The Dream Makers 2 actors offer their characters one piece of advice

“When he is at work – as a reporter – he can be really unreasonable and would go all out to achieve what he wants for a story, so I’d tell him to be less sarcastic and give people some leeway because your sister (Fang Tonglin) is an artiste too [because] if you can do this to others, others can do it to her too.”

Does he see himself in this character?

“In the past when I was a radio deejay with YES933, I had an unreasonable streak in me too and you either really liked or hated me as a listener. Once, a listener called in to dedicate a song to her ex-boyfriend and I got really angry, questioned her for doing it, hung up the phone and refused to dedicate the song to him because I felt she was silly for holding on even after he betrayed her… But I have grown up over the years and I’m able to better respect my listeners and the decisions they make now.”

“Although a person like Wei Yun does not exist in reality because she’s too compassionate to be working in this line – and it’s impossible to find someone like her, I’d advise her to make full use of her capabilities to maximise her full potential at work… Zhou Wei Yun, what you see is not the truth, you need to stop looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses.”

So does she see herself in this character?

“She is someone who loves deeply and she’s very stubborn over a lot of matters – just like me. When I have my sights set on something, although it may not be the right thing to do, I’d doggedly pursue it and just do it.”

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“It’s a really simple piece of advice: she needs to cherish the love she has and never ever lose hope in it. Tonglin faces a lot of challenges – with regard to love – this season, especially when she discovers about a kissing video of Jason and Fei’er on the morning of her wedding… She also starts to feel inferior of herself after certain things happened and didn’t think she was fit to be with Jason afterwards. Why do I tell her to believe in love? It’s because no matter what person she becomes, he has never stopped loving her. So I’d want her to just believe in love.”

So does she see herself in this character?

“For most roles, we tend to find a bit of ourselves in our characters – but it’s just a small similarity that we may share and not a complete mirror reflection of the character. For example, Tonglin’s comical personality has a bit of Rui En in it and Xiao Man’s (her character in Unriddle) coldness has some Rui En in it too.”

PS: In case you're wondering why Rui En sports a chubbier look, we're told it's because she has to gain weight for her new role.

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“I have a lot to say to him leh. I need to tell him to be less self-absorbed and egoistical. He also needs to show everyone more respect regardless of their status and roles. Because the faster you rise, the faster you will meet with your downfall which may have no end in sight.”

So does he see himself in this character?

“At first I didn’t think we had much similarities but as filming progressed I realised we share a few common qualities. I can’t stand hot places and you’d find me in a shady spot with my fan most of the time; Yiming’s like that too but he’d have his PAs (personal assistants) who are armed with umbrellas and would fan him. Another part would be vanity – but that’s a normal trait seen in most artistes right? Especially since we’d need to appear presentable when we’re out on the streets.”

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“Let it go (laughs), when you’re too stubborn over certain things, it will lead to unwanted backlashes. Fei’er is unable to let go of a failed relationship and she does not want to move on and refuses to look to the future. She doesn’t know that what she has lost may in fact be a blessing in disguise and she may find a better person at the right place and timing. So, Zhao Fei’er, don’t overthink things, sometimes it’s best to just let go.”

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“Be it between lovers or married couples, don’t let pride get in the way of things – I don’t mean you need to lose your pride, but you must know when to step down. Previously, I had the same thoughts [as my character] because I’m a more traditional Chinese guy, I believe that men need to bear the responsibility of everything, but now I don’t think the responsibility should be on men alone – women can play a part too… Sometimes this type of pride is not worth it.”

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“Don’t be such a kaypoh (inquisitive) lah. (Laughs) Do whatever you want but don’t go after people’s secrets just to satiate your curiosity.”

So does he see himself in his character?

“I think I have quite a glib tongue – I didn’t use to be like this in the past but I realised that I tend to talk a fair bit of crap nowadays, I’m not sure maybe that’s why the producers decided to cast me in this role (as a host) too. I’m also quite a kaypoh person actually, although I don’t show it on the outside. I’d pretend I’m not interested in gossips most of the time, but would ask about it when nobody’s there (guffaws). I’m not sure why, but I always pick up on a lot of gossips and rumours – maybe people find me reliable because I’m not the kind who’d go round talking or sharing about it with others.”

“You’re not so street smart and you need to polish up on your EQ and IQ. You need to know how to talk and you are too pampered… [if you’re in it] for the fame, you can go f-off, [if you’re in it] for the passion, just try your best.”

So does he see himself in his character?

“When I first entered showbiz, I had a taste of fame with On The Fringe when a few thousand people mobbed us at Orchard Cineleisure. It was like ‘Wow, so cool!’ (…) and this character is a newbie actor who became a really famous kid overnight.”

“You need to let it go. Stop being so hard on yourself. You’ll just end up with nothing – no friends and family. Is this worth it?”

So does she see herself in the character?

“She’s completely unlike me to be honest – I actually felt more for Fei’er because she trusts someone but ends up getting betrayed instead. When you discover the truth to a person, that kind of disappointment and despondence you feel is something I can really identify with.”

“I think I’d tell her to learn how to be a better human before trying to do anything. If you don’t even know how to fulfil this basic responsibility as a human being, you won’t be able to do anything else – be it at work or at home. And when you learn how to do that, you’d find things are more smooth-sailing too.”