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SINGAPORE: MediaCorp is cashing in on the “Baby Bonus”, and it is not the government’s cash grant, but rather Channel 8’s newest drama which stars Felicia Chin.
This heartwarming story revolves around Zheng Facai (Zhu Hou Ren), the proprietor of a profitable furniture company and his loving family. However, this blissful situation is thrown into chaos by the appearance of Zheng’s ex-flame, divorcee Huang Meiling (Xiang Yun) and her Ah Lian daughter, Apple (Felicia Chin), who is a single unwed mother.
The story isn't complete without Apple’s cute little son, Olympic (Leroy Chng), and the myriad of dramatic situations that take place, from Apple playing pool for a living, to selling Olympic off to pay off her debt.
Chin, who spent the most time with the toddler, said that she has a fear of kids when she is carrying them as she has a phobia of dropping them.
“I think babies are very sensitive, so maybe they can feel the fear in me,” the 2003 Star Search champion admitted.
“When everybody is hugging the baby, it is fine, and then when it was my turn, he started squirming and made noises, so I felt very rejected and very sad.
“After some time, I realised that you don’t have to try too hard… you just create a rapport him, and basically make friends.”
Eventually, the 24-year-old started to take the initiative to carry Chng, talk and play with him, and it all worked out.
Apart from Apple’s baby drama, the series also focuses on Fa Cai’s two children, Guo An and Xiaoyang, played by Darren Lim and Jesseca Liu respectively.
Lim, a father of three, portrays a character that dislikes children and who has yet to sire a son with his wife Angel (Apple Hong).
“In the show I have to act as if I am afraid of children, as if I do not know how to take care of them [when it comes to things like] changing their diapers, or carrying them,” Lim said during the media conference.
“As I’m very familiar with taking care babies, it is harder for me to act as if I do not know.”
The drama also features big names like veteran actress Lin Mei Jiao, actors Terence Cao and Tay Ping Hui, who does a very convincing job playing Li Jia Cheng, Apple’s helpful neighbour who often takes care of Olympic.
According to the 39-year-old, he worked with the scriptwriters to inject more personality into his character to make him “less generic”.
“On the surface, he is a very boring person, so after discussing with the producers, I decided to make him into a character that is a bit ‘toot toot’ (nerdy), he is not stupid, just super honest.”
In this drama, Tay’s character secretly admires a girl, and waits patiently for her, something the actor is all too familiar with, or so he says.
“In a lot of shows, I always like a lot of girls, but they always don’t like me back. Even in real life it is the same!” Tay joked.
Shooting with babies is never easy, for the behaviour of the infant star is highly unpredictable.
In fact, according to the show’s executive producer Soh Mei Lian, they had to switch babies midway as the first one was rather intractable.
Thankfully, Chng who is barely 15 months old, can shoot full scenes without tantrums, and is at ease with everyone on the set.
“For multiple takes, Leroy can act consistently, so it is very interesting, and there are quite a lot of surprises.”
“Initially, Leroy was not as close to Felicia, but later on, it was okay,” said Soh.
“All the artistes adore the baby, and pamper him a lot, including my film crew, some of whom come after work just to see him!”
Baby Bonus debuts September 30 at 9pm on Channel 8.
- CNA/il
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