Ah Boys To Men actor Wang Weiliang has scored his first lead role in a movie without the other Ah Boys he came to fame with in Jack Neo's trilogy of National Service-themed movies. He will be starring in new local comedy Lucky Boy as the titular character who is, in fact, unlucky from birth. Veteran Channel 8 actor Chew Chor Meng will play his father.
Unlike his character Lin Yu, Wang, 27, says he has been fortunate in life: "From when I started performing at getai till now, things have been smooth-sailing.
"And when I was first asked to star in Lucky Boy, I was shocked that I could continue to be so lucky even to this day."
The two male leads were unveiled yesterday at a press conference. Directed by Boris Boo, the $2.5-million film produced by Clover Films and mm2 Entertainment depicts the life of Lin Yu and his relationships with his family and friends through several decades. Against a backdrop which chronicles the defining moments of Singapore over the past 40 years, he falls in love with his primary school classmate Qing Qing and stays in love with her all his life.
The role of Qing Qing has not been cast and auditions are ongoing. Interested women between the ages of 18 and 25 years old can send their photographs and details to luckyboyauditions@gmail.com.
Boo, who directed last year's Filial Party, says he wanted to make a film similar to the 1994 Oscarwinning Forrest Gump, which chronicles several decades in the life of a simple-minded but good-hearted man.
"What we want to bring across is the principle of the half-full cup. Being second may not be a bad thing as it provides the space for one to strive harder," he says.
Mr Lim Teck, managing director of Clover Film, says at the press conference: "We wanted to find a lead that the audience could sympathise with. That is Weiliang's strength."
Chew, whose last film is 2011's It's A Great, Great World, also sings the praises of his co-star.
He says: "His acting is so natural that it doesn't feel like he is acting. He is very sincere."
Correction: An earlier version of this story identified Mr Lim Teck, managing director of Clover Films, as director Jack Neo and wrongly attributed Mr Lim's quote to Neo. We are sorry for the error.
