Qi Yuwu, Jeanette Aw pair up for ninth time in Ch5 debut Come Closer
Actor Qi Yuwu plays a father and husband who keeps a tight lid on his feelings and just wants to provide for his family in Come Closer, a new 1980s-set Channel 5 thriller.
But in real life, the 47-year-old says he is expressive with his love.
The China-born, Singapore-based star is married to Singapore actress Joanne Peh, 40. They have an eight-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son.
Qi told The Straits Times: "I think a lot of dads in that era were like that. They love their families and want to give them what they can, but they don’t express themselves. My dad's like that, but I'm not.
"I used to keep everything inside. It didn’t matter if I liked or disliked something – I wouldn't say it. But over the years, possibly because of the influence of my wife and many other things, I feel it's good to express your love. I hug my kids. I also tell them, my wife and even my father that I love them."
In the five-part series, John, a down-on-his-luck businessman, turns to dangerous deeds to support his family.
Mei, played by actress Jeanette Aw, is his second wife and stepmother to his two children, played by actors Raynold Tan and Lim Shi-An. The family is torn apart when their driver Siva (T. Suriavelan) is accused of molesting their daughter.
Come Closer is the Channel 5 debut for both Qi and Aw. It is available on mewatch and airs on Channel 5 on Mondays at 10pm.
This is also the first drama for the actress in two years, since The Ferryman: Legends Of Nanyang (2021). Aw, previously a full-time Mediacorp artiste, left the broadcaster in 2017.
For Qi and Aw, who were previously romantically paired in series such as The Little Nyonya (2008) and The Dream Makers (2013), Come Closer marks the ninth time they are working together.
Aw, 44, said: "There is a certain level of trust and confidence between us, and I feel there's an unspoken understanding as well. We don't have to discuss anything in the script, but we play off each other's character almost intuitively."
This is the first time Qi and Aw is working with director K. Rajagopal, known for his art-house film A Yellow Bird (2016).
Qi says: “He’s a very observant director, he’s aware of our microscopic expressions. His understanding of acting is quite deep and he gave me a lot of freedom to improvise during scenes.
“He’s great at using the camera and its frame instead of dialogue or actors to tell a story. It doesn’t feel like a television series, it’s very cinematic.”
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