Singapore — Chantalle Ng is no stranger to the spotlight. Apart from making headlines over a family controversy, the 26-year-old actress has been in the news after starring in Channel 8 series, My Star Bride, as a Vietnamese bride in Singapore.
Ng has been in showbiz since 2013 but it was this role that catapulted her from being known as the daughter of veteran actress Lin Meijiao to fame in her own right.
“I am really very happy it [‘My Star Bride’] happened. I feel that we’re all waiting for opportunities and Fang Cao was the one for me. It really helped me in my career and people are starting to know me as something more than Lin Meijiao’s daughter,” she said in an interview with Mothership.
Ever since then, the media has been reporting every move – including when Ng had to take the train to Mediacorp’s campus at 11pm to retrieve her car because she forgot that she had driven to work that morning.
Although she appreciates the attention and knows it is a measure of success, seeing her name in headlines still puts her on edge.
She said: “I still get a bit nervous whenever I see my name on an article. Yeah, I’m still trying to get used to it.”
Since both her parents have showbiz backgrounds, it may appear natural for her to follow in their footsteps. But the decision had always been hers to make. “I was never pressured to join the industry. But I think growing up in this environment, I was always inclined to join.”
People aound her had always urged her to try her luck and submit audition clips for smaller roles. After she labded several roles, she realised how interested she was, and decided to pursue a career in acting career after she graduated.
She feels the importance of mainaining a positive attitude when it comes to work, she said, recognising how privileged she is to have a veteran actress for a mother.
“[My mother] always emphasises … working attitude. I think it’s very important to be professional on set, like, we’re expected to be on time, to memorise our scripts and just be respectful of the people working with us. And I think that applies to any job, not just in showbiz.”
Following her success in My Star Bride, Ng has several more projects lined up. In a Channel 8 series Live Your Dreams, Ng plays a shy trainee at an entertainment company. The girl group-themed series is filled with singing and dancing segments. Ng says the production team thought the singing would need to be dubbed since Ng doesn’t have a singing background, apart from having sung in the choir of her secondary school. But she insisted on doing her own singing because she enjoys singing.
Ng said: “I really tried to fight for the chance to sing on my own so they said OK, if I really want it, then I had to go for lessons and they’d decide after I pass the lessons.”
Her singing tutor is homegrown music producer Lee Wei Song, who with his twin brother discovered Stefanie Sun. Ng’s lessons paid off and she did her own singing with no dubbing. She did admit that her castmates outdo her in dancing.
Tasha Low, Ferlyn Wong and Cheris Lee also star in Live Your Dreams and they are all former K-pop stars. It is no surprise then that they are more experienced when it comes to performing for the camera.
“Every time when it comes to dancing, I will …follow their dance moves. So it’s very obvious if they dance wrongly because I will also dance wrongly,” she said.
Still, that didn’t intimidate Ng. Instead, it made her appreciate their friendship as well as all their help and encouragement .
She added: “I actually have a clip of Cheris teaching me how to dance [behind the scenes] and I’m just imitating her while the camera is on.”
So what does her mother think of her talent?
Ng revealed that Lin (who is her daughter’s number one fan, of course) is always a spectator to the many “mini-concerts” that she holds at home. “She’ll always listen to my singing! She’s very supportive and thinks I can sing,” Ng said.
And the dancing? Lin hasn’t said much about Ng’s footwork though. “No comments from her yet,” said Ng.
At least she’s gained more confidence in her moves since shooting started. “After the show, I think I still cannot dance. But at least I’ve learnt how to look confident faking it.”
Mothership.sg asked Ng what her idea of living the dream was, since the series is called Live Your Dreams.
Ng’s answer: “I feel like I’m already living my dream.”
The rising star is simply content to be making a living from doing what she loves.
Said Ng: “I am very happy to have found a spot in my life where I enjoy what I do and am able to make a living out of it. Most importantly, I’m surrounded by good people, like my family and friends.”
“Live Your Dreams” is now streaming on meWATCH./TISG