Hong Huifang, 63, Xiang Yun, 62, and Aileen Tan, 57, were guests on the latest episode of Dishing With Chris Lee.
The trio chatted up a storm at the kelong, hardly needing any prompting from host Christopher Lee as they looked back on their careers, the iconic roles they’ve played, and their families.
Chris said: “I think they’re in very good places now. Moreover, I’m really happy that their kids have grown up, with [some] of them entering showbiz as well.”
“Did you guys discuss it? Did you try to stop them when they said they wanted to join showbiz? Or were you supportive right from the get-go?” he wondered.
“We were against it earlier on, because we know it can be very tough. Perhaps they were subtly influenced [by us] over time. So when they decided to join this industry, we were quite surprised,” said Xiang Yun, while Huifang nodded in agreement.
Xiang Yun’s son, Chen Xi, 33, took on a few acting jobs before heading to London to further his studies last year. Her daughter, Chen Yixin, 24, has similarly ventured into modelling and acting.
Huifang’s daughter Tay Ying, 28, is an actress with Mediacorp, while her son Calvert, 24, is a singer and music producer.
Xiang Yun continued: “Take my son, for example. He graduated from university, so he should have pursued something relevant to his studies. But he said he wanted to give acting a try. Now he’s studying arts management overseas, but he still loves acting! I recently made a trip to England, and he told me: ‘Actually acting is really fun’. I was quite apprehensive about it.”
Chris then paid Yixin a compliment, saying he likes how “alternative” she is.
“She’s very pretty, and very avant-garde. She’s very fashionable. She looks really good in all her magazine shoots,” he said.
Xiang Yun thanked him, adding that Yixin “really needs the blessing and support of the seniors.”
“She’s interested in showbiz, but I’ve never set any specific goals for her. I just want her to be happy,” she added.