Jeremy Chan on calling wife 'da sao' in new drama: It's weird
Jeremy Chan was asked to stop looking at his wife Jesseca Liu too lovingly. It was sending the wrong vibes, he was told.
The Singaporean actor, 42, plays Liu’s brother-in-law in the upcoming drama Once Upon A New Year’s Eve. It premieres on mewatch on Jan 15 and Channel 8 on Jan 18 at 9pm.
“It was weird and awkward calling her da sao (Chinese for elder sister-in-law),” Chan told The Straits Times on Jan 11.
“I was trying to be serious and yet the crew would be sniggering, joking that they could sense something was going on between us whenever I looked at my ‘sister-in-law’.”
He had to consciously remind himself “to be detached” from Liu, 44, in the few scenes they had together.
In the 20-episode drama, Liu is married to Chan’s elder brother, played by Qi Yuwu.
The story revolves around the wealthy yet miserly Qi, who is estranged from his family.
During one Chinese New Year’s Eve, he helps a stranger, who turns out to be a time traveller. The chance encounter offers Qi a chance to go back in time to salvage the broken relationship between him, Liu and their two children.
Once Upon A Time On New Year’s Eve also stars Zhang Zetong, He Yingying and Brian Ng.
Chan and Liu, who tied the knot in 2017, have worked together in other shows, such as Who Killed The Lead (2014), Crouching Tiger Hidden Ghost (2021) and Soul Detective (2022).
And now, working on the same drama has been a plus for the couple. For instance, they get to commute to and from work and have their meals together.
Chan said: “It is good that we are working on the same drama. Otherwise, we do not get to see each other often, perhaps only before we go to bed. I do not like those schedules.”
They are also each other’s acting coaches, said Chan, who has been in the entertainment industry since joining singing competition Project Superstar in 2006.
Liu recalled how she needed her husband’s help when they were starring in the supernatural dramedy Crouching Tiger Hidden Ghost. “We would rehearse my lines at home and Jeremy gave suggestions on how I could approach certain scenes to make them funnier.”
“Comedy is his forte, while I am more of a dramatic performer,” said the Langkawi-born actress, who started acting in 2005. She has received the Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes award at the Star Awards 10 times.
Chan won the Best Comedy Performance at 2018’s Asian Academy Creative Awards for My Agent Is A Hero.
The actor-host said when he had dramatic roles, he would consult Liu on how to portray the character and channel the emotions convincingly.
Chan, who was named one of the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes at the 2023 Star Awards, hopes to star with Liu in a light-hearted drama where they get to play a married couple.
“I’m confident of our on-screen chemistry,” he said.
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