Benjamin Kheng reveals Steven Lim was his 1st reference for character in new movie

Actors often turn to film icons or famous fictional figures for character preparation. But for local singer-songwriter Benjamin Kheng, the source of inspiration for his role in upcoming film The Sandbox was much closer to home.

In an interview with AsiaOne at a press conference for the mockumentary, the 36-year-old revealed that although he and director James Thoo had other references, his first was local personality Steven Lim.

The Sandbox is a mockumentary that follows a struggling stunt training school on the verge of closure when rumours surface that a Marvel superhero production is scouting for talent in Singapore. The school suddenly finds itself filled with aspiring stunt performers and superhero wannabes hoping for their next big break.

Ben plays Joash Goh, a self-proclaimed martial arts prodigy whose inflated ego, shameless self-belief and complete disregard for what others think allow him to unapologetically be himself.

"The first reference for me was Steven," said Ben. "I think he's the ultimate performance artist if you think about it."

He added: "I respect (his performance) a lot because… he's managed to create this balance of an ecosystem where he gets to be 'Steven Lim' in front of the camera, and he's maintained it for decades. I find it truly beautiful."

'1 of the most fun sets ever'

According to Ben, playing a character that takes himself so seriously was easier than one might think. He quipped: "It's not hard when you know many Joash Gohs in real life, the male ego is a wonderful thing."

Everyone has a level of narcissism and it's not hard to "dial that up for comedy", he added.

Ben described Joash as someone who "truly believes he's the sh*t", sharing he had plenty of fun and often improvised on set, admitting he was surprised by how much of his more whimsical antics ended up making the final cut.

"I get to mock the camera in every scene, unironically. So, it's great," he said.

Ben also described the set of The Sandbox, which was shot between May and June last year, as "one of the most fun sets ever because there were no egos".

Alongside Sandbox's real-life founder, actor and action director Peps Goh, the cast also includes Nathan Hartono, Fauzi Azzhar, Oon Shu An, Estelle Fly, Jon Cancio, Xuan Ong and Aaron Mossadeg.

The film, which premiered at the 36th Singapore International Film Festival in November 2025, is written and directed by James in his directorial debut and produced by Mocha Chai Laboratories.

When asked how much of Joash's humour came from himself versus the script, Ben said it "feels like 100-100" and that most of it was elevated from the script.

He explained: "A lot of the comedy was written in, but in the very same breath, James is one of those directors that not just allows but encourages play, and you rarely see that in Singaporean directors. A lot of what you saw in the film is the result of us having wild improvisational takes."

Ben also attended the film's international premiere at the Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) in July, alongside James, producer Anthony Eu, Estelle and Fauzi.

He recalled that there was a certain shared camaraderie seeing Malaysians resonate with the issues and pains reflected in the film. 

Singapore artistes need to have 'unshakeable belief'

Ben also spoke with us about one of the biggest challenges being an artiste.

"I think my biggest wrestle was the inherent narcissism that comes with being an artiste because the product is you," he said.

"As much as you sometimes don't want to think about yourself, you're forced into thinking about yourself as a product."

Ben first rose to prominence as a member of Singapore pop band The Sam Willows, alongside his sister Narelle Kheng, Sandra Riley Tang and Jonathan Chua. Besides writing and performing the National Day Parade 2024 theme song Not Alone, he also had a collab with K-pop girl group Itzy that year and a viral song about cai fan with Annette Lee in 2021.

He is also involved in Sing Song Social Club, a community choir started in 2024 by Singaporean musician Aarika Lee, alongside Nathan and Sandra.

Comparing his solo career to his band days, he said the former is "definitely very isolating", which is why the community choir has been so healing for him.

He explained: "I think that's what Sing Song Social Club brings to me again, which is music as a service, music as a safe space, music as a means to open doors and welcome people, and for them to experience things and much, much less about me."

He acknowledged that while he's been "very blessed" to have been able to jump through different mediums and explore different things in his career, the struggle of being an artiste here never really goes away.

"To be an artiste in Singapore, I think you either have that unshakeable belief in yourself, like Joash, or you have an unshakable belief in what you do, like Peps and what Sandbox does," said Ben.

"As much as I want to push the boundaries as an artiste, I also have to admit there's a Singaporean in me that goes home and eats the same thing, watches the same stuff, retreats back to comfort areas and even the consumption patterns."

[[nid:746087]]

He pointed out the limited entertainment industry and shorter shelf life of opportunities here, adding that artistes are often forced to balance practicality against their creative ambitions, something he also described as a "beautiful challenge".

"I think whenever I've tried to do something new, whether it's a film project or a specific different kind of genre of music, I have to realise that the market here might not be ready for it and that's okay. You just have to really believe in what you do," he said.

Having grown up with "an appetite for commercial work", he said: "I always truly believe that there is a very happy middle ground, that the Venn diagrams between art and commerce can overlap without you compromising on your beliefs and also being able to bring the bread home.

"There's always a creative solution to both, and I think I've always kind of been in pursuit of that. So, I'm quite lucky that those circles tend to overlap, or I force them to overlap."

One example is a passion project he revealed he has been working on: A music album for runners.

"It's not going to be the most commercially friendly, I suppose, but it's something I've wanted to do for a long time," he admitted. "It's very hyper specific, but I guess that's the fun in it."

He teased the upcoming release in an Instagram post on Sept 27, writing: "Nobody asked for a whole music album made for runners, but nobody also asked for a Cybertruck and here we are. Different BPMs for different runners, same voice telling you to get up and get it!"

The Sandbox opens in Singapore cinemas on Oct 8.

[embed]https://youtu.be/WAz-b7plgOE?si=iQchfAM5m7hgxw5I[/embed]

[[nid:746093]]

esther.lam@asiaone.com 

No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.