Five Reasons We Should Be More Like Benjamin Kheng

“I’m not your traditional guy. I don’t fit into the guy jigsaw puzzle. I don’t like the stuff most guys like. I like literature and music and so, growing up in a sports environment... it just makes you the pussy. There was a lot of machismo going around and it was something I couldn’t deal with. I had my fair share of bullies, so to be, um, celebrated for who I am now… It’s a testament to the fact that you just have to be true to yourself. I’m thankful that we can live in an age where people are celebrated for their uniqueness and diversity.”

“Interestingly, there was this kid in primary school who would bully me every time I took the school bus. Like, he would physically hit me. My mum was sick then and he would make fun of her wig. I recently saw him in the middle of Orchard Road and he was like, “Hey bro, what’s up?” I was like, okay…. We talked and he didn’t bring any of that up. He was all “Good times bro, good times”. So much of me wanted to stick it in his face, but then he looked at me and said, “Cool to see you where you are now. I’m happy for you.” And then we parted ways. And somehow it felt really good.”

“A couple of months back, I had just finished reservist and I was super tired and there’s this bus that takes me from camp all the way home. It’s a two-hour journey so I went all the way to the back of the bus and fell asleep. And when I say fell asleep I mean head cocked back, mouth wide open. Halfway through, there was a bump and I woke up and I saw these kids just... (Mimics them hiding behind the seat and taking photos). And sure enough, it was posted on Twitter (laughs).”

“It’s cool, I guess? I’ve always thought I was awkwardly dressed. Here’s the funny thing. Long before I grew my hair out or started wearing hats, people were already wearing wide-brimmed hats and sporting undercuts. So, for people to say “Hey you’re wearing the Ben Kheng hat” or “You have the Ben Kheng hair”... (Shakes his head). It’s not mine, man. I’m more like the guy ripping off styles. My friends give me flak for it all the time. My dad just messaged me that day, “You’ve been photographed too many times in the same pair of ripped jeans. Please get more.” (Guffaws)”

“To be able to ham it up and go “Wo bu she de!”, you know, super Ch 8 stuff? I would love to do that. [I would love to act opposite] Zheng Geping, Chen Tianwen… I acted with Liu Qianyi for the Ah Boys to Men musical and I got slapped by him every night. One night, he asked me (switches to Mandarin), “When is your father coming? I give you [an] extra hard [slap].” And that night, he recoiled even further and slapped me so hard my mic came off. And Dennis Chew, who played my mum, was like “Why liddat?” as he tried to fix the mic back on for me. It was the funniest thing.” (This story is an excerpt from Ben's cover story in Issue 1308, Nov 12, 2015)