Tay Ping Hui on spending time with uni lecturer wife, whom he calls almost every day when he's working in China
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In Titoudao: Dawn Of A New Stage, Tay Ping Hui plays Richard, a movie tycoon who would do anything to make sure his sordid past doesn't ruin his social standing.
Those who have caught the drama would know that Richard, who's a new character in this second season of Titoudao, is man of few words, aloof even to those closest to him.
But trust us when we say that the actor is nothing like that in real life.
When 8days.sg met the 52-year-old star at the drama's premiere at Projector X: Picturehouse earlier this month, Ping Hui greeted us with a firm handshake before quipping: "I didn't even appear [in the first episode], why you want to interview me? (laughs)"
Well, why wouldn't we?
It's been a good few years since 8days.sg last chatted with TPH. The actor, once one of Mediacorp's marquee names, had shifted the focus of his career to China in 2018. He was doing well there until the pandemic struck.
It all worked out in the end for TPH, if you think about it.
As much as he enjoys exploring new job opportunities in China, Ping Hui, who went on to act in local productions like Crouching Tiger Hidden Ghost, Teenage Textbook: The Series, and Suria drama Korban, tells us that "nothing beats going home to your own bed after filming and going back to your family and the people you care about".
"Going back to a hotel for six months, that really sucks lah," added Ping Hui, who has been married to university lecturer Edna Lim since 2010.
8DAYS.SG: How does it feel to be working on Singapore productions again?
TAY PING HUI: It’s good to be home. Nothing beats home, you know? It’s really about picking the right projects and working with the people I want to work with. I’ve always enjoyed working with Oak3 Films and [the director of Titoudao: Dawn of a New Stage] Glenn Chan. We’re have the same frequency, we don’t need to talk much but we know what each other wants. I think the most important thing is if I know that I’m going to enjoy the whole process, then I’ll do it.
Have you found yourself comparing the scale of China productions to local ones?
It’s very different. China productions are much bigger, much more complex and more international. But let’s not forget that I acted in Singapore for 18, 19 years before I went over. For the bulk of my career, I’ve been in this system. It’s like cycling, you might not have cycled for a long time but it’s muscle memory.
There are many wayang scenes in Titoudao, did you get a chance to experience the art form yourself?
Unfortunately, no. I’d love to do it thogh. I like to experience different things. If I can draw a parallel, I’d say the period kung fu dramas I do in China are quite similar to wayang. In period dramas it’s always very slow when they fight, wayang is also like that. (Laughs) Acting in a period drama is similar to wayang, just that the latter is more dramatised.
Ping Hui with co-stars Joel Choo and Nick Shen at the Titoudao: Dawn Of A New Stage premiere
Now that China has opened its borders, are you planning to work there again?
Yes. There is a project that’s waiting for me there. It will be between the end of March or April to July. It’s good to go back.
So you will be travelling between Singapore and China then?
Well, I’m not based in China. To be honest, I don’t want to be because my family is here, my parents are here. I’ll go there if I have work but once I finish my projects, I prefer to be in Singapore.
How do you deal with being in a LDR (long-distance relationship) with your wife whenever you're in China?
LDR? What is LDR? (Laughs) Is that Gen Z lingo? You have to remember that I’m above 50 ah. (chuckles)
I think it’s much easier now. When I was younger, we actually had to make overseas calls. Now with technology, you can chat, or FaceTime as long as you have WiFi. And with video calls it really becomes much more direct and personal, so it’s not a big problem. Okay, it still is a problem, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
Do you and your wife have to talk on the phone every day?
We are independent but I think we should and we do [talk on the phone] almost every night. However tired I am, I think we should still just maintain that connection.
Ping Hui in his first Chinese production 2016's Return Of The Condor Heroes
Do you even enjoy being away for work for months on end?
I enjoy the working part because it’s a totally different ballgame from Singapore. I enjoy being alone, I’m one of those who can stay in my room for a week and not do anything.
But for me, being away from my family is tough. Family is important, friends are important, so being away is something I have to deal with. But I’m not going to cry about it. It is difficult but at the same time, I know that when the project comes out, what I gain for my professional career will be satisfying.
What about your wife? Does she enjoy the freedom she gets when you're not in Singapore?
I don’t know, you have to ask her lah. Maybe she’s happy to get rid of me. (laughs) No no, she misses me, that I know. At least that what I’d like to think. (laughs) It’s not easy for her, but she understands that I need to do this.
When you are in Singapore, do you guys like to stick together all the time?
No, no, no. We’re not teenagers, we’re not young people. (laughs) I always believe that for couples, be it new or old, it’s good to have your own space. It’s like a Venn diagram, there should be overlaps, which is good and you enjoy this overlapping time. But each person should still be their own individual. You should not merge and become this single body, it’s very weird (frowns).
Ping Hui is a fan of cycling... and taking funny pics like this
You share a lot about your cycling adventures on social media. Does Edna go on them with you?
No, she doesn’t like to exercise (laughs). I do a lot of sports, like basketball and golf, which she doesn’t play. She understands when I need to hang out with my bros, like how she hangs out with her friends from secondary school too.
But when I hang out with my bros, she does come and she joins the circle of wives. Likewise when she hangs out with her friends, there’ll be the girls group and there’ll be the husbands. That’s how it works. Sometimes you’re the primary, sometimes you’re the secondary attachment. So she becomes part of my original life and I become part of hers.
It’s about doing things both together and apart. I think that’s healthy. You can spend 24/7 with a guy ah?! You find one and you spend 24/7 with him, I guarantee you would feel like [strangling] him (laughs).
So what kind of dates do you and your wife like to go on together?
We both like to eat so we like to explore different kinds of food. And we approach food on a relatively intellectual level. We think about the history of the food or the cuisine itself. We also like movies, because my wife lectures in NUS and she teaches film. Sometimes we talk about that and we discuss.
But I think the simplest dates are the best ones. We don’t need to book a restaurant or have 99 roses and all that. I think it’s about taking the time to communicate and to get to know each other even more. To voice our opinions, even if we’re disagreeing, violently (laughs).
I think with time and age I’ve discovered the simple pleasures in life and the real pleasure of having a four-hour dinner where you eat, chat and take your time to communicate. I think if you can communicate and spend time on an emotional and intellectual level, that’s the best.
Photos: Mediacorp Photo Unit, Tay Ping Hui/Instagram
Catch the first episode of Titoudao: Dawn Of A New Stage on meWATCH below:
