Chantalle Ng on playing the villain of Emerald Hill: It’s her 'turn to scar' mum Lin Meijiao

It has been more than two hours since the media interviews began at the Emerald Hill press conference and Mediacorp actress Chantalle Ng is still going strong.

In fact, despite the buzzy atmosphere with interviews happening at every nook and cranny of the Peranakan Museum, we could hear the 29-year-old’s voice through the crowd.

When 8days.sg finally met Ng, she greeted us with an excited burst of energy as she towed her black trolly bag in which she stows a water bottle and an extra pair of shoes.

Yes, she is that bubbly.

It lies in sharp contrast to her Wednesday Addams-inspired-look – a black Ferragamo outfit paired with dark make-up.

“This look was entirely my team’s intention,” she laughed when we ask if there was a deeper message.

Are we that surprised though? Ng is, after all, playing Zhang An Na, the main villain in the blockbuster.

Despite her excitement (who can forget the reaction video clip she posted to IG, when she was informed that she scored the role), Ng said playing such a dark character took quite the toll on her mental health.

“At first it was very fresh and exciting, but it started to wear me down each time after I took a break and needed to get myself back into the character,” she explained.

“An Na is very negative and always plotting something evil that at some point, I just wanted to stay being my happy and carefree self again,” she added.

It got so bad that she saw the need to reach out to the drama's executive producer Loh Woon Woon.

“She basically counselled me from a perspective of a friend, especially since I’ve been holding on to this role for so long,” said Ng.

Emerald Hill filmed for about six months across Singapore and Malaysia.

Ng admitted found it hard to even watch clips of the show, which could also explain why we saw her pursing her lips whenever her character appeared across the multiple screens at the press conference.

“It puts me in such a dark place that I probably need to mentally prepare, especially when I watch it with family,” she said.

“I am readying myself for viewers to hate and scold me because An Na is so evil,” she laughed.

Speaking of watching Emerald Hill with family, Ng said it was time to get back at her mum, semi-retired actress Lin Meijiao.

It is no secret that a then-12-year-old Ng used to hit her mum when they watched the original The Little Nyonya, where Lin played the villain.

“It is my turn to scar her!” Chantalle laughed.

Or… is there a chance Lin could be pulled out of retirement after seeing Ng’s performance?

“I doubt it,” she laughed. Her mum, she said, is having way more fun with her time and is now holidaying with friends in Malaysia.

“I think she loves the time she spends with our dogs and chickens too much to want to work again,” said Ng.

After Emerald Hill, will Ng hesitate to take on villainous roles in the future?

“I’m ready right now!” she chirpped. Despite the emotional weight she felt with Ah Na, she thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

“It is all about how much I can stretch myself as an actress and know there is still growth for me there,” she said.

Speaking of growth, we had to pry about her personal life. In 2022, Ng told 8days.sg that she was “talking to someone” but was tight-lipped to say more.

“Is it the same person?” she joked, before assuring us that it was.

Ng was all set to dish with 8days.sg until she glances at her manager and goes: “Can share, right? I think it’s okay to say lah.”

Ng said she would prefer the relationship to be a little more public but because he is very low-key, she hasn’t had "a chance to introduce him to everyone yet.”

And yes, her mum has met him, and according to Ng, “she really likes him”.

Even with her hectic schedule, she dismisses concerns about the challenges of maintaining a relationship.

“I really like the time we spend apart and there is this new love language called “space” that I really value,” said Ng.

Catch Emerald Hill – The Little Nyonya Story on Netflix and mewatch, and on Channel 8 at 9pm from Mar 19.

This story was originally published in 8Days.