Xiang Yun now busy fulfilling her dreams: 'My children have grown up'

After over 40 years in the local entertainment industry, Xiang Yun now spends most of her time fulfilling her dreams.

The veteran actress, who turns 64 today, told AsiaOne recently: "My children have grown up so I must respect their lives and tell them how much I love them, while simultaneously also fulfilling my own dreams."

During a recent staycation with her husband, former actor Edmund Chen, she joked that the 64-year-old kept calling their children, asking them to eat together, while she wanted to relish in their time alone.

She said: "I kept telling him, 'Aren't we on a date?' but he kept saying 'Aiyah, our son is nearby though.'"

"I'm very happy whenever I get to see my children but if I don't see them, I'll just be happy with Edmund," she laughed.

The couple have son Chen Xi, 34, and daughter Chen Yixin, 25, both of whom are also actors.

She has also been travelling to China and most recently accompanied over 340 members on an 11-day trip to Zhangjiajie and the Yangtze River Cruise in China.

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Xiang Yun was speaking to us at the media conference for her new drama The Gift of Time, where she stars alongside veteran actors Xie Shaoguang and Chan Hanwei.

The story follows two advanced-stage cancer patients — wealthy entrepreneur Lim Huoyan (Shaoguang) and retired factory technician Lam Shuimiao (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.

At the same time, they also aim to die without regrets and as Huoyan seeks to reconcile with his estranged daughter Wong Xiatong (Chantalle Ng), Shuimiao hopes to fulfil Xiaomei's (Xiang Yun) dream of dancing the waltz.

The drama marks Shaoguang's return to showbiz after he left in 2005.

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From dancing the waltz to shaving heads

Although it is not her first time dancing onscreen, it is her first at waltz. She shared that she took three lessons, each around two to three hours, but still struggled to get the moves down.

"I'm someone who has two left feet. Every time I dance, I am done for," she said.

"I always forgot the moves after learning. Even though I filmed the practice, I don't know what I'm dancing — I don't have the talent."

Out of all her scenes, she said the one of her shaving 56-year-old Hanwei's head was the most touching, even though she was "scared to death".

She said: "I had to shave Hanwei's head because Shuimiao has cancer and is losing hair every day. So, Xiaomei must accept this reality; it was very heart-wrenching."

She recalled being very nervous and stressed during filming. Hanwei, whom she described as "very good at taking care of his cast members", often encouraged her and told her not to be scared during the shave.

She also praised her co-stars for their dedication to the craft.

She said: "All of us have our own techniques when preparing for and performing our characters, but Shaoguang's methods are unique and there's a strength in his commitment to it.

"Hanwei is another kind of actor who has a lot of commitment. Thus, I looked forward to this drama because I can act with them, see them perform and how they act."

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'If I stopped acting, I would be in social work'

In line with the drama's theme, we asked Xiang Yun about not having regrets in her own life and she told us she believes in "constantly sharing love because not everyone's life is perfect".

She added: "Now that I'm older, I have this profound feeling, because my parent's generation has gone and my generation is next.

"So, I think about how much time I have left with my children and it makes me cherish it even more. Simultaneously, I have to remind myself to set aside time because I have many things I have yet to do or want to do."

When asked about a dream from her youth that she would like to fulfil, she revealed that most of her aspirations revolve around the industry.

She started at a young age and was one of the first drama trainees at Mediacorp in 1981. Although she landed her first lead role in the 1983 drama All That Glitters Is Not Gold, her breakout role was in the following year's period drama The Awakening.

If she wasn't an actress, she imagined she would most likely be living a simple life, perhaps selling vegetarian food like her mother, who died in 2023 aged 84.

And if she ever stopped acting, she sees herself venturing into social work.

"I'm very grateful that I have many audience members who know me," she said. "I was born in the 1960s, from the baby boomer generation, so a lot of people grew old with me.

"I understand these people's lives and emotions, so I believe I would do something meaningful in this area."

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

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esther.lam@asiaone.com

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