Elvin Ng Says He Now Knows He “Deserves To Be Here” After Turning 40 & Acting In Mister Flower

So how’s life as a newly-minted 40-year-old? Pretty darn good, according to Elvin.

"Initially, right at the stage when you're turning 40, it's scary because it feels like it’s the second half of your life. But my friend told me that it's the best decade of a man's life, and now that I've already crossed the barrier and been welcomed into the club, it feels like a fresh beginning, and I feel better and happier than ever before,” Elvin mused.

"In my thirties, I was still fighting very hard, climbing the slope and wanting to prove myself, not only to people, but to myself mainly. So I think right now, it's not that I have nothing to prove. But now, I’m more sure and I am certain. There were too many question marks and uncertainties last time, and I feel better about many things now,” he says.

But it’s not just the turn of the year that’s brought across this self-assured and confident side of the actor. Instead, Elvin credits a very unlikely catalyst — his role in Mediacorp drama Mister Flower, which premiered in late December.

“Initially [when I got the role, arrogant landlord Gao Yufei], I was wondering if it was going to be some super self-confident and arrogant person. It was very tough for me at first, but I absolutely grew into it, and I found a part of me internally that was very proud [just like my character] and I could bring out the arrogant and self-confident side of him better. I think filming this show has made me so much more confident as a person, and as an actor as well. It's like, I deserve to be here, everyone's looking at me, and I deserve it,” he said.

8 DAYS: How was filming for Mister Flower? We hear the schedule was pretty packed, since it was right after the Circuit Breaker.

ELVIN NG: I think we started with all my office scenes, and I plunged right into it. I had to get into character and it was very sudden, especially coming out of the Circuit Breaker. But it was fun for me, and I gained momentum quickly. It was my first time doing such a character, he’s quite different from what I’ve been doing, 'cos he's arrogant, suave, manipulative, overconfident, and he can be an a****** to the people around him, and he likes to flirt. These are usually not the roles I've done, I've always been more humble, innocent, the guy-next-door, sunshine-like kinda guy, so this was a very interesting twist and I definitely enjoyed myself.

Are there any type of roles that you’d like to challenge then?

It's very easy to say that I want to be a crazy guy, a sex maniac, or whatever, all these crazy, extreme roles ‘cos these are the things that will immediately stand out. But the hardest roles are those where you get the Mr Nice Guys, when they’re all similar and you have to make them different. After 15 years in the industry, and at 40, I think it's not about seeing what you want. Rather, everyone has their own categories that people put you in, so you just have to do your best, and add more breadth and depth to your characters along the way, and hopefully that expands whatever categories I'm put in.

People always set boundaries for you, and I've also questioned this before. I asked a very respected director previously, 'How do I break out of this mold?' But the real question is: 'Why do you have to try and break out of that?’

I was filming another show then, so the director asked me, 'Why would we want to cast you in [a different role like you asked]? Do you think it works for you?’ People have certain impressions and roles that they want to cast you in, so I think there's no need to try too hard to be different. [In the end] I can only follow, and [regardless of] whatever roles I'm given, I will do my best.

You mentioned earlier that your role in Mister Flower is very confident. Would you say your character's self-confidence rubbed off on you in real life?

I would think so, yes. Somehow being in Mister Flower really brought about a change in me. It was already gradually growing in me, but I'm a lot more open now, and I'll just do my best no matter what everyone else says. I'm no longer so easily affected. I know why I deserve to be here and I've worked hard, done whatever I could. I'm no longer eager to even explain myself or try to defend myself, whatever you see is whatever you get.

Previously, I’ll say that my values are humility and things like that. I didn't feel an air of confidence before this role, so it was fun playing him. I hope that along the way, as I mentioned, it'll be nice if I can be some crazy guy, some pervert, or a girlish guy, things like that. Or anything that’s varied. Like, to work with external productions, to work in Taiwan and China, and to do different genres. I’d even like to try singing, theatre, and dance. Previously I'd be a bit more resistant or stubborn, and I'd think that I can’t do it, but now, just throw me anything and I'm willing to try.

Any other new things that you’d like to try, since you mentioned singing and dancing earlier?

I'm open to anything, because I think I'm becoming more extroverted. I'm a Capricorn and Sagittarius cusp, and a Capricorn is very grounded, reliable and efficient. And the last 10 years has brought out that side more in terms of work. But with age, the Sagittarius side of me is coming out more. The dreamy, crazier, and less restrained, more airy-fairy [side of me]. I'm actually very adventurous and free-spirited and if I wasn't doing what I'm doing now, I think I'd be travelling the world, and experiencing new things always.

I hope to do more fashion too. After Mister Flower, I thought, why am I not doing more fashion-related stuff? I want to open myself up and show that I can be more of a fashion person. I always thought previously that fashion was not so much for me ‘cos I was always the guy next door, always in classic suits. But there's a part of me that's a little bit more edgy, that wants to be different. So now, I want to show more sides of myself.

Mister Flower is currently available on demand for free on meWATCH. It is also currently airing on Channel 8, Monday to Friday, at 9pm.

Photos: Mediacorp, Elvin Ng/Instagram