PUBLISHED ONDecember 13, 2023 9:51 AMByYeo Shu HuiLocal actor Richard Low is clear about what he wants from life at 71.
For him, good health, safety and living well on his own free will are what he is content with.
Richard told AsiaOne in an interview recently that he doesn't have any more wishes to make, after expressing his gratitude at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok in October for the fulfilment of wishes he'd made three years ago.
"I feel that if the gods feel that I should have more, they would naturally give it to me. There is no need to ask for more," said Richard.
He added that it took him more than two years to return to Bangkok to give thanks for his wishes because of the Covid-19 pandemic and conflicts in his schedule.
"When my wishes had been fulfilled and I hadn't gone yet to give thanks, it was something that I kept in my heart. I always felt that there was something that was not complete yet," he shared.
And so he made a promise to himself that he would not be asking for more divine assistance in the future.
Richard shared: "If I live well, I think that [anything more] would be something unexpected given to me as a blessing from the divine. I would then go to pray and give thanks. There is no need to make any more wishes.
"I am old and just want to live my days well."
Richard's latest project is his first Tamil drama, 1943.
Speaking about his involvement, Richard said that the invitation to participate in the drama really surprised him.
"I have mostly been involved in Channel 8 dramas. My English language skills are limited, but by chance I participated in the English drama Tanglin for more than three years," he shared.
"I also know a little Malay, so I always hoped to play a small role in a Suria drama. I would have been happy to say that I have acted in dramas on Channel 8, Channel 5 and Suria.
"But before I had the chance to act on Suria, I received an invitation for a Tamil drama. That was really unexpected for me, and now I really hope I'll have a chance to act in a Malay drama on Suria — then I would have acted on all Mediacorp channels!" he laughed.
In 1943, Richard plays a Japanese general who plans the Sook Ching operation during the Japanese occupation and is involved in the killing of Tamizharasi's (Dhivyah Davina Raveen) family and friends during the massacre.
His cruel ways are greatly opposed by his daughter Grace (Apple Chan) and they frequently fight over it. Later, Grace falls in love with Karmegam Kannan (Jaynesh), not knowing that it is actually a plot by Kannan and Tamizharasi to assassinate the general.
Richard shared that although filming took place in Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh between mid-August and September, he had started preparing for the role since June.
He said: "I requested to get the script earlier because I need some time to digest and work on it."
As his lines were all in English, Richard said that he sought help from Apple occasionally and used Google Translate to understand some of the words.
Richard also told us that director Sundar Ilanchezhiyan and the production team were initially worried about whether he would fit the role.
He shared: "Sundar told me that when I auditioned for the role, the production team was a bit worried about me portraying a Japanese general because I am quite soft, my tone of voice is very gentle.
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"It was actually because I was not familiar with the crew, so I was being very polite. But they were shocked after I filmed my first scene because I was very fierce in that."
After that first hurdle, Richard shared that Sundar was very approachable and understanding during filming.
"Sundar knows that my command of English is limited, so he would edit some of the tougher lines for me. If I had problems before filming a scene, I would look for him and he would help me.
"He also told me not to limit my performance just because of the lines and it's okay if I couldn't pronounce properly, because in the drama I am Japanese, so even if my pronunciation was not good, it doesn't matter," he said.
"He told me I should just do it, and if I wasn't doing well, do not worry because he would teach me."
Richard added that it was his first time playing a high-ranking military officer and he was looking forward to seeing his performance on screen.
Richard also admired how detailed and dedicated the production team was in finding good sets for filming, and the scenes were very cinematic.
"For the general's home, the production team rented a 1940s-style bungalow and decorated it really well. It was impressive and felt like something from that era.
"They also booked a small museum in Ipoh for the set of the general's office, which also fit into the aesthetic of that era. I felt that they really paid a lot of attention to these details to make the scenes look realistic, and that was something that left a very deep impression on me," he said.
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Coincidentally, this drama also marks the third collaboration between Richard and Apple, who first worked together on the Channel 8 drama Beach Ball Babes in 2008 — also acting as father and daughter.
He shared: "I didn't remember that we'd acted together until Apple told me. She showed me a photo of us from many years ago when she was still a student.
"We also worked together in an endoscopy commercial earlier this year as father and daughter and developed our relationship, which continued into this drama."
Speaking about acting alongside Apple again, Richard said: "I feel really happy. I admire her a lot as an actress because she is really quite good."
When asked for a memorable scene from the show, Richard vividly remembers filming in a swimming pool at 2am.
He shared: "The director wanted me to hold my breath in the pool for at least 15 seconds, but in the end I gave him more time, so he was very happy about it… I think I held my breath for more than 30 seconds and we filmed it at 2am, when the water was really cold. When I came out of the water later, everyone clapped for me."
Richard also shared that his favourite sport is swimming and the longest he could hold his breath was 90 seconds. However, with his age, he is concerned about overexerting himself.
"Once I reached 65 years old, I stopped going to my limit. When I am swimming, once I feel that I should breathe, I would come out of the water. My record for holding my breath is about 90 seconds, so to me 30 to 40 seconds is okay, I don't feel that I am overexerting myself," he said.
1943 is now available on meWATCH and airs on Vasantham channel on Mondays to Thursdays at 9pm.
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