Actress Carrie Wong: 'I don't think I can be a real nurse'
She spent long days on set in a nurse's uniform for new Channel 8 drama series You Can Be An Angel 2.
Meanwhile, her father was in and out of the hospital dealing with an infection to the pancreas.
The irony was not lost on actress Carrie Wong.
"My father is not in the pink of health, so I feel very sad when I don't see him and my mother at home," the 22-year-old told The New Paper yesterday.
"Each time I went home, I'd tell them that it seemed like months since we last saw each other and they'd agree."
In the second season of the nursing drama, Wong plays Jin Si Yan, a new character who quits her job as a lawyer to become a student nurse.
The 20-episode drama, which also stars Zoe Tay, Rebecca Lim and Zheng Ge Ping, will air week nights at 9pm on Channel 8 from Nov 1.
UNDERSTAND
Wong said her role has helped her understand the pressures involved in a nurse's job.
"Not only do they deal with patients and difficult family members, they also have to deal with death. It tests their patience and endurance levels," she said.
"I don't think I can handle being a nurse, so I think nurses in Singapore are underrated and deserve more credit.
"And to know that my father is well taken care of by them gives me a peace of mind."
Wong is thankful that her parents are understanding of her unusual working hours and are supportive - good news for her, considering how busy she has been since breaking into showbiz after winning third place on student talent competition Hey Gorgeous in 2013.
She had roles in Channel 8 dramas, such as Against The Tide and 118 in 2014, then bagged the Top Ten Most Popular Female Artistes award during the Star Awards in 2015 and 2016.
Wong is working on the sequel to the 255-episode drama 118, alongside Chew Chor Meng and Pan Ling Ling, and the technology-themed drama Dream Coder.
"I'm focusing more on my acting career. Maybe I'll even try out scriptwriting next time," she said.
Not only do they deal with patients and difficult family members, they also have to deal with death. It tests their patience and endurance levels.
- Carrie Wong on nurses
Aloysius Pang: 'I wanted a love triangle for my role'
Reprising the role of Li Long Hua in the television drama You Can Be An Angel 2 is Aloysius Pang.
The 26-year-old local actor played a smaller role in the first season, but is excited about his character's storyline in the new series.
He told The New Paper yesterday: "I was so happy when I was told there's going to be another series.
"But I wanted a love triangle for my character and for something dramatic to happen to my grandmother in the show.
"I went to the producers with the ideas and they accepted it, which shows that all of us work together very well."
INTROVERT
Pang also said he is an introvert - the complete opposite of his character.
"I may not connect with my character on that level, but with the choices that he makes in the show, I can empathise with him," he added.
He also had help from his two older cousins who are in the nursing profession and found out a lot about life as a nurse - and death.
"In movies, a dying person usually takes in a deep breath, breathes out and then dies. But in real life, the person just takes in one breath and that's it," said Pang, adding that the show has affected him on a personal level.
"I've learnt to take my health seriously. I have allergic reactions where my eyes will swell up and my windpipe gets blocked, and it happened when I was filming (Channel 8 drama) Super Senior.
"The reaction got very bad, but I did not want to take medical leave - something I had never done before and I didn't want to ruin my clean record.
"Eventually, I took medical leave because I knew what the consequences would be if I didn't seek help."
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