Chen Hanwei Shaved Head For New Drama, Now Gets Headaches When He Sleeps With Air-Con On

If you follow Chen Hanwei on Instagram, you might have noticed the 55-year-old actor constantly wearing a cap these days.

The reason? He shaved his head for his role in upcoming Mediacorp drama The Gift Of Time.

The drama marks the much-anticipated return of Xie Shaoguang, 62, to local television after nearly two decades. Shaoguang, who last starred in Baby Blues in 2005, announced his showbiz comeback in September last year.

Slated to premiere in October, The Gift Of Time centres on two men — a lonely tycoon played by Shaoguang, and a well-loved retiree played by Hanwei. 

In a recent interview with Zaobao.sg, Hanwei revealed that it was his own decision to shave his head for the role.

His character Lam Shui Miao is a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy, and Hanwei felt it was necessary to reflect that accurately.

He had consulted a doctor while preparing for the role, and was told that hair loss would be inevitable due to chemotherapy.

“If it’s just for one or two scenes, it’s fine [if I didn’t shave],” Hanwei explained. “But Shui Miao starts going for chemo from episode three all the way till the last episode. I think it warrants me to get rid of my hair.”

The drama now includes a scene where Shui Miao’s wife, played by Xiang Yun, shaves his head for him.

"Xiang Yun jie kept crying while she was at it, because she could feel the heartache," he recalled. 

Hanwei also requested to wear a fake belly as character’s cancer had spread to his liver, causing his stomach to swell. 

Despite his dedication to the role, Hanwei admitted he's still getting accustomed to being bald, which is why he often wears a cap when going out.

"First of all, I didn't want to reveal the character's image too soon. Secondly, I'm really not used to it. It feels a bit like I'm not wearing clothes out," he said.

On top of that, he now experiences headaches when sleeping with the air conditioning on.

"I tried to wear a hat to sleep, but when I wake up, the hat would be on the floor," he said.

Hanwei also admitted he’s been struggling to coordinate his outfits with his new look.

“I look weird no matter what I wear. We’ll wrap filming near the end of June. I still need to think about what to wear for Star Awards in July,” he lamented.

Don't worry Hanwei, we're sure you'll look dapper no matter what.