“I Felt Like I Embarrassed Them”: Glenn Yong on How Ah Girls Go Army Backlash Affected His Parents

Having a son who’s a movie star is something most parents would proudly shout from the rooftops.

But for Glenn Yong's family… things weren’t quite so straightforward.

On local musician Shin’s podcast, Shin Get’s Real, the 29-year-old opened up about how his parents reacted after his big-screen debut in Jack Neo’s 2022 comedy Ah Girls Go Army. 

"After the movie came out, every media outlet was talking about how bad it was," recalled Glenn, who played the hunky Sergeant Chow in the army-themed franchise.  

Reviews were brutal. Netizens were even harsher. Some called the movie “tone deaf,” others said it was “unbearable to watch” and a “waste of time and money.”

"My relatives would obviously see the articles, and they forwarded them to my parents," he said.

And when his folks read the stories, of course, they were sad. 

What made it worse was the unsolicited commentary family members felt compelled to share.

"So many people were condemning, especially our relatives. And my parents were also a little paiseh because [my relatives told them]: 'Hey people are saying your son's movie sucks leh'," he recalled. 

What began as a moment of pride quickly crumbled.

"At first I felt that I made my parents proud. In the end, I feel like I embarrassed my parents."

To Glenn, that was the part that stung the most.

“You worked your entire life just to get to this point, and it became something embarrassing to the people around you.”

Though the comments were largely aimed at the movie and not his role, Glenn said he couldn't help but feel bad since he's part of the project.

He went from being very proud that he was part of a Jack Neo movie to thinking: "Oh s***!” 

"When people ask me: 'You're the Sergeant Chow from Ah Girls Go Army?’, I'd say 'yes’, but you know, you don't dare to proudly admit you're part of the movie".

So how did he get past all the negativity? 

"Over time, I realised many people criticise because they feel jealous. Of course, there was constructive feedback too," said Glenn. 

"My mentality from then on is: 'There are some things that I can't control. The only thing I can control is to do my part and do a good job playing my role."