Actor Xie Shaoguang on TikTok, his acting inspirations, and making dramas in a streaming age
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After nearly 20 years away, Singaporean actor Xie Shaoguang still wants to further his craft in acting.
ST PHOTO: LUTHER LAU
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SINGAPORE – In the past 19 years, Singaporean actor Xie Shaoguang has done many things – set up an animal shelter in Pekan Nanas, Malaysia; became an ordained monk for 2½ years; and worked as a chef at a vegetarian eatery.
But one thing the 62-year-old star has resolutely not done is act.
So, when news broke on Sept 5 that Xie, who starred in iconic Channel 8 dramas such as The Golden Pillow (1995), The Legends Of Jigong (1996), Stepping Out (1999) and Holland V (2003), had rejoined former employer Mediacorp, it made headlines.
While he has not yet firmed up any new projects, signing with Mediacorp is his way of sending a signal.
“I’m telling everyone: ‘I’m available.’”
When The Straits Times met Xie for a sit-down interview at the Mediacorp Campus on Sept 6, the veteran looked energised and in good spirits, despite the full day of press interviews.
Dressed in a navy-blue T-shirt and jeans, Xie – who left Mediacorp in part because he was burnt out after years of acting – says he “lost track of time” in the past 19 years.
“There was a lot of work to do for the animal shelter – finding funding, finding land, getting the basic infrastructure down, getting volunteers and vets. To defray those costs, we started a vegetarian eatery. Naturally, the process took very long,” he says.
Xie says he never felt he was famous, but was lucky enough to have a string of good roles. He was approached for various projects, including the Golden Horse Award-winning film Ilo Ilo (2013) by Singaporean director Anthony Chen, but could not take his energy away from the shelter then.
“I promised my father I would run the shelter before he died of pancreatic cancer (in 2006). He used to eat game when he was still alive. So if my running of the shelter can help to alleviate some of the guilt he felt about that, I will do it.”
He adds: “It was a good break, ultimately. Acting is a lot of mental work and doing some physical, manual work was a good balance. It gave my brain a break, and time to reflect on my performances in the past.”
With the shelter now operating smoothly with its own team and volunteers, Xie, who moved back to Singapore from Malaysia prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, is ready to return to acting.
He knows there might be limited roles for him in his 60s, but is still keen to contribute.
Citing the example of 90-year-old Chinese actor You Benchang in 2023 Chinese television series Blossoms Shanghai, Xie says You did not have many scenes, yet his performance was compelling.
“If a character is well written and advances the plot, it allows veteran actors to contribute their craft. I respect stars like (late local artistes) Chen Meiguang and Bai Yan very much. It’s not about how much screen time you have... you just want to leave an impact on the story,” he adds.
Awards, too, are no longer important to Xie. The five-time Star Award Best Actor winner, who was at one time the most decorated actor at the Star Awards until Chen Hanwei overtook him in 2019, has no plans to wrench the record back.
“That’s too arrogant,” he says with a laugh. “I have been away for so long and in that time, of course people who perform well will be rewarded. If you go into a project thinking that you want to win an award, it’s a distraction.”
While Xie was out of the limelight, much has changed about the entertainment industry.
The days of people rushing home to catch the latest Channel 8 drama are long gone, and have been replaced by endless on-demand streaming options.
Singaporean actor Xie Shaoguang says he never felt he was famous, but was lucky enough to have a string of good roles.
ST PHOTO: LUTHER LAU
Does he feel it is harder to be an actor in this landscape?
“Objectively, yes, perhaps the local industry is pretty tough. Our population is small and highly educated. Parents’ definition of success for their children is getting a good education and climbing the corporate ladder. In the arts scene, you need a lot of passion, but your achievements might not be what is commonly regarded as success,” he says.
He adds that while it might be “near impossible” for a local production to achieve Netflix Top 10 viewership, he cherishes the connection that local dramas can forge with audiences.
“Maybe we can’t make a Michelin-starred dish, but we can make a great bak kut teh or lor bak (braised meat).”
Still, Xie, who recently watched Netflix series such as K-drama The Glory (2022 to 2023), British black comedy Baby Reindeer (2024) and Thai series Master Of The House (2024), laments the speed at which some viewers consume content.
“Nowadays, people are quite impatient. They fast-forward through anything. I know that to a lot of people, watching television is like satisfying a fast-food craving. But to really be moved by the story, you need to catch the nuances of the actors’ expressions. If our sensitivities to such things get lost, that’s quite a shame.”
Aside from returning to acting, Xie is also on social media. He started a public Instagram account in June
While he sometimes enjoys social media, he knows he will not be a prolific content creator.
“I’ll admire it from a distance. You have to be comfortable creating content for people watching it to feel comfortable too. It’s just not my forte,” he says.
