In the new episode of local celeb Allan Wu’s YouTube series Call Me Daddy, Christopher Lee, 53, revealed his regrets when it comes to education.
“I regret not being to speak English fluently, but who can I blame? Myself!” he laughed.
Chris, who came to Singapore to work when he was 18, said he stopped studying after his O-Levels as his results were not good.
He was working at a factory in Singapore at that time and when he returned to Malaysia for a class reunion three years later, he felt very inferior to his peers.
“My classmates either graduated from college, came back from overseas or got promoted to managers. I felt so useless and had very low self-esteem,” said Chris.
He planned to return to Malaysia but then he was approached to audition for Star Search and the rest is history.
However, Chris said his inability to speak good Mandarin created a lot of obstacles for him after he joined showbiz.
He only managed to improve his Mandarin while on the job and often affected his performances.
“I also can’t act in English dramas ‘cos I didn’t know English,” he said.
Chris, however, did not mope over the things he was unable to do.
“I will not beat myself up because I can’t speak English well. I will just focus on the Mandarin market. I’m already very contented,” he said.
Allan then asked Chris if he would be okay if his 10-year-old son Zed tells him that he doesn’t want to go to university. After all, both Chris and his wife, Fann Wong did not go to uni too.
Chris said he would find out the reason behind Zed’s decision.
“If he has other aspirations, I might agree to it. But I will try my best to convince him to complete his studies,” he said.
Chris will also share with Zed his own regrets when it comes to education and then let his son decide for himself.
“Of course I wish he can finish college but if he has faced many setbacks in school and is affected mentally, I won’t force him,” he said.
What about Fann? Chris said his wife is also not someone who would force their son to do something he doesn’t want to.
“I believe we will both explain to Zed why it is important to attend university. These days going to college is like attending secondary school, there are graduates everywhere so [he] should at least complete it,” he stressed.
Chris also hopes Zed would not follow in his and Fann’s footsteps.
“Our job is so tough. Of course, every job has its difficulties but our job is around the clock… Even when we’re out doing personal things, if someone approaches us and asks for pictures, we have to accommodate too,” he said.
Chris, however, understands that having celebrity parents means Zed might have it in his blood to want to become an actor.
“If one day he wants to pursue this, I have to support him. But of course I wish he doesn’t. He told me he wants to work in the marine industry, I told him: ‘Yes! Very good!’,” he laughed.
The actor does not like it when people refer to his son as a “second-generation star”, a term people use to describe kids of celebrities.
“I feel it has a negative connotation, like he only has what he has because his parents are artistes. I don’t think that’s good,” explained Chris.
He said it’s not the child’s fault that he has parents who are celebrities, and so he should not have to bear the pressure that comes with it.
“Don’t lump [the kids] with their parents… If they fail, it has nothing to do with their parents. If they succeed, it has nothing to do with them too,” he said.