10 things you didn't know about ‘Ferryman: Legends Of Nanyang’ starring Lawrence Wong, Qi Yuwu & Jeanette Aw

On what drew them to the script

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Lawrence tells us, “My character Dong Zing has such depth, and his character is so rare. He can see ghosts, and he has so much love and kindness for everything around him. Even though ghosts have tormented him since he was young, he still has this uncontrollable urge to help them move on to their afterlife. It’s a really challenging role to play and I’m up for challenges.”

For Qi Yuwu, it was “very rare to see such a large collaboration between Singapore and Malaysian cast and crew.” While he had to take some time to adjust to the horror-thriller genre of the series, he was delighted that “every story in The Ferryman had human elements, and I enjoyed being able to convey these feelings through Zhao Li.”

“There were a lot of special effects, and it’s the first time I’ve filmed this kind of drama. So I didn’t know how it would turn out,” shares Kate Kinney.

Meanwhile, Tay Ping Hui, who plays a ten-thousand-year-old mythical creature tells us that it’s his first time playing such a role, which intrigued him.

Qi Yuwu plays a mysterious grim reaper with multi-faceted personality (and a good heart)

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Qi Yuwu plays grim reaper Zhao Li, who’s at times mysterious but also has a good heart. And that was what drew Qi Yuwu to the role.

“What attracted me to this character was that he has different layers. Sometimes he can be very playful, and other times serious, tough and mysterious. He can be both a good and bad guy. So I thought it would be fun to play him. As an actor, it’s a role I like to receive as well — someone who’s not one-dimensional.”

“I think there are some facets of me that are similar to Zhao Li — I can be both playful and talkative, or more serious and quiet at times. In playing this role, I tried to relate it to these sides of my own personality. But of course, I also had to act according to what the script required.”
And he isn't a fan of horror
Even prior to filming, Qi Yuwu had admitted to not liking horror shows (which he blames on a movie on spiders that he watched when he was a child).

“While shooting, if I found my thoughts veering towards spooky stuff, I would try to distract myself. But ultimately, what I saw and experienced on set would be different from the final product with all the special effects. It’s quite a dilemma, I want to watch it to see how I performed, but I’m also scared. Laughs.”

It has however, made horror buff Lawrence Wong appreciate the makings and artistry of the genre more. But he also adds, “The Ferryman doesn’t just have the scary scenes, but we also touch on a lot on humanity and the meaning of life and relationships. So that is pretty new to me, and in a way, we were trying to juggle a lot of elements, which was challenging.”

Yes, Lawrence Wong and Kate Kinney have a kissing scene

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During the interview, both Qi Yuwu and Lawrence teased the starlet on her first time filming a kissing scene (and with Lawrence Wong, no less).

The latter admitted, “I was really really nervous. When I first said yes to the drama, I was told there would be no kissing scene. But somehow that changed. But Lawrence was really chill and he led the whole thing, so I’m really thankful.”

Lawrence shares a spooky story

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Of course, the topic of spooky encounters was brought up.

“While filming, we heard someone talking really loudly and we had to cut the scene. We went behind the set to check who’s talking but there wasn’t anyone, and it was impossible for anyone to even be there. I wasn’t really scared though. I was more excited and wanted to check it out and get to the bottom of it. Laughs.”

“There’s also this episode where the characters play with an ouija board. That’s something we’ve known about since we were young, and even now as an adult, I don’t dare to play with it as I have a phobia of inviting spirits unknowingly and facing grave consequences. Even watching that scene gives me goosebumps.”

He also touched on a creepy encounter when he was a cabin crew. “I was on a long-haul flight to Paris. Everyone was asleep and we were hanging out in the galley. There was a call button from the toilet, which isn’t uncommon. I knocked on the door, and the sign went from ‘Occupied’ to ‘Vacant’, but no one opened the door, so I continued knocking and pushed it a little. When it was finally fully opened, there was no one inside.”

For Jeanette and Tay Ping Hui, they added that at different locations, especially during nighttime scenes, or those at particularly dark areas, the crew would burn incense sticks.

Lawrence Wong spits on Tay Ping Hui

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When quizzed about his most memorable scenes, Tay Ping Hui shared that it was when Lawrence Wong had to spit ‘dragon’s pee’ (it was actually tea) on his face.

“That was definitely interesting. It was a bit awkward, and I think it will never happen again.”

And if you want to know, it took just one take. “I would be wet after that so it could only be one take. I’ll just sum it down to an interesting life experience,” he laughed.

Lawrence added, “‘Dragon’s pee’ refers to a virgin’s pee (in the show). I didn’t want to keep spitting water on him so we tried to keep it to one take. But it was a memorable experience, so now I can tell everyone I spat water on Tay Ping Hui. Laughs.”

Tay Ping Hui has a social message to share

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Citing another memorable moment, the 50-year-old actor shared that his character has a monologue on how humans are crueler than the man-eating creature he plays and have not been very kind to the environment and other living creatures around them throughout history.

“It was very interesting because there was a social message behind it. For instance, if we eat meat, then we should treat the animals more humanely.”

Jeanette Aw took on dance lessons for her role

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You’ll catch Jeanette Aw playing two main roles, including one of an upright cop and an evil spirit who yearns for world domination. In the trailer, we also caught a glimpse of Jeanette dancing, and she elaborated more a little about the process.

“That’s my surprise third role, which is actually a memory from a third lifetime. For that portrayal, I had to dance and learn the choreography from a teacher. On the set, I had to go through the sequence a few times, and also had to have it match the flow of the drapes (props for the scene). That was also pretty memorable for me, because it brought me back to dancing, and it was a nice scene for me.”

Expect romance between Jeanette Aw and Qi Yuwu's characters

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The show also delves into the relationship between Jeanette and Qi Yuwu’s characters and the former talked a little about the chemistry between the two actors.

“Our most emotional scene was actually shot on the first day of filming, and it was the first scene that showed how we finally met and my character told him about my experiences, and that I knew about my past life.”

“I guess you can chalk it down to chemistry after having worked together before with Yuwu. So even though it was the first scene on the first day, I think we nailed the crux of it.”

The gender of the King of Hades gets a twist

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You might expect the ‘King of Hades’ to be a male character, but it’s in fact helmed by actress
Jojo Goh. Portrayed as a gender-fluid being, the King of Hades is seen to influence many of the tales in the series.

Jojo, who plays such a role for the first time, shared, “When I was sharing about my involvement with friends and family, they were surprised that I was playing a traditionally male character – the King of Hades. My character sometimes appears as female if she wants to, and male if he wants to.”

The Ferryman: Legends of Nanyang airs on Aug 24, at 8 pm (SGT).

This article was first published in The Singapore Women's Weekly.