PUBLISHED ONJune 05, 2024 5:36 AMByYeo Shu HuiThose who have watched local film I Not Stupid would remember a memorable scene between rebellious teenager Selena Khoo, played by child actress Cheryl Desiree Chan, and her mother, with the latter delivering the iconic line: "This is for your own good."
Now, 22 years later, with two daughters aged four and eight, Cheryl can certainly relate to the meaning of this line.
Speaking at the press conference for I Not Stupid 3 yesterday (June 4), the 35-year-old, who has returned to the movie franchise to play a parent, shared: "One of my kids is in primary 2 this year and I'm also very worried about what's going to happen, like which secondary school can she go to… what can happen next?
"I think I can relate to the parents in this show, because academics is one part of it and there is also Direct School Admission (DSA)... I sent my daughter to netball, art classes and everything. I think I'm trying to be a typical parent."
Despite that, she is also mindful about not giving her daughters too much pressure.
"While I'm a kiasu mum, in a sense, by sending them to a lot of activities, I also feel that I can't force them to do things they don't want to do."
When asked how director Jack Neo convinced her to return to the iconic franchise, Cheryl, who is now working in the banking industry, told AsiaOne: "It was very easy, not much convincing was needed.
"I felt the character Selena Khoo played a very pivotal role in my life, because that's where I got more exposed to filming. I thought that it would be nice to come back as a mother, because that's who I'm right now as well and can relate to it."
She also shared that returning to screen allowed her to not just learn to enhance her acting skills, but also parenting skills.
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On Cheryl's comeback to the big screen, Jack said that it's a "wonderful" feeling.
"I feel that her performance didn't deteriorate, it's quite good and she performed really well in a few scenes. Cheryl is also someone who is very professional," the 64-year-old shared.
Jack added that he convinced Cheryl by telling her that she is missed on screen.
"I told her, 'If you can come back, it would be very good because the audiences remember you and would like to see you again," he said, adding that Cheryl agreed to return "almost immediately".
Jack also revealed that he had told Cheryl he is interested in featuring her in more roles in his future films.
I Not Stupid 3 centres around a feud started by Wenting (Hu Jing) and Sophia (Jae Liew), who are parents to primary 6 students, as they plot for their child to be the top student in the school.
Between being falsely accused of cheating, corporal punishment, challenges of bringing up children in Singapore and preparing for the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE), the parents reflect on whether it is really worth over-prioritising school grades and neglecting their children's well-being.
The movie, which also stars Collin Chee, Terence Cao and Glenn Yong, opens in Singapore cinemas on June 6 with ticket sales starting today.
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