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As one of the local televisions Ah Ge (older brother in Mandarin) who has successfully made his mark outside Singapore, one would think that Malaysian-born Christopher Lee had big dreams of being an artist.
In reality, his wishes were much simpler and more direct: he simply wanted to earn money.
Speaking to regional media yesterday (April 28) via video conference about his upcoming original HBO Asia drama series, Workers, 48, Christopher, sincerely admitted that he was not so different from the show’s characters during his days. of youth and that money was his motivation. .
He plays Ming Qi, a Taiwanese blacksmith who devises plans to get rich quickly in order to provide his family with a good life and is often considered a dreamer. The series also stars Taiwanese actors Alex Ko Shu-yuan, Hsueh Shih-ling, Yu An-shun, and Miao Ke-li.
When asked by AsiaOne if his younger self ever thought about getting rich, he replied, “When I was young, I was exactly like them (the characters) because we were all working-class people and we were thinking about almost the same things, either win the lottery, find money on the field or work overtime to get more money.
“When I was waiting for my SPM results (the Malaysian equivalent of O levels), I knew it would not go well for me because I did not like studying. So I thought I would come to Singapore temporarily to work and my goal was to make money. Regardless of what kind of job, as long as I could work in Singapore to make money, it was fine. “
It was a simple objective that guided his actions, which led him to work as a machinist in a Singapore factory for six years.
Ultimately, it also led Christopher, then 24, to enter the 1995 Star Search television competition, where he emerged as the first male runner-up and was catapulted into an illustrious acting career. He joined only for the prize money, he said.
Ming Qi may sound useless, but he has admirable traits that resonate with Christopher.
He said, “I like his enthusiastic personality, and his words and expressions will always be positive. You will never see him sad or hurt, maybe he will treat him internally so you never have to see him. I think it is rare to see people like him in society. current, which has been developed so far and has become so complicated that it makes its simplicity so much more precious. “
Aside from that, Christopher was also drawn to the role because he saw so much of his past as a factory worker in it.
Growing up poor
No stranger to growing up poor and having to work hard, Christopher confessed that he started working at a young age to earn some money.
[[nid:461191]]“I come from a poor Kampung The Melaka district and my family were not well off, so people in our area went to work when they were very young. We did piecework and odd jobs. I worked in a warehouse, sold pork and was a waiter, and they are considered working class jobs, so the feeling is close to my heart. “
The similarities don’t end there, as Christopher also thinks his real and reel characters are upbeat and able to move forward easily after setbacks. He added: “I am also a simple person. I don’t need wealth, I just enjoy a simple life with my family. I think we are quite similar in this regard.”
And with the switch on, and even extended until June 1, Christopher spends much more time with his wife, local actress Fann Wong, and their five-year-old son, Zed. In fact, it looks like he’s been cooking for them.
Christopher said with a laugh: “My son is very happy because it is very rare that his parents are with him every moment of every day. During this period, he is very happy playing at home and has not asked to leave. He also understands that we cannot during the circuit breaker.
“There are advantages and disadvantages in this period: the only disadvantage is that we cannot get out. But the most important benefit is that we are distancing ourselves from the virus, firstly; and secondly, it has allowed me to spend more time with my family.
“I used to cook for them in the past, but I haven’t for a while. Recently, I’ve been cooking a lot more, at least one dish a day. Now my wife says the future shouldn’t come out.”
Workers premieres on HBO GO on May 10 at 9 p.m. with two consecutive episodes followed by a new weekly episode.
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