Noah Yap on being a role model after jail: I've fallen many times, but...

Celebrities are best remembered for their shows and deeds. For local actor and influencer Noah Yap, a mistake — and subsequent punishment — three years ago continues to define him, but it's none the worse for him. 

In a recent phone interview with AsiaOne, we asked him how he feels being a role model. After all, the 26-year-old has 123,000 followers on Instagram and recently took on a PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency project, hoping to influence how youths look at water as a resource.

"When people look at me, I want them to [realise], whenever life gives you a challenge, it's about how you face it and get up from it," said Noah, adding that he has "fallen many times".

"Challenges are a good way to see a person's character. It defines you as a person if you take them in your stride. Some people allow challenges to take over their life and they 'black out'. I want people to think of me as a person who overcame them."

In March 2016, Noah, then serving his national service, was sentenced to nine months in the Singapore Armed Forces Detention Barracks (DB, the army's equivalent of prison) for the consumption of cannabis.

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But the Fly Entertainment artiste did not let the incident bring him down. After his release, he spoke candidly to local media about his lapse in judgement and cautioned youths against taking drugs. While his career took a beating after the incident, it appears to be on the rise now.

Noah has stepped away from being one of the boys in the popular Ah Boys To Men franchise and other supporting roles to land a lead role in an upcoming movie by mm2 Entertainment.

SINGAPORE'S VERY OWN POWER RANGERS? 

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The Fatekeepers, a Chinese-language fantasy adventure currently in post-production, stars Noah, Andie Chen, Julie Tan, Regene Lim and Richie Koh, as five individuals born under each of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire and earth.

Their fate and luck improve dramatically after they stumble upon a fengshui app, but it comes at a great price — the country will be destroyed as a result and the five must defend it.

Cue "flipping and swinging" on wire-flying stunts in front of a green screen during filming.

Said Noah, who plays Mu with the wood element: "It was my first time doing stunts and it was quite exciting — not scary — to be attached to the wire, flipping and swinging for hours on end, even though it took a toll on my hips and legs. It was pretty challenging but fulfilling."

Because each of the main characters has a representative colour (Noah's green) and special power, the production crew nicknamed the five artistes Power Rangers.

The self-proclaimed thrill-seeker recently celebrated his 26th birthday by doing his most adrenaline-filled activity ever: tandem skydiving in Australia, something he had always wanted to do since he was 16.

"I'm always looking for my next adventure," he said. "When I was in the sky, I felt relaxed and liberated, floating with the wind in my face."

While he's fine jumping off a plane, he would think twice about jumping off a bridge. Bungee jumping is not the same, he explained.

"With tandem skydiving, you are harnessed to someone else. When he jumps off the plane, you have no choice [but to follow]. But with bungee jumping, you have to take the leap of faith yourself. I'm not sure if I can trust the bungee rope [to not snap]."

NOT TAKING WATER FOR GRANTED

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On his PUB project #MyTakeOnWater Photo Challenge, he admitted that he used to take water for granted because of its ready availability in Singapore. His snapshots in the challenge include his koi fishes and his pet dog in one of its weekly showers.

"The challenge got me to take a step back and see water more importantly. We use water for a lot of things, and we wouldn't be here without it, so we should take time to appreciate it," Noah said, hoping that his photo challenge could influence fellow youths to do the same.

Besides learning to appreciate water, Cindy Keng, director of PUB's 3P Network Department, hopes that #MyTakeOnWater participants will make saving water a lifelong commitment.

"Not many people know that Singapore is, in fact, one of the most water-stressed countries in the world," she said.

"As youths start practising water-saving habits, they can also influence and rally their friends and family to do so," she added.

"Every single one of us can help to make every drop count."

kwokkarpeng@asiaone.com