Channel 8 actress Lina Ng, who was a television host and actress most active in the 1990s and early 2000s, is less regularly seen on television screens these days. The 43-year-old is busy playing mum to her three sons, aged between six and 13. When she left MediaCorp for MediaWorks, which closed in 2003, show business then took a backseat and parenting become a full-time job.
Today, Lina continues to take on some acting projects: she stars in Channel 5 drama Lion Mums 2, which premieres on Aug 9 at 9.30pm. She also runs Mustard Seeds Academy, which provides Chinese enrichment classes to childcare centres.
Here’s how Lina feels about parenting three boys, disciplining them, and playing a mum in her first English drama.
Text: The Straits Times, Additional Reporting: Lisa Twang
“It was definitely hard because it was not planned. It took me about two years to accept that I was slowing down my pace of life. I had to be comfortable with not getting any attention, and telling people that I was no longer an artist.
“I am not embarrassed about what happened. I am proud I am a stay-at-home mother. I know that whatever time I spend with my children will go to building their confidence. Forgoing my full-time acting career for them is not a loss.”
“Nowadays, when I take on a project, it has to be something I’ve never tried before or something that excites me,” says Lina, who plays a perfectionist mum of three high-achieving kids (pictured). “I love the script. I’ve never worked on a script so true to reality. The drama reflects what Singaporean parents are going through.
“I want to challenge myself and be a role model for my children. I’ve done Mandarin dramas for more than 20 years – this is my first English drama. I want to show my kids that even if you are unsure whether you can excel at something that you are interested in, you should still try and make sure you do your best.”
“Chae Lian and I always have backup plans in mind for our children. Let’s say even if your children can study well, but they fall sick during the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) and flop, they should have something else to fall back on,” says Lina.
“That is why both my boys have their sports – my eldest son is in water polo and second son is in football. My eldest got a place in the school of his choice via Direct School Admission, so he was not so stressed for the PSLE. But, thankfully, he did very well to qualify for the school even without the DSA.”
Asked if she is a real-life Lion Mum, Lina replies: “It depends on what your definition of a Lion Mum is. If you define it as a mother who disciplines her children, who nags at them to do their homework, who ensures they eat their vegetables and not just meat, then I am a Lion Mum.
“But I am not the kiasu mum who demands my children get straight As. As long as they try their best, I won’t be angry with them even if they do not do well.”
“I was supposed to have a kissing scene with actor Lim Yu-Beng, who plays my old flame. We held a family conference about it. My two older sons were against it because they felt I should not kiss any other men except daddy.
“My youngest son was my only supporter. He was on the film set one day and a producer explained to him that the kissing scene is not real and just acting. He went home and told papa, ‘Mummy is going to do a kissing scene. Not real. Just acting.’ In the end, the script was changed and the scene was cut.”
Lina, who juggled raising three boys and running the household with her acting career, says it was very difficult. “There were days when I could not take it. I cried because it was too pressurising. I make sure I have ‘me time’ once a week to maintain my sanity.
“I love food. I will treat myself to a meal by myself. I like Japanese food and will indulge in sashimi or sushi. Sometimes, I crave Italian food and I will go for some nice spaghetti. Other times, I just need a nice cup of coffee.”
Lina is adamant that she will no longer be a full-time actress or host. “It takes up a lot of energy and time. Age is against me. I filmed Lion Mums for four months and I am tired. I still have to take care of my family. If I have to wait for my youngest child to be old enough to take care of himself, that will be another five years.
“I don’t want to become a full-time actress because I’ve experienced how it is like to be bogged down with work every day. I felt like I didn’t have time to breathe. I ended up becoming negative. I consider myself lucky that my husband is shouldering the financial burden. If I have this blessing, I want to be able to bless others too.
“As a freelancer, I have time to reflect and rest. I want to be able to step into a place and emit positivity. I want people to remember me as someone positive and who brings joy wherever she goes.”