Page 20 - 8Days

scene & Heard

Family portrait:
Joey with her husband
and their three sons —
Algernon, three, Jefferson,
eight, and Kynaston, 11 —
in a family portrait taken
last year (right) and on
vacay in New Zealand last
grown up now, so my mind is December. ADDITIONAL PHOTOS: JOEY SWEE
at rest. And I don’t want to give
birth anymore. So that’s why I
want to act again.
Your Indonesian husband, who’s the CEO of a coal
and mining company, is based in Jakarta for work.
It must have been tough taking care of the kids You’re one of many former actresses from the ’80s
alone for the past 12 years. and ’90s who are returning to the small screen.
From the start, when we were dating, we already How are things different now as compared to back
talked about what we wanted. I didn’t want to live in then?
Indonesia, and he didn’t want to live in Singapore ’cos Everything is very different now. In the past, the feeling
he thinks that there are better career opportunities in [between the cast] was more like family. Our bond was
Indonesia. So we made plans such that we don’t have very strong. Now, it’s more like [everyone’s functioning]
to leave our comfort zones. And I told him that our kids solo. There’s not a lot of communication [among the
definitely have to attend school in Singapore. A friend cast]. The people here have started to become aloof. I
of mine once said, “Your husband lets you give birth think it’s ’cos of smartphones now. (Laughs) Everybody
to so many kids on purpose ’cos he wants to keep you is too busy communicating on social media. They would
very busy so you won’t mess around.” (Laughs) rather look at Facebook than to talk to you. But when I
What kind of mum are you? see my old actor friends, our relationships are still very
A Tiger mum. I put in a lot of effort [grooming my kids] good lah.
lah. In the past, I’d want them to go to a ‘branded’ In A Lonely Fish, you play He Ying Ying’s mum.
school, and be good in both sports and academics, as How do you feel about the transition from playing
well as in piano, taekwondo, basically, everything. And young, girly characters to motherly roles now?
when they didn’t do well, I’d get very angry and scold I don’t feel much of a difference. When the casting
them. I don’t have a cane ’cos I’m afraid that I wouldn’t people called me up, the first question they asked
be able to control myself [from caning them]. (Laughs) me was, “Do you mind acting as the mother of a
I used to put a lot of pressure on my eldest son, even teenager?” I said, “Do you think I would mind? I’m
when he was just three years old, ’cos I wanted him to already a mum!” I’ve been playing the role of a mother
be the best. Then I’d feel very upset when he couldn’t [in real life] for eight years. So it’s not like a sudden
achieve [the results] I wanted. But now, I realise that change for me. If I had been playing girly roles all this
one cannot ask for too much. When you demand too while, and suddenly, I’m told to play a mother, maybe I’d
much from your kids and you don’t get what you want, feel hurt. But no, I’ve already toned down and become
you’d feel very disappointed. They taught me how to let so down-to-earth. I go to the market bare-faced and in
go… ’cos my expectations and what happens in reality my slippers. So of course I’m alright coming back to
are different. (Laughs) play someone’s mum.

18 8 DAYS A Lonely Fish premieres Mar 1 on Toggle.sg. Reach for the Skies airs in April.