Felicia Chin and Jeffrey Xu star in first drama together since getting married, launch podcast

SINGAPORE – Felicia Chin and Jeffrey Xu are entering a new chapter together – both on- and off-screen.

Besides starring in upcoming Channel 8 drama Brighter Days, their first series together since tying the knot in 2022, the celebrity couple are branching out with Trash Talk, a joint podcast hosted on their Instagram accounts.

Local actress Chin, 41, told The Straits Times at Old Habits Cafe in SAFRA Mount Faber during a media session on Aug 12 that the podcast brings together their shared interests and experiences as a married couple, including fashion, camping and the outdoors.

She describes it as a conversational project where the pair talk openly about what is on their minds. While the title can have a negative connotation, they hope “there’s a positive message from it”.

Trash Talk made its debut on July 7, where Chin and Xu shared, over four episodes, about a real issue that couples face – arguments.

They aim to produce one theme each month, spread across three to four episodes, with plans for longer videos on YouTube. They are also exploring retro-inspired merchandise and streetwear, in the hope of eventually turning their passion project into a lifestyle brand.

The couple, who dated for seven years, are also sharing a drama set for the first time as husband and wife. They first acted together in 2015’s long-form family drama Life – Fear Not, where Xu played one of the boyfriends of Chin’s character. They also played a couple in the 2019 anthology Love At Cavenagh Bridge.

Yet, they barely interact in Brighter Days, which premieres on Aug 24 on mewatch and Channel 8 at 9pm.

In the 20-episode multi-generational drama, Chin takes on dual roles of gambling addict Choy Hong and her daughter Fang Ying. Chin has most of her scenes with local actor Romeo Tan, who plays her love interest Lee Yi Wei, while Xu is Tan’s long-lost brother Jie Wei.

“We have only one scene with just the two of us,” Xu, 37, said in Mandarin, adding that their other scenes together are largely group scenes.

For Chin, that one scene took some getting used to. “At first, I found it a little unsettling and foreign to be on the same set with him,” she admitted. But the awkwardness disappeared quickly. “After that, I actually really enjoyed playing our scene together.”

She particularly appreciated Xu’s tendency to improvise, saying: “I feel like he has a lot of very good ideas… You have to really be on your toes to react accordingly.”

“I wish there were more scenes,” she added. “It was an enjoyable two hours.”

The feeling was mutual.

“Of course, I would have loved to have more scenes with her,” said the Shanghai-born, Singapore-based actor, praising his wife’s creativity as having “no boundaries”.

Ironically, Xu made an effort not to linger around Chin while she was working. “When I visited the set, or when I took her there or picked her up, I tried not to stay for too long,” he said.

Chin, he explained, is usually jovial around him and he can easily make her laugh. Her character Fang Ying, however, carries considerably heavier emotions.

“She is very focused when she is on set,” Xu said. He was worried that seeing him around might make Chin feel she had to come over and talk to him, and disrupt her concentration. So he preferred to “keep a certain distance and let her immerse herself in the character”.

There are other potential occupational hazards when spouses share a production.

The pair laughed about the pros and cons of working together – including the suggestion that perhaps Xu should simply stay away from set on days Chin was shooting romantic scenes with Tan.

Xu said he felt “very assured” about Chin acting opposite their long-time friend and had no plans to supervise their intimate sequences.

Brighter Days is also Chin’s first television drama since I Do, Do I?, a 2023 production in which she starred opposite Singapore-based Canadian actor Jason Godfrey. Xu, meanwhile, was most recently seen in the fantasy drama Timeless Memories (2026).

Returning to a full-scale production after leaving Mediacorp as a full-time artiste to be a content creator for faith-based non-profit organisation Hai Hao Ma in 2022 was not seamless for Chin, who is currently a freelancer.

“Honestly, I think I was quite stressed for the first one or two weeks,” she said, recalling how she noticed small swellings around her eyelid after long filming days.

Away from their growing list of creative ventures, another project remains on the couple’s wish list: starting a family.

They hope to have children, but are trying not to put pressure on themselves. “Hopefully, there will be good news to share soon, but no stress,” Chin said, adding that they would “let nature take its course”.

For now, she is enjoying the freedom of choosing projects that speak to her after taking an intentional break from acting. “I really am embracing the season of life I am in right now,” she said.