PUBLISHED ONSeptember 29, 2025 9:02 AMBYYeo Shu HuiLocal actress Fang Rong's drama Fixing Fate, where she takes on her first leading role, will air soon on television, but she is stepping away from the spotlight for the time being to pursue another dream.
Speaking to AsiaOne recently to promote the time-travel historical series, the 29-year-old said: "It was a difficult decision to make, because acting is also a big part of my life. I grew up doing it and it will always be a hobby and a love of mine.
"But as of now, I feel like there's more that needs to be done, and I want to head in that direction and see where it will take me."
Fang Rong started as a child model at four years old and was also a child actress. She announced her departure from acting in an Instagram post on Sept 5, sharing that she felt there was "more to life than being in the spotlight" and was "called to channel [her] empathy and nurturing soul more meaningfully into service".
She also expressed her appreciation to the "kind souls" she had met over the years in showbiz who saw and affirmed her potential in acting.
During the interview, while Fang Rong did not disclose her new career, she shared that she would be joining the "helping profession" and will be pursuing her master's degree in counselling in a local university next year. She studied psychology in university.
She explained she started being more involved in youth volunteer work and working with kids on the spectrum about two years ago. "These made me realise that I can do more in reaching out to communities that need a bit of help and I feel very heartened when I get to do so, which was a sign for me that maybe it's time to explore a different path."
As for pursuing her masters, it has always been something she wanted to do since her university days but put off for "maybe next time".
"Now that I have been acting full-time for almost eight years [since graduating from university], I think I've seen what I wanted to see in these years. Maybe that also added to me thinking this is the right time," she added.
She also shared that she has a "strong support system" from her family and friends, who support her decisions as long as she is happy.
However, Fang Rong admitted her decision to pursue another career wasn't made without her own struggles.
She said: "I am very lucky because I never had to do any other job other than acting since I was young. After I graduated from university, I joined The Celebrity Agency (TCA). Making a decision on whether I should leave as a full-time artiste was difficult because I felt I had such a strong relationship with the agency and all my friends and colleagues already."
Having thought about her career and further studies more seriously since May last year, she finally decided to discuss her plans with TCA in March and received support from them. Moving forward, she will still be managed by them on a part-time basis.
Playing Kayla in Fixing Fate marks Fang Rong's first leading role in a local Chinese drama, and we asked if she would feel regretful if the series is well received.
"I think no... It's a good way to close a chapter or put a tab on the book as well. It's like, there's something to remember my journey by. In a different perspective, it's actually a nice bookmark," she said.
Fixing Fate tells the story of Tan Choon Lim (Xu Bin), who works in his uncle's funeral home and comes across a lighter the deceased elderly man had.
Using the lighter, Choon Lim is able to travel back and forth between 2025 and 1930, where he is drawn to law student Teo Soon Lim (Carrie Wong). His friend Kayla, who gives up her dream of being a historian to work in a Thai nightclub to make money for her ailing sister, soon figures out Choon Lim's time-travelling secret and blackmails him into obtaining historical artifacts from 1930 to sell in 2025 for profit.
The lighter is eventually discovered by police inspector Ang (Andie Chen), who suspects Choon Lim and Kayla's criminal intent, and they begin a cat-and-mouse chase against time.
Fang Rong said the director of this series, who had worked with her in the children's musical series Schoolhouse Rockz (2008) when she was about nine years old, had invited her to audition for the role.
When asked if her first lead role is a long time coming for her, she shared: "I think it's more about waiting for the right opportunity and after watching the drama trailer, I do feel that it's definitely worth the wait... I am very proud of what we have done."
Fixing Fate is now available on demand for free on Mewatch and premieres on Channel 8 on Oct 2, airing weekdays at 9pm.
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