Late Kenneth Tsang once called Singapore actors 'stupid', some now remember him as professional and tenacious

As the Hong Kong showbiz industry reels over the sudden death of accomplished actor Kenneth Tsang on April 27, some Singapore media veterans such as Zoe Tay and Chen Shucheng are also looking back on their interactions with him.

The 87-year-old acted in various local dramas in the late 1990s such as Heart of the Family (1996) and The Unbeatables II (1998). 

Here's a look at the celebrities' experiences working with Kenneth.

Chen Shucheng

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A veteran actor himself, Shucheng worked with Kenneth in The Teochew Family (1995). The show propelled Kenneth to infamy after he called Singapore actors "stupid" during an interview. 

Unhappy about the insult, the Singapore cast got Shucheng to represent them, and he, together with eight other actors, expressed their displeasure about Kenneth's comment.

Speaking to Lianhe Zaobao recently, Shucheng, 72, reflected on the incident and said: "It would have been better if I had handled the matter differently. As a representative, I didn't have enough wisdom; I was young and brash and that's why I handled it that way. 

"If it happened now, it wouldn't be like this. I didn't have enough wisdom and life experience to deal with it back then." 

Thankfully, Shucheng has some good memories of Kenneth, including an instance when the latter stood up for him while they were filming The Unbeatables II. 

"My character was supposed to be poisoned to death by wine. My role didn't really have any exchanges with Kenneth's, but he spoke up for me and told the director that my character was a hero, how could he be simply killed off by a glass of poisoned wine?" Shucheng recalled.

"He always dealt with these things objectively and he was very professional." 

Zoe Tay 

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Mediacorp's Ah Jie worked with Kenneth in the dramas The Teochew Family and The New Adventures of Wisely (1998). Looking back, the 54-year-old told Shin Min Daily News that Kenneth taught them how to master the rhythm of acting and interpret the feelings of the characters they were playing.

She also remembered how quickly Kenneth familiarised himself with Singapore's streets.

"Back then when were filming, Kenneth had just arrived in Singapore. No matter how far the filming location was, he would locate them by himself." 

Jin Yinji 

Veteran actress Jin Yinji, 75, not only had a good relationship with Kenneth, she was also good friends with his wife, Taiwanese actress Chiao Chiao. 

Yinji, who played Kenneth's mother in The Teochew Family, told Shin Min she used to live near the late actor in Singapore and they would often have meals together. 

Upon hearing of his passing, Yinji sighed and said: "He and Chiao Chiao are so loving, now that he's gone, what is she going to do?" 

Aileen Tan 

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Aileen, 55, played Kenneth's daughter in The Scam (1998).

"Kenneth doted on me a lot, we would meet at Jin Yinji's place to play mahjong. I hope he rests in peace. My condolences to Chiao Chiao," she told Shin Min.  

Vincent Tee 

Vincent, 69, told Zaobao that Kenneth really strangled him during a fight scene in the local movie Blood Ties.

"He used all his strength to squeeze my neck, I couldn't breathe. He almost strangled me to death." 

Save for the near-death experience, Vincent remarked that Kenneth was someone who had his own opinions, but he would never make things difficult for others. 

"He's straightforward and tenacious, we've learnt a lot from him." 

He also shared that Kenneth loved durian. "I bought the best durians and he ate them happily, he was in a good mood for the entire day on set." 

Chai Yee Wei

It turns out actors aren't the only ones who have been 'pushed' by Kenneth. Local director Chai Yee Wei, 45, also shared with Zaobao that Kenneth would challenge directors. 

"Because I worked with him, I eventually gained the courage to direct films overseas and work with established foreign artistes," he said. 

"If actors don't challenge me now, I will wonder if they have done their homework." 

Ann Kok 

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When she was still rather new to showbiz, Ann acted alongside Kenneth in the local telemovie Heart of the Family. 

Recounting her experience to host Quan Yi Fong on an episode of Hear U Out in February 2021, the 49-year-old said that she "disliked him quite a bit" after they filmed a scene together. 

"Kenneth played a trishaw rider and there was a scene where my character stole his things. He caught me and hit me on the head with his shoe. It was actually very painful and he didn't do that during rehearsal. So, I was a little terrified and also quite angry then." 

However, Kenneth apologised to Ann afterwards, explaining that he was simply trying to make her "emote better". 

claudiatan@asiaone.com