Huang Biren says directors labelled her as having an attitude when she was a newbie

While it can be normal for starlets to be put through the paces so they can earn their stripes in showbiz, local actress Huang Biren seemed to have a particularly difficult time and one that gave people a certain perception of her.

In the latest episode of the meWATCH talkshow Hear U Out, the 51-year-old opened up about her past when she first joined Mediacorp in 1988 after finishing her A-Level examinations.

According to host Quan Yi Fong, Biren had a culture shock when she entered the industry. Biren explained that there was a language barrier as most of the directors then came from Hong Kong and spoke Cantonese, a dialect that she understood but wasn't fluent in.

She said: "There were times when I had to ask the directors to repeat themselves because I couldn't understand, and it upset them. They raised their voices and they were so loud that you could hear them from the other end. And they often cursed. I didn't understand why they were so loud and uncouth."

There was another time when a misunderstanding on set led to her being labelled as the actress with an attitude. Biren shared that they had an overnight shoot and she was worried that they might not be able to find her if she moved to somewhere else on set, so she sat herself next to the director and cameraman.

As she was tired, she closed her eyes to rest. However, the director saw her and called her out for "sleeping" while everyone else was busy.

"I tried to explain that I was just resting and it would be easier and more convenient to find me if I stayed there, but he wouldn't have it. He just labelled me as 'the one with an attitude'. Perhaps I gave people a bad impression when I was younger," she said.

That wasn't the only time that she was misunderstood, though. Biren also recounted another incident when a young famous actor (at that time), who had reached 'Ah Ge' status, played a prank on her while they were filming a scene together. The prank resulted in Biren smacking herself in the face. She did not mention who he is in the episode. 

ALSO READ: Huang Biren felt 'shameless' for arriving at grandmother's wake only on the third day because of work

She said: "I wanted to get back at him but the director came and asked what happened. I wasn't good at Cantonese so I said, 'He's crazy'. Without really knowing what was going on, the director said, 'You're the crazy one! Why are you playing with him?'

"The actor came over after that and I told him, 'I'm not playing with you because I get told off while you have fun. I'm not playing anymore. Go away.' And I was labelled as the one with an attitude' again."

Biren pointed out that things were "different" for famous actors, and when asked why she rebuked her co-star, she replied: "It was his fault I got a scolding. The prank was painful enough, yet I still got scolded because of that, and I couldn't voice my displeasure because the director would scold me."

ALSO READ: Huang Biren says she's 24/7 on call for her family, but 'it's not that bad'

bryanlim@asiaone.com