Brandon Wong Feared His Kids Would Get Ridiculed In School After Playing The Role Of A Pedophile In 2019 Drama

In the latest episode of 8days’ chat show DNA, Mediacorp actor Brandon Wong, 54, appears alongside his eldest son, Wong Yu Jie, 17, as they speak with host Rebecca Lim about life behind the cameras, marking the teen’s first on-air appearance.

Brandon, a father of three boys, began his career in 1995, long before Yu Jie was born. In his early years in showbiz, he made a name for himself playing villainous and morally grey characters, including the antagonist in his debut drama Tofu Street, and a ruthless, manipulative businessman in The Dream Job (2016).

However, once his children came along, he also started worrying about how his negative on-screen roles might affect them.

When Becks asked if he has become more cautious about the roles he chose after becoming a dad, Brandon confessed: “I would like to, but I don’t have the kind of luxury or standing to pick and choose my roles.”

He recalled how he landed the role of a pedophilic tuition teacher in the 2019 drama Daybreak — one of his most controversial roles to date — when his kids were already in primary school.

“I was worried about the impact it might have on my children when it aired. Because if my children’s classmates and friends watched this show, would they ridicule my children at school?” he said. 

Back then, he feared that Yu Jie’s classmates, too young to differentiate TV from reality, might approach him and say things like, “Your dad is a pedophile”. He was also concerned that the parents of his son’s peers might look at him differently.

“[They might wonder] ‘Why is he so good with kids?’, or when I interact with my child’s classmates, people might think I wanted to do something to them,” he continued.

“After we wrapped the show, we talked about this at the press conference. Someone interviewed me about this, and I said I hoped my next role would not be like this. Little did I know, not long after, I got another offer for a similar role,” Brandon added.

However, when Rebecca asked whether he faced any ridicule from classmates because of his dad’s roles, Yu Jie immediately revealed “there was nothing negative”.

“In fact, they were all quite surprised and amazed that my dad is actually a famous actor. There was no gossip, nothing of that kind,” shared the teenager, adding that the experience had been entirely positive for him.

On the episode, Brandon also shared that he has never been one to share his ups and downs in showbiz with his kids. He leaves work at work, coming home to spend time with them without any baggage, which meant Yu Jie was largely unaware of the mental struggles his father faced while taking on controversial roles.

To watch the full episode, click here or scroll down to watch.

Photos: Mediacorp, brandon_wong_jy/ Instagram