Veteran Singaporean actress Hong Huifang says her age is an advantage when it comes to getting roles in Taiwan

Hong Huifang's career has been thriving ever since her breakout titular role in 2022's Ajoomma. 

Her emotive performance in the Singaporean-South Korean film earned her a Golden Horse Best Actress nomination and catapulted her to international fame. Now, the 64-year-old has easily become one of Singapore's most prolific actresses. 

Just in the past year alone, Hong participated in seven local and overseas films, dramas and web productions – including Taiwanese drama Breeze By The Sea, Malaysian Chinese New Year film Blooms Of Happiness, Singapore–Thailand co-produced crime thriller series Decalcomania, SG60 project film Kopitiam Days and more. 

In February 2023, she also signed with Taiwanese talent agency Catwalk Taiwan, joining the same agency as four-time Golden Bell Best Actor Christopher Lee.

In an interview with the Chinese-language publication Lianhe Zaobao, Hong admitted that the past two years have been "very fulfilling" for her. 

“I think this should be the peak of my career and I hope it doesn’t fall off too soon," she laughed. 

Hong noted that while local showbiz tends to be less forgiving towards older female actresses, in larger markets like China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, an artiste's age is often seen as an asset. 

“Many of the recent roles I played required subtle, introspective acting, which is difficult without life experience. It has to be just right, with clear emotional layers. If you don’t bring something real, audiences can tell you’re empty. But if you overact, they’ll feel you’re pretending," she said. 

"Overseas, many veteran actors have had to go through years of ups and downs to reach where they are too. It’s all about time and experience.”

She only came to realise that there is a high demand for actresses her age after signing with Catwalk and venturing into the Chinese market. 

“Taiwanese showbiz actually lacks senior actors, plus the industry is now beginning to value veterans," she revealed. 

The actress did initially wonder why she was approached, given that Taiwan is "full of actors".

"But they’re always short of actresses who are of the age to play grandmother roles. Even though I’m in my 60s, I’m willing to play characters in their 70s or 80s," she explained.

Hong noted that if the production actually hired someone who's that old, the physical demands might be too much. It's why she has also been working hard to maintain her health so she can continue her career path smoothly and steadily.

That said, she stays vigilant and refuses to rely solely on her age and seniority in the craft.

She also avoids "playing the genius card", which in Cantonese means to rely on talent without effort.

“We can’t bank only on experience and technique to act. As we age, experience comes naturally, but it’s also easy to fall into the trap of performing with just a fraction of our ability or sticking to old techniques," she mused.

"I remind myself that as an actor, I must continuously grow, connect with younger people, understand their inner worlds, and keep challenging and elevating my craft, instead of just leaning on experience to ‘get by’ with each role.”

This story was originally published in 8Days.