Actress Jesseca Liu says her crying scenes in Emerald Hill were cut
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Taiwanese actor Hsiu Chieh-kai (left) and Malaysian actress Jesseca Liu play a bereaved couple whose son is killed in Emerald Hill – The Little Nyonya Story.
PHOTO: MEDIACORP
SINGAPORE – Many bad things happen to Malaysian actress Jesseca Liu’s character in the ongoing Mediacorp series, Emerald Hill – The Little Nyonya Story.
The 46-year-old actress, who is based in Singapore, plays Li Shuqin – a woman married to the second son of a wealthy Peranakan family – in the loose sequel to the broadcaster’s 2008 hit The Little Nyonya.
In the early episodes of the period drama, Shuqin and her husband, Zhang Jinhe (Taiwanese star Hsiu Chieh-kai), lose their son to an accidental shooting and their daughter also goes missing shortly after. Yet, audiences who tuned in felt that the couple coped with the tragedies much too calmly.
In response to the criticism, Liu told Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao that two scenes of her crying were cut.
“One is in the hospital, where Shuqin blames herself for scolding her son on the morning of his death, and Jinhe and her cry together. Another scene is when she returns home to find her daughter An’an with her sister-in-law. When she is asked about her son, she cannot hold back her tears.”
Liu said the scenes were likely cut for length and to keep the story moving forward. She added that Shuqin and Jinhe are the pillars of the Zhang family, and their behaviour in the series aligns with their responsibilities.
“Every decision Shuqin makes is in consideration of the bigger picture and prioritises how the matriarch of the family feels. The death of her child is irreversible, and she has a depressed mother-in-law (Zoe Tay), so Shuqin’s composure is key to maintaining balance in the family.”
The series’ executive producer, Loh Woon Woon, told Zaobao: “While it’s true that the grief of losing a child cannot be so easily or calmly smoothed over, Shuqin and Jinhe are in the position of holding up the Zhangs amid a time of uncertainty and crisis.
“They have to suppress their pain and keep their emotions from affecting others and influencing their abilities to steer the ship. It shows how they have no choice but to always think of the bigger picture, even during such a tragedy.”
Loh said the production team gave much thought to how the story will be presented, including its pacing and whether it flows well.
Despite some criticisms, the 30-part Emerald Hill has been well-watched. The series is available on streaming platforms Netflix and mewatch, and also airs on Channel 8 on weekdays at 9pm.
On Netflix, the series beat popular K-drama When Life Gives You Tangerines to become No. 1 on its most-watched list of programmes in Singapore after its premiere on March 10. With 13 available episodes, it is currently fourth on the most-watched list.
