We speak with Pamelyn Chee on her thoughts on starring as plucky Su Ling in the HBO original series Serangoon Road
By Cheryl Chia
You might recognise the attractive Pamelyn Chee from her role in the titillating Peranakan drama, The Little Nonya, on Channel 8, as well as from Channel 5’s cop drama, Point of Entry.
Born in Singapore and raised in New York City, Pamelyn now stars in HBO Asia’s original series Serangoon Road, with the likes of Joan Chen.
She shares with us some of her thoughts and experiences on and off the set.
How did you prepare for your role as Su Ling in Serangoon Road?
What sets Su Ling apart from the other characters is her upbringing and her wealth. The way she speaks says a lot more about her social status than anything else.
She is from an extremely wealthy Peranakan family and probably goes to school with all the expatriate kids, or has a private British tutor.
She also fits seamlessly into that upper class circle, so I wanted to give her something closer to a posh English accent, like how the extremely well-educated Hong Kong people of an earlier generation used to speak.
So, I watched a lot of Downton Abbey to try to get the accent down pat.
It also immediately gave the character a very Sixties feel!
What was it like working with such an international cast?
It was such a vibrant set that was full of creative energy. Every day, people came ready to play their role and they were not afraid to push the boundaries of the scene or their character, which really made everything come to life.
In addition, the set was beautiful; the lighting and cinematography were amazing!
Did you find out anything surprising about your co-stars?
Joan Chen has an amazing sense of humour. One day, we were talking about working out in between takes.
She was telling us how squats are the only exercise that work the whole body, and then proceeded to demonstrate it in her cheongsam and high heels. It was hilarious!
Do you have a dream role that you would love to play?
I have always loved biopics and I am fascinated by Kwa Geok Choo (Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew’s late wife). She was such an important person in the political history of Singapore but so little is known about her!
If you were living in the 1960s, who or what would you imagine yourself to be?
I might be one of those student leaders in the protest! I think people were a lot more vocal about their love for their country back then, and they were more willing to fight for what they believed in!
What would you like to say to Singaporeans about the show?
Expect to see Singapore like you have never seen it before – dirty, gritty and very sexy!
Serangoon Road premieres on Sep 22 at 9pm on HBO & HBO HD.
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