'Sometimes I have no idea where a pair of pants are': Hugo Ng on woes of having homes in 3 countries

From time to time, many of us have trouble remembering where we have placed an item in our homes — is it in this room or that? This cupboard or that drawer?

But for veteran Singaporean actor Hugo Ng, sometimes the search for his belongings may extend overseas as he has properties in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Speaking to AsiaOne recently at Sims Vista Market and Food Centre, where the press conference and lensing ceremony for his new movie King of Hawkers was held, the 64-year-old shared that he has no plans to settle in Singapore for now.

He said: "I am still filming in a few different countries every few months. It's hard to say where I want to settle down. Sometimes I am overseas, but wherever I am back in Singapore, I would want to accompany my son."

Hugo married former Hong Kong actress Lily Chung in 1995 and they have a son Justin, 25, together. Justin, who lives in Singapore, is currently working in special effects in the film industry.

As Hugo has homes in multiple countries, he shared: "The only problem that I have now is that sometimes I have no idea where a pair of pants are.

"It happens quite often, so now for one pair of pants, I may have to buy three of them."

Hugo was a former Channel 8 star in the 80s and became a household name in the 1984 Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (now Mediacorp) period drama Pursuit. He ventured to Hong Kong showbiz in 1987, where he signed on with TVB and acted alongside actor Tony Leung in the wuxia drama The Two Most Honourable Knights.

Over the years, he acted in various dramas in Hong Kong, China and Singapore and was most recently seen in Chinese drama Sunshine By My Side and Mediacorp's All That Glitters.

In 2022, Hugo purchased a 1,400 sq ft HDB flat in Singapore for about $700,000, which he reportedly paid for in one lump sum.

Besides expanding his career in showbiz, Hugo has also ventured into the food and beverage business, and currently owns four kopitiams with other shareholders in Malaysia.

When asked if he has any plans to bring the business to Singapore, Hugo said: "I think we want to manage the business well in Malaysia first before considering other locations… One of the considerations is that the cost of living is higher here. We are just starting and are still learning."

'I hope they don't teach me how to kill a crab'

In King of Hawkers, Hugo plays Liu Derong, who is the owner of zi char stall Ah Lau Cantonese Cuisine and also chairman of the hawker centre's management committee. As someone who is extremely confident of his cooking skills, Derong is egoistical, stubborn and often gets into conflicts with his son Desheng (Asher Su).

Derong hopes to pass his business to his grandson (Kimson Tan), but in the midst of preserving tradition and hoping to expand his business at the same time, Derong slowly loses his original intentions.

Hugo shared that Derong's specialty is chilli crab and he would be undergoing training to prepare for his performance.

"I'll have a day or two of training from a chef on knife skills and wok skills. They will also teach me how to cook chilli crab, but I hope they don't teach me how to kill a crab," he said.

Hugo added that he would also have scenes where he would have to saute a dish, which he is already prepared for.

He shared: "In my own private time, I like to fry kai lan (Chinese broccoli), I also know how to cook fried rice. When my son was young, I would cut up the ingredients and fry them together for him.

Hugo said that he looks forward to playing Derong and also spending time with his son now that he is back here.

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"My son is living in Singapore now and I want to stay here more often to accompany him. Besides that, this role of a reputable chef is something that I have never tried before. I think this is fate," he added.

Directed by local director Kelvin Sng, King of Hawkers centres around Zhang Nala (Dawn Yeoh), who returns to Singapore from Hong Kong to restart her life at her family-run bak chor mee stall after divorcing her rich playboy husband (Collin Chee).

When a multinational company organises a competition to buy over Nala and other hawkers' recipes and businesses, they work together to retain their legacy.

The movie is currently in production and also stars veteran singer-actresses Mimi Choo and Liu Lingling, local actors Ryan Lian, Asher Su and Das DD. It will be released during Chinese New Year next year.

ALSO READ: 'This feels more than 6kg': Dawn Yeoh on carrying heavy pots playing hawker in upcoming CNY movie

yeo.shuhui@asiaone.com

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