Mediacorp Actress Gini Chang Says Her Parents Don't Watch Her Shows In Macau; They Also Didn't Know She Auditioned For Star Search

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It's always an honour for our stars to receive recognition for their work, so we can totally imagine how happy Mediacorp actress Gini Chang was when she found out that she was nominated for Best Newcomer Actress at the upcoming Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT (ACA & G.OTT) Awards.

The 28-year-old Singapore-based Macanese actress is nominated for her role as brothel servant Nozomi in Mediacorp sex-and-espionage drama Last Madame: Sisters of the Night. Her colleague Rebecca Lim scored a nom for Best Leading Actress for Third Rail.

When 8days.sg got on a call with Gini, she said she didn't expect the news at all.

"I received the message when I woke up. I then went to search for the award online 'cos I wasn't sure what it was about. I was like, 'Is that even real?'," she chuckled.

Gini then conveyed the good news to her parents, who live in Macau.

"They were the only ones who didn't find out through the news because I texted them about it. My mum was not in Macau at that time and my dad was asking if he needed to pick her up from the airport when I dropped them the message, they only gave me a thumbs up and that's all," she recalled

"They're quite cute, that's the way we communicate (laughs)."

The actress shared that she updates her parents "on and off" about what she's doing in Singapore. 

"They don't pay attention to showbiz in Singapore 'cos they can't watch Ch 8 at home. If I didn't tell them about my nomination, they probably wouldn't know about it even after the awards ceremony," she giggled.

So why doesn't she teach them how to watch her shows on meWATCH then?

Well, Gini said her mum did try. 

"She said sometimes she can't watch shows from there but when I went back to Macau I could use it, so I'm not sure about that. (laughs) We need to ask the IT staff at Mediacorp," she joked.

Despite not having watched any of Gini's dramas, her parents do follow her on her Instagram which is where they get a glimpse into her life. 

Her parents initially had reservations about her moving to Singapore when she was offered a Mediacorp contract after Star Search in 2019.

In fact, they didn't even know she had joined the competition. 

Gini, who was working as a teacher in Macau, was in Singapore for a holiday when she chanced upon the Star Search audition at Takashimaya. 

She was then convinced by her Singaporean friend whom she was with to try out.

"My parents had no idea I was overseas because they were on vacation as well. I didn't know how the competition would turn out so I didn't tell them I went for the auditions," said Gini.

“It was only until the results for the semi-finals results were out that I told them: "Um, I'm going to resign and join the competition"," she recalled.

Her parents definitely had their doubts about her giving up everything in Macau but ultimately respected her decision.

"During the lockdown, they weren't sure how I was living in Singapore and that created more doubts for them. But last month when I went home, we got to spend more time together and I explained and shared a lot of things with them. They are very happy to know that I'm doing well here," said Gini.