Xie Shaoguang's all-time love: animals and acting

News of Xie Shaoguang's comeback to the local entertainment scene was met with excitement from both his fans and other stars including Zoe Tay, Xiang Yun and Bryan Wong.

Speculation on his return started when the 62-year-old actor launched his Instagram account in June.

However, confirmation came only months later when it was announced that Xie had signed with Mediacorp's celebrity management arm The Celebrity Agency on Sept 5.

Despite a long day of back-to-back interviews, Xie was warm and accommodating when he spoke to TNP on Sept 6. His enthusiasm in getting back into the game after 19 years was palpable.

When he retired from acting after his contract ended in 2005, Xie undertook various ventures, including setting up an animal sanctuary and becoming a chef and a monk.

He explained how these unlikely roles were all connected by his love for animals.

"They always tug at my heartstrings," he said.

He wanted to offer his support in building an animal sanctuary in Malaysia and to make it sustainable, he opened a vegetarian restaurant to help fund the shelter. That's restaurant was where he became a chef.

However, after an injury, he was given the opportunity to study Buddhist scripture.

"I allowed myself to join the monkhood and find my spiritual belonging," he said.

Although Xie found the time he spent over the past 20 years incredibly rewarding, he is ready for the next chapter.

The return to acting came when he was invited to work with younger stars.

In 2017, he conducted a two-day workshop for artistes such as Elvin Ng, Desmond Tan, Felicia Chin and Ya Hui.

"During my session, it just stirred up my own emotions and passions I have in acting," he said.

"I enjoyed it very much but I never thought of coming back."

It was his former manager who persuaded him to reignite his passion and "come back and give it a try".

Xie smiled and simply shared that the timing was just right.

While nothing is concrete yet, he is waiting for a good character or script to come his way.

"I hope that directors and scriptwriters know I'm still in the game," he said humbly.

While his fans are certainly looking forward to seeing Xie on their screens again, the actor has a keen interest in mentoring up-and-coming artistes.

Two of the younger actors in whom he currently sees great potential are Richie Koh and Jeremy Chan.

"Richie caught my eye when he played an autistic character and just drew me in," he said.

"He is very free and relaxed yet able to portray the emotions, which I thought was very impressive."

As for Chan, Xie recognises how he can bring complexity to his characters.

While Xie acknowledges how different the entertainment scene is from when he was last active, he is excited to adapt and evolve with the industry.

"Now, the power is all in the hands of the audience," he said, referring to how most viewers now choose to stream what they want to watch.

Although he did not commit to sharing more on his new Instagram account, Xie is looking forward to building an emotional connection with his fans again.

"That is the thing that we have to treasure," he said.

 

@tnpdigital

Xie Shaoguang chats with TNP about his comeback to the entertainment scene 🌟

♬ original sound - TNP