Glenn Yong Ended Up With Bruises While Filming ICA Drama — No, It Wasn’t From Fight Scenes

We meet the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers every time we go overseas, but how often do we stop and think about how tough their jobs are?

In new gripping procedural Mediacorp English micro-drama On The Line, local actor Glenn Yong plays Mediacorp actress Seow Sin Nee's superior in the ICA First Response Team (FRT). 

As the name suggests, the FRT refers to specially trained officers who are among the first to respond to incidents, often involving security or emergency situations.

Sin Nee, 29, plays impulsive, headstrong rookie Ruth, while Glenn, 28, takes on the role of discplined team leader Zachery who has to constantly keep Ruth in check.

It's not every day that someone gets to don the ICA uniform. So how did the stars feel playing ICA officers?

For Sin Nee, who hails from Malaysia, it was wearing the uniform left the deepest impression on her, as revealed in an interview with Zaobao.sg.

After getting the role, the actress began observing ICA officers whenever she passed through immigration, including observing their body language, expressions and even their posture.

That led to Sin Nee feeling conscious about her own sloppy posture, and she resorted to wearing a posture corrector under the uniform to keep her back straight. 

Glenn, on the other hand, was shocked by how heavy the FRT's duty belt is.

“After filming, I found bruises on my waist. I couldn’t believe this is what they wear on a daily basis. Now, I really respect them even more," he said. 

The pair also recalled that the drama had a tight filming schedule, and they often filmed from 7pm until 6am the next morning. 

“It gets toughest at around 4 to 5am. There was a scene where I chased and tackled a suspect — after finishing the action scene, I collapsed on the ground. I told [the crew], I didn’t faint, I just need to lie down and catch my breath," said Sin Nee.

And this what the ICA officers have to do in real life every other day.