Actor Jeremy Chan had to stop looking at co-star and wife Jesseca Liu too lovingly on new drama

Joanne Soh
The Straits Times
Jan 12, 2024

Jeremy Chan was asked to stop looking at his wife Jesseca Liu too lovingly.

It was sending the wrong vibes, he was told.

The Singaporean actor, 42, plays Liu’s brother-in-law in the upcoming drama Once Upon A New Year’s Eve. It premieres on mewatch on Jan 15 and Channel 8 on Jan 18 at 9pm.

“It was weird and awkward calling her da sao (elder sister-in-law in Chinese),” said Chan to The Straits Times on Jan 11.

“I was trying to be serious and yet the crew would be sniggering, joking that they could sense something was going on between us whenever I looked at my ‘sister-in-law’.”

He had to consciously remind himself “to be detached” from Liu, 44, in the few scenes they had together.

In the 20-episode drama, Liu is married to Chan’s elder brother, played by Qi Yuwu.

The story revolves around the wealthy yet miserly Qi, who is estranged from his family.

During one Chinese New Year’s Eve, he helps a stranger, who turns out to be a time traveller. The chance encounter offers Qi a chance to go back in time to salvage the broken relationship between him, Liu and their two children.

Once Upon A Time On New Year’s Eve also stars Zhang Zetong, He Yingying and Brian Ng.

Chan and Liu, who tied the knot in 2017, have worked together in other shows, such as Who Killed The Lead (2014), Crouching Tiger Hidden Ghost (2021) and Soul Detective (2022).

Working on the same drama has its benefits. For instance, they can go to work and have their meals together, and head back home at the same time.

Liu said as they did not film together much for Once, Chan would drop her off at work, head home to look after their two cats and pick her up when she was done for the day. Chan laughed, saying that he was her Grab driver.

The actor added: “It is good that we are working in the same drama. Otherwise, we cannot see each other that often, perhaps only when we are about to go to bed. I do not like those schedules.”

They are each other’s acting coaches, said Chan, who has been in the entertainment industry since joining singing competition Project Superstar in 2006.

Liu recalled how she needed her husband’s help when they were starring in the supernatural dramedy Crouching Tiger Hidden Ghost. “We would rehearse my lines at home and Jeremy gave suggestions on how I could approach certain scenes to make them funnier.”

“Comedy is his forte, while I am more of a dramatic performer,” said the Langkawi-born actress, who started acting in 2005. She has received the Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes award at the Star Awards 10 times.

Chan won the Best Comedy Performance at 2018’s Asian Academy Creative Awards for My Agent Is A Hero.

The actor-host added that when he had dramatic roles, he would ask her how he should portray the character and how he could channel the emotions convincingly.

Chan, who was named one of the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes at the 2023 Star Awards, hopes to star with Liu in a light-hearted drama where they play a married couple.

“I’m confident of our on-screen chemistry,” he said.

For now, the couple is looking forward to celebrating Chinese New Year.

“Chinese New Year is a time when we pay attention to traditions. I would always insist we must have new clothes, new pyjamas and even new undergarments. And we have to wear something red,” said Chan. One tradition that the couple has is to give each other red packets.

This year will be extra special for Liu as it will be the first time her mother spends the festive period with them in Singapore. The couple had always spent the Chinese New Year holidays in Langkawi, where Liu’s relatives would congregate at her grandfather’s place.

“But he died last year, so my mother can join us here this time,” said Liu.

Once Upon A New Year’s Eve premieres on mewatch on Jan 15 and Channel 8 on Jan 18 at 9pm.