Chantalle Ng 'terrified' of ageing: 'It's a difficult conversation to have but so necessary'

Local actress Chantalle Ng is no stranger to complex characters but her latest role in Mediacorp's new drama The Gift of Time prompted her to confront one of her biggest fears.

The 30-year-old recently told AsiaOne that she's "terrified of ageing", a subject she believes is often overlooked yet deeply relevant.

She said: "I think it is a conversation that we don't really have, but it is something that I start to think about, especially with my mum getting old and my grandparents having just passed away from cancer. It is a very difficult conversation to have, but I think it's so necessary."

She also emphasised the importance of self-care and urged others to "not take your health for granted".

Chantalle's mother is veteran local actress Lin Meijiao, 61.

The Gift of Time follows two advanced-stage cancer patients — wealthy entrepreneur Lim Huoyan (Xie Shaoguang) and retired factory technician Lam Shuimiao (Chen Hanwei) — as they undergo treatment at the same clinic.

Despite a longstanding grudge against each other from an incident a few years ago, the two become friends as they resolve to help other terminally ill patients fulfil their dying wishes using Huoyan's wealth and Shuimiao's understanding of human nature.

Chantalle plays Wong Xiatong, a nurse at a cancer clinic and Huoyan's estranged daughter. Having witnessed her late mother's suffering from Huoyan's betrayal, Xiatong struggles to accept him and refuses to reconcile.

Diving into her role, Chantalle described her character as a very independent and strong woman. Drawing from her own experiences, she was able to empathise with Xiatong and understand why she became a nurse.

After having gone through her grandparents' illness, Chantalle has realised cancer is a far more common and shared experience than most think, commending healthcare professionals for their dedication and diligence.

She said: "When people are going through such illnesses, it's really a very difficult and dark time for the patients and for their family members. I really have to give it to the healthcare professionals because they are like a shining light for people who are vulnerable and going through the most traumatic phases.

"I think the kind of satisfaction and fulfilment they get from the job is very different from any other job so I can really see and appreciate the work of healthcare professionals."

As the drama centres around cancer and terminally ill patients, she revealed there were a lot of deaths in the show. While it was emotionally heavy, she was also "quite surprised" by the hidden gems within the narratives.

She elaborated: "We managed to find a lot of joy from the stories as well. I think it is not just the grief and the struggles, but also about coming to terms with your life and making peace with the people around you and yourself."

A reminder of life's fragility

Back in September, Chantalle also personally experienced the fragility of life and the importance of healthcare staff when she was admitted to hospital for a week due to a viral infection.

She shared the news on Instagram following her discharge, writing that she "came home with deep gratitude for the people in healthcare".

While the illness wasn't life-threatening, it did leave her momentarily bed-bound, forcing her to take a break from work.

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As a self-confessed "very health-conscious person" who considers herself to be in good shape, this incident was "another reminder of how fragile life can be".

At the time, Chantalle was in the process of filming another local drama series The Grind.

"Because of my hospitalisation, we had to delay the filming, and it was quite difficult because there were other artistes going into other productions already," she said.

"It affected my filming and I'm very apologetic about that because we were in our last phase."

'Never read my script the same again'

The drama marks Shaoguang's return to showbiz after he left the industry in 2005. His illustrious career included winning five Best Actor and two Best Supporting Actor at the Star Awards. He held the record for the former for 15 years before being surpassed by Hanwei in 2019.

When asked how she felt about working with the two decorated veteran actors, Chantalle said: "I really admire both for their acting and to be in a show to see them act right in front of me, it's really just like, 'Wow, I'm enjoying this so much.'"

In 2022, Chantalle had a three-day private acting session with Shaoguang where he shared his experiences and offered her some valuable advice.

She said at the time: "My biggest takeaway was how to let myself become the character and not just play the role. Because when you truly become the character, her speech and actions become second nature. I'm very thankful for such an opportunity."

When we asked how her approach to acting differs from his, Chantalle said: "Shaoguang makes the characters come alive and he would add in his own details. So, I guess that's why when you watch his performance, it's very layered."

On the other hand, she described herself as having a more surface-level understanding of her character's stories and motivations, akin to "reading a storybook".

After learning his way of "going into the characters and finding their motivations", she revealed she "never read the script the same ever again".

"I think the way he led the story and the progression of our characters, it was just very heartwarming," she added.

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The Gift of Time is now available on demand for free on Mewatch and premieres on Channel 8 on Oct 23, airing on weekdays at 9pm.

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esther.lam@asiaone.com

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