‘I Never Felt So Close to Him Before’: Wang Weiliang on Cremating Estranged Father After Not Seeing Him in 10 Years

Wang Weiliang has returned from his showbiz hiatus with a new film, but his role means more to him than it appears.

This actor is making his return to film after about four years, but this time he’s getting up close and personal with death.

In an interview with Shin Min Daily News on Tuesday (Sept 20), Wang Weiliang explained why he returned to act in this latest film and also the personal depth his role has for him.

“I stopped for a long time, about three to four years, because I began to have doubts about my decision while I was still acting. So, I switched to doing business but I later discovered that only the showbiz industry evokes strong emotions in me,” Weiliang, 34, said.

He came across filmmaker Alvin Lee’s script for the dark comedy short film Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and made the decision to return to acting again.

This short film follows the story of a careless undertaker who accidentally cremates a corpse.

In the film, Weiliang plays the role of the funeral business’ manager, but this role isn’t just any other acting role for him.

He also shared a personal experience of a funeral that he attended.

“My father, who I hadn’t seen for more than 10 years, died of colorectal cancer,” Weiliang recalled to the Chinese evening daily. “It was during the Chinese New Year period in 2018. I helped him put on his funeral garments so that he won’t be sent off in a miserable state.

“I was calm but I could no longer hold my tears back when I saw my father being cremated. In that moment, I finally understood that blood is thicker than water. I never felt so close to him before.”

This intimate experience with death was one of the motivations behind the decision to take up this role.

Following in Jack Neo’s Footsteps

While the actor has only just made his return to showbiz, he already has plans laid out ahead of him.

Weiliang also said during the interview that he has plans to set up a film company and follow director Jack Neo’s lead in contributing to local cinema. Additionally, he hopes he’ll be able to develop Lee’s Smoke Gets In Your Eyes into a full-length feature film.

Despite having left Jack’s company for six years, Weiliang is still open to working with him.

When asked if he would act if Jack has a lobang (opportunity), he said: “I’m willing to do it!”

This article was first published on AsiaOne and republished on theAsianparent with permission.

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