People who grew up watching you on TV are now middle aged or older. Do you think Gen Zs know who you are?
I thought some Gen Zs won’t know of me. But I was surprised because I’ve gotten feedback like, “Oh, I watched you when I was three”. I think my audience spans about three generations, and that’s quite unbelievable. I was quite overwhelmed.
If you had to recommend one of your past dramas to a younger person, so they can get to know you, which show would you pick?
I would never do that because I always believe the viewer has the power and the choice. I’ve played roles that are so diverse and of different genres, so it all depends on the viewer. What makes the audience connect with you is very special.
Chen Hanwei became Mediacorp’s most critically lauded actor after you left when he broke your record of five Best Actor Star Awards in 2019. Are you planning to take your record back?
No, that’s mean. I guess people like to have all these assumptions, that there’s competition. If that’s the case, it means I hogged the limelight. No lah, I don’t want to be so arrogant. If someone’s performance is recognised by the audience and professionals, that’s good and there’s no comparison. When you’re nominated for Best Actor, you [technically] can’t compare who is better because we don’t have the same roles. How do you compare? Sometimes it’s down to luck, or down to the role or the storyline and plot. There are too many factors to consider.
To me, there’s no record. It’s the process of finishing the job. I always believe the role has a life of its own, it’s not so much of what I expect. Do I say, “Oh I was very good in this, you have to award me or look at me”? No lah. If I’m so egoistic I don’t think I’ll be able to act (laughs). Then I’ll be just Xie Shaoguang, and who wants to look at Xie Shaoguang?
Did any of your showbiz pals play a part in convincing you to return?
No. If we’re talking about people I’ve acted with, we still get along well, it’s just that we’re in different circles now. When we meet, we will say hello and have a cup of tea, and it feels like I’ve never left and nothing much has changed.
My ex-manager was telling me about a young actor, and asked if I could try acting [training] with them. In that process, I realised they’re quite good, and I was trying to see if I can inspire them in other ways. As for myself, once I started to act, the passion and enthusiasm returned.
So my ex-manager asked me: “Since you’re so passionate about it why don’t you come back?”
I told her: “I’m always open. I never said I wouldn’t act again.”
She then suggested that I announce my return and be represented by the company so people know where to reach me. I decided okay and if there are roles for me, we can discuss about future work.
Who is the younger actor you were working with?
The one I mentioned is Richie [Koh]. To me, when he’s in a role, he doesn’t make me feel like he’s acting. I think he’s very natural.
You recently started an IG account, but your last post was in June. Do you think it is necessary for actors to be active on social media?
I think it’s necessary because that’s the trend now. Acting is not just acting, you have to be an influencer in a way. I’m still very new. As you know I’m a very private person, and although I scroll and like to keep up with gossip a bit, what can I post? [The things I post might be] a little boring, and if it’s work related or a certain message, of course I will try. I want it to be fun because I think I’m quite a fun person. I enjoy seeing Gen Zs dance around but it’s not about making a fool of myself. Do I have the time and energy to do all that?
I still try my best to stay in touch. Even with the Generation Alpha (laughs). This is the trend and everything is so fun and rosy, and that’s a good thing. But with that, I also find the cyber space quite sad, with image shaming, bullying and all that. It’s quite real, you can have fun, but not be so oversensitive in a way that once you’re bruised you [can’t get back up].