'Comedians are the saddest people'

LOOKING at Irene Ang's successful career, it is hard to imagine that she had tried killing herself three times in the past.

The 45-year-old, whose long list of occupations includes being the CEO of talent agency FLY Entertainment, said: "I attempted suicide and I failed.

"On my last attempt, I had a revelation: 'If I have the courage to attempt suicide, then why shouldn't I have the courage to live to fight another day?'

"From then on, whenever I run into difficult times, I refuse to give up."

Ang's dark days were in the 1990s, before she landed her iconic and successful role as Rosie Phua in the popular sitcom Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd.

She agreed that being a comedian is tough, as people expect her to be happy all the time.

"They often say comedians are the saddest people in the world, because everyone wants you to make them laugh," she said.

"People on the street talk to me like they've known me for very long. There is no barrier. It's nice but sometimes, I just want to be left alone. It can be very tiring."

Over the years, Ang has found various ways to cope with her low points.

"I own a bar, so I drop by for a glass of wine to chill and unwind sometimes. It's also important to have a strong support group of close friends whom I can confide in and talk to," she added.

"Focus on solving problems one at a time instead of lumping them together. When you focus on the positive stuff, things start happening for you again."

Ang also believes in paying it forward, saying that she uploads only positive stuff onto her Instagram account @flyirene.

She said: "Many people message me privately and tell me that my positive messages were what they needed to hear.

"Now I constantly scour the Web for such quotes and post them so that I can continue to influence people positively."

'I became vulnerable'

Home-grown film-maker Jack Neo may have achieved plenty of commercial success with his films, but the 54-year-old had a rough start during his early days.

This was particularly so when he performed as the cross-dressing Liang Po Po in local variety show Comedy Night in the late 1990s.

"It was very tough and pressurising. I constantly had to think of good punchlines and jokes, and had to think about having breakthroughs every week.

"I became vulnerable and easily depressed. Sometimes, I became very negative and would think: 'I make people laugh all the time, but if I am not happy in real life, then what's the point of being alive?'"

These days, Neo believes that his religion and his family help him through the difficult times.

He also immerses himself in work, deriving satisfaction when the audience enjoys his performance.

The father-of-four said: "I felt the happiest when my kids watched my Liang Po Po skits from the past and told me that they were very funny. It feels good to have that kind of validation."

'I didn't dare confide'

Veteran actor Chen Tianwen was recently seen on the big screen in comedy The Lion Men 2.

But just a few years ago, the 51-year-old was going through a minor crisis in his career.

He revealed: "There was one year in which I was offered only one TV show to act in, and it was for a bit role. I felt down and cooped myself up at home.

"I watched a lot of TV and surfed the Net to pass time.

"As I am a public figure, I didn't dare to confide in too many people. It's worse if I poured my heart out to the wrong friends, who might say worse things and make me feel more depressed."

Luckily for Chen, his role as a retrenched father in Anthony Chen's award-winning movie Ilo Ilo (2013) last year turned his life around. Not only did he start bagging more roles, but he also got married a few months ago.

He said: "Having a companion to talk to makes me feel a lot better, as I no longer have to deal with the problems myself."

jocelee@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on August 13, 2014.
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