Photo credit: Youth.sg/Aaron Kai

Foo Fang Rong on growing up as a child actress

From child actress to full-time Mediacorp artiste, Fang Rong shares her experience growing up in the local media industry.

Andrea Choo
Andrea Choo

Published: 14 December 2018, 7:31 AM

She may only be 22, yet Foo Fang Rong boasts career experience beyond most of her peers.

Known for her roles in Mediacorp productions like Parental Guidance (2006) and Wonder Boy (2017), Foo Fang Rong has starred in over 30 dramas and movies since she entered the industry at 4 years old.

Just over a month ago, Youth.SG met the bubbly actress at the new Mediacorp Campus as she shared about what it’s like growing up in the media industry

Standing at 168cm, the doe-eyed actress showed up in a simple checker-print summer dress which showed off what her former junior college classmates (myself included) used to call her trademark “legs for days”.

Fang Rong (first row, second from left) and I (second row, first from right) were classmates in our first year in JC. Photo Credit: Youth.sg/Andrea Choo

This was the first time I was seeing Fang Rong since she dropped out of St Andrew’s Junior College in 2015. Her departure was so silent and abrupt that it took most of us by surprise. Three years later, I had so many questions to ask her.

“That was a really, really tough year,” said Fang Rong matter-of-factly, “I was dance captain and we were preparing for the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF). On top of that, I was also filming 小子当家 (I’m In Charge) on Channel 5.”

The talented actress, who can also sing and dance, continued: “I messed the whole year up because I didn’t have time to focus on my work and it all snowballed till I got to my breaking point. That’s when I decided to leave JC.”

“When I left JC, I felt like a load had just been lifted off me, and I was washed with a sense of relief,” said Fang Rong (second row, third from right). Photo Credit: Foo Fang Rong

Her decision to drop out of JC took everyone by surprise because it seemed like a risky move to make in a country so fixated on academics. Yet, the cheery actress still managed to graduate faster than most of us who continued on in JC.

“I entered the University of Buffalo under Singapore Institute of Management with my ‘O’ level scores,” said the psychology graduate, who sheepishly continued, “that’s also where I met my boyfriend.”

“Everything worked out really well after all,” said Fang Rong, who has been happily together with her boyfriend Tim for three years (sorry boys). Photo Credit: Foo Fang Rong

Although the budding star struggled for her first year in JC, juggling academics with irregular on-set hours was never an issue in her earlier schooling years.

Her journey in the industry started at the tender age of 4 when her cousin needed a young girl to appear in a Japanese commercial. She started acting freelance, accepting projects from Mediacorp at the age of 6, and starred in her first movie, Coming Home, in 2003.

7-year-old Fang Rong in a Coming Home poster. Photo Credit: Foo Fang Rong

Over the next 15 years, she continued to act in movies and television dramas like School House Rockz (2008), The Hush (2016) and Wonder Boy (2017), to name a few.

Fang Rong (centre) starred in School House Rockz, a Kids Central show which she cites as her most enjoyable production because she got to sing and dance. Photo Credit: Youth.sg/Andrea Choo

Today, Fang Rong is a full-time actress who just finished filming her most recent long-form Channel 8 drama, 不平凡的平凡 (Reach for the Skies).

Despite being in the industry for most of her life, Fang Rong only signed a full-time contract with Mediacorp two years ago after her graduation.

“I feel like after all these years I can finally call myself an actress,” she said, laughing about how it still feels awkward to be called a celebrity.

Despite her model-like figure, the actress said she stopped modelling because it had always felt awkward to her. Photo Credit: Youth.sg/Andrea Choo

When asked if anything changed from when she was still a part-time actress, she said: “The biggest difference in this transition is realising that I am now a public figure. I have to get into the mind-set of carrying myself as a role model.”

Acting has always been a passion for the effectively bilingual actress. In fact, Fang Rong even feels it helped her become a more empathetic person.

She said: “What I really enjoy about acting is being able to take on so many different personas like a pregnant teen, a child with low IQ, a rebellious child and so forth.

“In order to act well, you have to be in the character’s shoes and become that person. When you do, you’re able to understand their pains and realise that their problems are not as easy as it seems.”

The thankful actress said her mum’s unwavering support and encouragement was also one of the main reasons why she found her passion in acting. Photo Credit: Foo Fang Rong

Unlike many Hollywood child stars who faltered while growing up with fame and achievements, Fang Rong somehow managed to remain down-to-earth after all these years under the spotlight.

Laughing at my confusion, Fang Rong shared: “Thankfully, the scene in Singapore is a lot calmer. I could’ve turned out to be another Miley Cyrus if it had not been.”

The vivacious actress also cited how constant interaction with older actors allowed her to mature faster than her peers. In turn, this maturity taught her how to handle the attention she was getting with grace.

“I think being in the industry from a young age definitely taught me how to enjoy acting purely as an art form. I learnt to focus solely on my passion instead of the fame and attention that comes with it,” she said.

5-year-old Fang Rong (right) and Jeanette Aw on the set of Daddy at Home. Photo Credit: Foo Fang Rong

Passions aside, the local actress admits that local productions do face stiff competition in vying for the attention of young local audiences.

“Youths often have the mind-set that local productions are ‘lame’ or ‘uncool’. I think this stems from the fact that they can be very critical, especially since they’re exposed to an extensive range of overseas productions,” she said.

In spite of that, the enthusiastic star firmly believes there is still value in being an actress in Singapore.

“Local productions are set in a local context, and their relatability is something overseas productions can’t offer,” said the young star who hopes to continue acting in Singapore for a long time.

“I want others to see me as a warm person that others can approach for help just like how I see my role model Rebecca Lim,” said Fang Rong. Photo Credit: Youth.sg/Aaron Kai

When asked about her future plans, the amicable actress says she aims to become a better actress.

The ambitious star said: “I think the hallmark of a good actress is when the audience sees the character rather than the actress herself.

“If others see and hear a character I’ve played instead of ‘Fang Rong’, then I’ll feel like I’ve succeeded as an actress.”

 

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