Returning as Ah Hock in Season 2 of TiTouDao to get through some personal issues the character has (unemployment and a cancelled wedding makes for one heck of a character arc), here, Joel Choo takes us through his visual diary of the colourful world of wayang.
Pictured Above: 1. My character Ah Hock is wielding a gun in this cool “dream” sequence by my on-screen love interest Ah Chiam (played by Koe Yeet). No spoilers! I’ve held guns for other shows before, like thriller and police procedural drama series CLIF 5 and Key Witness.
Unfortunately, I haven’t had any real-life experience during NS, as I was doing clerical work.
2. This is me posing beside the birds’ nest stall. It was one of the stalls by the wayang stage, catering to street audiences of the time. Fans who watched the first season will know that Ah Hock was once a bird’s nest drink seller.
The production team would usually “dabao” a variety of food for everyone on set, so I always looked forward to meals.
3. Speaking of food, this is me just casually hanging out between takes in a singlet. I had to lose some weight prior to filming Titoudao: Dawn Of A New Stage because I was about 75kg during the first season. I aimed to lose about five kg in one month, but only managed about three.
The weight loss was mainly for continuity reasons, plus Ah Hock wasn’t from a rich family; it wouldn’t make sense for the character to be too buff, big or strong.
4. This is a shot of me looking pensive at a point when Ah Hock’s relationship with Ah Chiam was becoming complicated, and he was rushing to visit her. I think this photo shows how the props and set décor can really set the mood. The attention to detail from the props team was amazing.
The world they created helped me to get into character whenever I needed to.
5. And this is me posing against some of the era-appropriate posters on set. When it came to men’s style, everything was very sleek and proper, from the hair to the attire. I do enjoy the pairing of this shirt and pants as it’s very timeless and relevant for today’s fashion. Ah Hock’s wardrobe was comfy enough, just a bit hot at times!
The amount of hair gel and spray to maintain my hair also made it slightly challenging to wash away every night, [laughs].
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