Wayne Lai says Singapore actors lack 'explosive force' in acting, Hugo Ng disagrees

Acting isn't simple, that much is clear — but what makes a good actor? 

In an interview with Shin Min Daily News for the local Mandarin drama The Golden Path (direct translation), Hugo Ng rejected Wayne Lai's opinion that local actors are lacking explosive power in their performances.

"In addition to explosive power, pacing in performances is also important," Hugo, 63, calmly explained. 

"Wayne may not have much understanding of local dramas and that's not an issue. It's just that the culture of local drama is different."

Wayne, 58, came to Singapore in February at the request of the producer of The Golden Path to share his acting experience with local actors, Lianhe Zaobao reported.

Attending his class were local stars like Pan Lingling, Desmond Tan, Jeremy Chan, Ayden Sng, Chantalle Ng, Hong Ling and He Yingying.

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Speaking to Zaobao reporters in February, the veteran TVB actor said: "I think most of the local actors are quite mild-mannered. Maybe the scenes they filmed in the past aren't all that passionate, emotional or flavourful.

"If we address the topic of improvement, I think that actors need to improve the explosiveness of their performances — this aspect just can't seem to be pulled out so easily."

That's not to say local actors are incapable of producing such performances, however, Wayne stated. 

Instead, it's likely that they haven't had the chance to do so or haven't really thought about it, which is why Wayne tried his best to get them to increase the energy they put into their performances.

A 'richer' performance

The Golden Path marks Hugo's return to local dramas since The Dream Job in 2016. In this latest drama, he plays a coffeeshop stall-owner who is a gambling addict. 

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Ayden, who plays Hugo's son in the drama, shared with Shin Min that Hugo "has his own ideas" and added scenes and dialogue to performances, making "the whole scene more exciting".

"Hugo is a generous veteran actor who's very good at teaching drama. He helped me bring in my thoughts and emotions, ensuring that the effect of my performance will be richer."

Ayden, 29, also learned from Wayne: "The pacing in acting can vary between fast or slow, sometimes loose and sometimes tight.

"You must know how to master it, so that the whole drama won't look boring."

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khooyihang@asiaone.com