the day's events.
In response to the question, Fann said,
"As Asians, we do not really know how to express our affections so I had to write something that he can read when he grows up and know the efforts that Mum has put in and my love for him."
Here's the post that was highlighted in the episode:
The caption translates to,
"To my dearest baby
Hi baby
Because of you, mum feels that the world can't be more beautiful than it is.
Really wish to see you grow up quickly
Go to school, graduate, work, marry, have children
To have the simple bliss of most people
What sort of career would you pursue,
Scientist, lawyer, astronaut, artist
Or become an actor like me and your Dad
Regardless of what you do, it's fine as long as you are full of ideals and happiness.
Really wish you could grow up slowly,
Take lots of pauses during your carefree childhood,
No worries, smiling innocently,
Let's hold hands,
from sunrise to sunset,
Mum has taught you how to recognise this novel world,
Thank you, baby
For letting me be a mother,
Thank you, baby
For healing me with your greatness,
Thank you, baby
Because of you, Mum will always have the courage to ride the wind and waves!
Rejecting work opportunities for son
Fann also revealed that she had rejected "quite a lot of work opportunities, dramas and all kinds of work."
"Acting was my first love," Fann said, "Then, my son appeared, of course, my son is more important, so I'm focusing all my energy on him."
According to Fann, she still feels "a little sad" when she's alone after turning down a job offer, and would think to herself, “Sigh, I can’t film again. Yet another drama I can’t take on.”
Screenshot via meWATCH.
The shift in priorities can also be seen through Fann's social media posts, according to Dennis Chew, who appeared as a guest.
The radio DJ said,
"If you look at [her] Instagram, you can tell she's someone who is very protective of her image. Since Zed's birth, her hair may be messy or her clothes may not be very neat in some photos but she still posts them."
Fann maintained, “As long as I look presentable to go out, it’s already very good.”
"Because of her son's appearance [in her life], she has become very different," Chew added.
Top images via meWATCH and Double Vision on YouTube.