Child stars: Where are they now?

SINGAPORE- They grew up in front of the nation. While some of these former pint-size performers continue in showbiz, others have fallen off the fame map.

1. From yellow bikini to fashion houses

WHO: Pepita Wee

THEN: She was just four when she captured viewers' hearts with her rendition of Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini on Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

Since then, Pepita Wee has never looked back.

"From 1981 to 1992, I went on various English variety shows for both TV & radio," the 36-year-old events manager recalls.

They included Children's Day Specials, New Year Countdowns, Community Chest Special, Fun on Caldecott Hill."

Sometimes the child star sang solo. Other times, she would perform duets with singers like Joe Ferdinands or the late Ali Ahmad.

But performing in front of a TV camera or live audience was something in Ms Wee's genes.

She hails from a musical family.

Her uncles Don, Mel and Joe Ferdinands made a name for themselves as local band Gypsy; her mother Emily Ferdinands conducted the SBC Children's Choir.

"I guess I was born into the business. My mum was expecting me when she started the RTS (Radio Television Singapore) Choir, which later became the SBC Children's Choir," she says.

"I used to tag along when I was a toddler so it was only natural to join in the fun. Mum knew I loved performing and went out of her way to let me do so, even when I had to do solo performances outside of the choir."

NOW: Ms Wee has two daughters of her own, aged 10 and seven, but she has not stayed away from performing.

"Now I'm involved behind-the-scenes. I do events, production and project management for clients like Hermes, Chanel and Bulgari.

"Having been a performer helped me in understanding how to put shows and events together," she says.

Ms Wee was sad when the SBC Children's Choir disbanded, but was cheered that Kids Central started "a couple years down the road", creating new era for child stars.

She readily admits she was "badly bitten by the performing bug" and still suffers withdrawal symptoms.

Even with a packed schedule organising events, she still finds time to hit the stage.

"I continue performing occasionally, so I guess I never really left the scene," she says.

If given the chance, Ms Wee says she would gladly do it all again.

"I remember kids asking me for my autograph. It felt good. I felt like a kid celebrity," she says.

2 TV kitten turns TV producer

WHO: Muhamad Raydza Abdul Rahman

THEN: It was his elder sister who wanted to audition for a part in a children's TV show.

"It was for Bengkel Kanak-Kanak (Children's Workshop in Malay). I reluctantly went with her. I sang, danced and read lines without any intention of getting picked," Mr Muhamad Raydza Abdul Rahman says. He got picked, his sister didn't.

"A few weeks later, SBC (Singapore Broadcasting Corporation) sent a letter. I underwent a month of gruelling workshops conducted by well known Malay practitioners. We learnt to act, dance and sing properly. I was nine then."

After "graduating" in 1986, Mr Raydza went on to appear in mainly Malay programmes for the next 22 years.

At the start, he was a regular in the Mat Yoyo series as the boy who wore the kitten costume. Then there was Bengkel Kanak-Kanak and children's Hari Raya programmes.

He was also on English kids' show Stardust until 1994.

"As a child, I was extremely shy and performing was not my forte. I started out stiff as a robot, but with training, I managed to find my feet and develop my talent. I'm really thankful it indirectly made me a better person," he says.

Mr Raydza's fame brought some trouble too.

"Some schoolmates called me 'pondan' (gay in Malay) for being on TV. I would get shouted at by groups of kids at the playground, void deck or shops," he says. "They would shout 'Mat Yoyo!' and sing the theme song. Some even wanted to pick fights."

NOW: The taunting didn't stop him from acting. In 1997, he landed a role in a Malay historical drama series Watan (Native in Malay), directed by award-winning director Nadiputra.

But in 2009, he sought new challenges and he moved behind the camera.

The bachelor, 37, is now a Channel NewsAsia producer for online broadcasting. The career change, Mr Raydza says, has given him a different perspective of the trade.

"I can have the freedom to be myself and showcase what I want without being criticised because of my looks," he says with a grin.

3 Growing up under the limelight

WHO: Dennis Chew

THEN: His pixie looks and small stature landed him his first TV gig.

Dennis Chew, also known as Zhou Chongqing, was 14 when fame came his way.

"A talent scout was looking for a kid to star in her Yakult commercial. She thought I was cute," Chew, now 40, says cheekily.

She trailed him for 1km from Plaza Singapura on Orchard Road to his school on Tank Road.

"She spoke to my teachers and I soon became the face of the probiotic drink," he muses.

That commercial launched a career.

"You can say I grew up performing. I actually started acting on stage at the age of three," says Chew, who went on to become an actor, radio DJ and variety show host.

"As a young actor, I thought it was awesome to be recognised. Strangers and schoolmates would come up to ask if I was the boy in the Yakult ad. I was also in videos produced by the Ministry of Education. I felt happy to be acknowledged," Chew says, beaming.

But things changed.

"I was in my late 20s when I suddenly felt that my every action was put under a microscope.

"The way I dressed, the way I spoke. I lost my privacy. I wanted to call it quits," he says.

But he could never leave.

"Acting was and still is my first love. But while being on TV and being popular is transient, radio offers a life-long career - long after you have lost your looks," he says with a smile.

Chew found radio to be an ideal home. Gifted with irreverent wit, he became a household name.

His TV career, at best, was middling, playing small roles in drama serials and hosting a few variety shows.

"I know my limits," he says, adding that he has a face that can only play "someone's younger brother".

"My baby face and slight-built does not make me lead actor material. I'm not tall or handsome enough. If you look at the top 10 most popular actors, nine are cut from similar cloth. And then there is me," he says, laughing.

NOW: His popularity, he says, was partly because of his Aunty Lucy persona - a curly-haired, bespectacled woman with her trademark hair-tossing and giggles. The character proved so popular it had its own movie in 2009.

"It is a love-hate relationship with her. I have a lot to thank Aunty Lucy for but I was also overshadowed by her."

Chew is letting Aunty Lucy rest for now so that he can show off more of his acting skills.

He is filming 118, a 190-episode drama that could herald a new era for Chew's career.

This article was first published on 09/14, 2014.
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