Phyllis Quek, Who’s Almost 50, Making a Comeback to Acting & Might Join Mediacorp in the Future

To all the die-hard Mediacorp fans back in the late 90s and early 2000s, you might get to see a familiar face on your screens soon, so mark your calendars.

After being named one of the female actresses that Singaporeans would like to see on their television screens again, Malaysia-born and former Mediacorp actress Phyllis Quek announced that she will be starring in Soul Detective, an upcoming local production.

And if you’re already Googling more about the show, its executive producer is Mediacorp actor and producer Zheng Ge Ping, another well-known name in the local entertainment scene.

Quek Started Her Career as a Star Search Contestant

Quek, who was a full-time Mediacorp artist from 1995 to 2001, was well known for being ranked by local media as the fourth “Ah Jie” (big sister) in the local television scene back in the day.

After emerging as the third-place winner in Star Search 1995, she was awarded the Best Newcomer Award in 1996 for her work in Beyond Dawn, and the rest is history.

Back in the day, her roles as Yin Susu in the local adaptation of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber and Bai Mudan in Legend of the Eight Immortals caught the attention and praise of many viewers.

She is also known for her lead role as Salina in the Hong Kong action film 2000AD, which also starred famous actors such as Aaron Kwok.

After leaving Mediacorp in 2001 when her contract expired, she has continued to star in various television shows and movies on an ad-hoc basis.

Outside of showbiz, she married Australian businessman David Cox, who is ten years her senior in December 2012.

According to her Instagram account, she currently hosts a podcast titled Careless Whispers, and various celebrities such as Jack Neo and Hong Hui Fang have been featured on the podcast as guests.

Quek’s Return to Television

And even though it has been around five years since she was last featured in local TV dramas, there is no doubt that she still continues to look as youthful as ever, especially through the photos that she posts on her Instagram account frequently.

Recently, Quek sat down for a phone interview with Shin Min Daily News and confirmed the rumours regarding her starring in Zheng’s new drama.

She also mentioned her gratitude towards how the public still remembers her after such a long time, and also touched on how she misses acting in front of the camera.

When meeting up with friends still in the entertainment industry, Quek also revealed how she could feel her passion for acting burning inside of her every time she heard them discuss their scripts and shooting experience.

Last TV Show She Acted in Was in 2017 With Li Nanxing

Quek, who will be turning 49 this year, also recalled that the last television series she appeared in was My Teacher Is a Thug back in 2017.

Assuming the role of Lian Jiaxuan, she acted alongside local veteran actor Li Nanxing as his girlfriend.

With the long break between her last acting experience and her upcoming one, there’s no doubt that fans of hers will be excited to finally watch her on their screens again.

However, she also said that despite her break from being an actress, she feels that she will be able to adapt quickly once she warms up to her role and memorises her script.

Quek’s Role in Soul Detective

During the interview, Quek also revealed several characteristics regarding the role that she will be playing in Soul Detective.

She will be taking on the role of a “taitai” (rich man’s wife) who is kind and loves her husband deeply. However, she also noted that the audience can expect an unexpected twist as the show goes on.

Acting alongside her as her husband is famous TV host and Mediacorp artiste Guo Liang.

Although they have never acted with each other before, the duo have briefly met in the past while filming a large-scale variety show.

Repeating her previous sentiments, Quek mentioned that once her “acting cells” kick in, the pair should not face any major issues while working together.

Filming for the drama will begin next week.

Wants to Try Taking on Villainous Roles

During the interview, Shin Min also asked if she would like to take on more challenging roles at this point in her career, raising popular Korean thriller series Penthouse.

To that, Quek replied that she would be eager to try out similar roles, and even brought up the challenging role of lead villainess role that actress Kim So-yeon took on.

She also added that actors should be daring enough to try out different roles in their work, and not be bound by the fear that specific roles will “damage their image”. She also raised the example that actors in Hollywood have set.

As for acting as an “ugly” woman, Quek previously starred in the 2001 drama My Fair Lady where she took on such a role.

However, she adopted a different stance with her answer to this question.

Quek said that if special effects makeup needs to be applied for the entire duration of filming to achieve the visual effects, she might reconsider due to the harmful effects that the thick makeup might have on her skin.

Return as Full-Time Actress Still Unconfirmed

Given her enthusiasm for returning to act in local productions, she was also posed with the question of if she would consider becoming a full-time local actress again if she was offered a contract.

Quek shared that although she feels that anything is possible, she might have to reconsider that for the time being.

This is due to the fact that she frequently flies between countries to accompany her husband due to his work schedule.

Hence, she concluded that filming on an ad-hoc basis will be more suitable for her, at least for now.

Reaction to Kissing or Intimate Scenes: Quek Will Inform Her Husband First

During the interview, Quek also answered questions regarding the fact that she might have to film kissing or inimate scenes in front of the camera once again.

When asked about whether she will inform her husband, she smiled and said that she definitely will out of respect to him.

She also noted that although she is not inherently objected to filming such scenes, she will not take on scenes that are too steamy.

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Secret to Maintaining Her Youthful Looks

Regarding her looks, many netizens across the internet have praised Quek for remaining as youthful as ever, and that it feels as if all these years have done nothing to affect her beauty.

And here’s the part you’ve been waiting for: How exactly does she do it?

When touching on this subject, she revealed that maintaining her looks, which involves leading a physically active and healthy lifestyle, has always been part of the self-discipline and standards that she sets for herself as an actress.

She shared that is a long-term investment that requires self-love and determination, and not something that can be learned in a short period of time.

Additionally, she also harped on the importance of being happy.

As the saying goes, the energy that smiles radiate is contagious indeed.

Going Back and Forth Between Singapore and Australia

Quek also disclosed that the filming for Soul Detective will wrap up in August, but she will be taking leave in June in order to fly to Australia with her husband.

She shared that she has been flying to Australia regularly even during the pandemic, and even spent Christmas in Australia last year.

As for what she enjoys most about Australia, Quek said that she greatly appreciate the nature and sunsets there as it feels incredibly relaxing to immerse herself in the picturesque scenes.

She even brought up her road trip to the Gold Coast and noted that Australia has relaxed their COVID-19 travel requirements greatly since last year.

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Featured Image: Instagram (@phyllis_quek)