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it would be crucial to what could possibly lead to to play the victim again. I just want a simple
Fiona’s next phase in life. quiet life where I don’t have to answer for what
You probably know by now that Fiona is in I do. I don’t need the fame. I’ve been there,
Crazy Rich Asians, the Hollywood adaption of Kevin done that and got the T-shirt. I think with every
Kwan’s best-selling book about super loaded actor starting out, you want to be as visible as
Singaporeans. Though she’s not allowed to reveal possible. And when you get that, and you have
much about the movie, we know she plays Kitty the whole world under your feet, you realise, you
Pong, a sexy, gold-digging soap opera star-turned- want to be as invisible as possible. It’s a strange
social climber. (The character is a minor one in first tug.”
instalment of CRA, but becomes one of the main “When I finally came to terms with the whole
protagonists in the second and third books, which thing, it was like “Hey, you’re an actress. You
means that if the movie takes off and the sequels make the role work. It’s not about wanting to
are greenlit, Fiona will be a bona fide Hollywood look a certain way only. That’s the true mark of
star.) an actress. If I can play a genie, and a ghost in
If you’ve never read the books and your only Maggi and Me, why not this? It was kind of like
knowledge of the character is from the paragraph a cleansing of sorts and coming to terms with
above, well, it would be easy to just think of the role accepting myself as an actress. ’Cos I think when
as a caricature. Or more specifically, a send-up of you are in MediaCorp and you’re doing so many
the kind of woman that haters have tried to label things so quickly, like 20 scenes a day, you don’t
Fiona as and which she has resisted her whole really have time to sit down to break down or
career to be associated with. And mind you, Fiona appreciate your work. Which is why I have to say
is very aware of how easy it’s going to be for trolls that [accepting this role] is the best thing I have
to pass snide remarks like “Oh, she’s just playing done for myself so far.”
herself” and for media outlets to draw comparisons If you’ve followed Fiona’s 20 year-long career
between her and Kitty Pong. In a way, it’s akin to (she started modelling when she was 15 and was
posting a selfie on Reddit and getting people to signed to Mediacorp at 19), you would certainly
roast you. Which was why her first reaction when remember how in 2009, she had famously pulled
she was told that she had gotten the role was to out of Ch 8 blockbuster Together at the eleventh
reject it. hour. The role she was supposed to play: a vain
“It’s never only just about the role,” she says. and materialistic girl whose descent into the
“It’s the aftermath that I have to deal with. Dealing cesspool of society was the cautionary tale of
with reporters, the news that comes about with it. the drama. Though she would reveal later that
I wasn’t sure if I was strong enough to handle such she had quit the drama and eventually Mediacorp
an interesting, delicate character. It’s sure to get a to “truly experience life” with her now ex-fiancé,
lot of talk. And especially in a conservative place there was talk that Fiona had balked at playing
like Singapore. It’s a character that people will a character for reasons not dissimilar to why
love and lap it up… in the US. But somehow being she was so reluctant to take on Kitty Pong. One
sensual and sexy in Asia is always frowned upon. can only imagine, and we only say this because
So obviously I was scared. I was like, ‘Oh no, I don’t hindsight is 20/20, that things would be very
want to deal with it again.’” different if Fiona had looked at acting the way she
It took a lot of convincing from the movie’s does now. Heck, she might even be an ah jie now.
director Jon M. Chu, whom Fiona calls “respectful” But she disagrees.
and someone who “had provided her with so much “Everything happens for a reason,” she says.
safety and support… to portray the character with “So I think that whole process of me leaving
dignity and humanity”, as well as Liv Lo, who’s a and doing other things has also fulfilled me on a
friend and the wife of Henry Golding, aka the lead personal level. If I had stayed on, I wouldn’t be
of CRA. “I was in Tokyo when she called and she the person I am today. I think [I would be stuck] in
was like, “Are you mad? Who cares about… Just a numbers game. It would just be about status,
do it!” like who’s going to be queen, blah blah blah. The
Fiona says, prior to agreeing to the role, that response [to Kitty Pong] is still up in the air since
she “literally cried for three days at home trying to the release is in August. But on a personal note,
purge [her] demons”. “I was very hurt by all that it has become more of a personal development
was written, twisted in the media [in the past]. I for me. So [expletive] whatever people think.
felt, “Can I do this?” I didn’t want to be put in the This is my role. This is my journey. If you don’t
situation where I’m compromised. But I didn’t want understand it or if you’re not me, don’t judge.”

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