She went on to share that she chose to halt her career and slow down her pace of life to focus on her health.
“I was having gastric problems and was constantly vomiting and having diarrhoea. I had easily sensitive skin, too,” revealed the actress.
She does, however, ponder how much she would have achieved if she didn’t choose to quit showbiz then.
Quek, who left Mediacorp in 2001 to focus on her career in Taiwan and China, filmed her last drama, The Ultimate Winner, in 2011. Her first drama post-hiatus was the Mediacorp series Legal Eagles, in 2017.
“That said, I didn’t choose to take that path, so there’s no point thinking about it! I decided to take care of my health and also got to meet my husband,” she mused.
Quek, who married Australian businessman David Cox, 63, in 2012, said she’s leading a “very stable and happy life now”, and is very thankful.
The actress, who’s known for playing Bai Mudan in the 1998 Mediacorp period drama, Legend Of The Eight Immortals, and Yin Susu in 2003’s The Heaven Sword And Dragon Sabre, still gets recognised by fans.
“Once, I stepped out of the hotel in Europe and bumped into some Chinese tourists. They recognised me the moment they saw me, and enthusiastically asked to take photos with me,” she recalled.
“I haven’t acted in so long, but they still remember me,” she gushed.
Catch Phyllis Quek in Uniquely Ours on mewatch.
This story was originally published in 8Days.