Jack Neo Tells Us About The Time “All The Schools Were Against” Liang Po Po

And yes, hoo-hoo-hooray, she’s back to tickle your funny bone. Liang Po Po is returning to the small screen in the fourth instalment of Ch 8’s Happy Can Already!, the variety show that aims to bring useful government information and tips to senior citizens.

It’s why 8 DAYS is now at Swatow Seafood Restaurant in Toa Payoh, where the cast of Happy Can Already! — which also includes Henry Thia, Marcus Chin, getai star Wang Lei and Ho Ai Ling — is gathered to meet the media as well as fans of the show. The restaurant is packed with uncles and aunties who seem as eager to meet the stars as they are about the free flow dim sum buffet that’s to come.

But the crowd goes wild when Liang Po Po makes her entrance like a geriatric dim sum lady, pushing around a dim sum cart. “Hoo-hoo-hoo, long time no see, hoo-hoo-hoo,” she says. Everyone whips out their cameras to snap photos of her and just like that those the steaming baskets of dim sum become a distant memory, well at least until the end of the event.

When we finally meet Liang Po Po, or should we say Jack, he’s sitting in one of the private dining rooms. It seems hunching over to play the “forever 85-year-old” character is no longer a walk in the park for the 58-year-old multi-hyphenate. “Really very suan leh,” he says.

Next to Jack is his second kid and eldest son Regent, who recently graduated from the National University of Singapore where the 24-year-old majored in statistics, and who is now working for his dad as a producer for J Team Productions. “We’re not filming this, right?” asks Jack, who’s still dressed up as Liang Po Po. “Okay, now I can talk as myself.”

8 DAYS: Singaporeans grew up with Liang Po Po but a lot of people don’t know how this character came about.
JACK NEO: Okay, I remember I was in Taiwan. It was the ’90s and there was a Taiwanese actor called Yang Fan, who played this character called Yang Po Po. That character itself was a copy of this other old lady character played by a Japanese comedian in Japan. I saw it and I found it very funny. So when I got back to Singapore, I told the producers of Comedy Nite that maybe I could try something similar. But to be honest, I didn’t really want to play the character ’cos I felt that it was very slapstick. The skits that Moses [Lim] and I did at that time had depth but Liang Po Po was the opposite. So I didn’t really like it but the production team loved it and they couldn’t stop laughing when they saw it. They said that it could be very funny so why not I give it a try. And I still remember the day [when we debuted the character], I think you can see the clip on YouTube. The second Liang Po Po came out on stage, the audience went wild. The applause rang out like an explosion. Everyone got a shock. Everyone loved the character. And whatever Liang Po Po did, people found it very funny.
Did you think that Liang Popo was going to be a success?
No. I only wanted to do one ep as Liang Po Po to make the producer happy. But the second I played her, it was like I was possessed by an old lady. (Laughs) So I continued playing her and the more I played her, the more popular she got. And [the show] became like a series of her adventures.
How did the whole hoo-hoo-hoo thing come about?
That’s her trademark ’cos old people breathe very heavily. I felt like the heavy breathing was necessary for the character. Back then, when we did skits, we knew that there had to be something for people to mimic. And if you want people to pick up a catchphrase, it has to be simple, funny, and catchy. Like Moses had this line, “Eh, my hair messy or not?” See! Just that one line, and everyone remember and copied it. Just like hoo-hoo-hoo too. Little kids were copying it too.
What goes through your mind when a character you created becomes super popular?
At that time, when we were doing Comedy Nite, a lot of the stuff we did became very popular. But Liang Po Po was on a whole other level. And we even 'killed off' drama at that time (laughs). All the while, the ratings for dramas were very high. And better then that of variety shows. But when Liang Po Po came out, our ratings overtook the drama ratings. We were like “Wah this is crazy, you know!”

Why do you think she’s so popular?
I was told there are a few reasons. That this old lady is very cute. That she is very positive. She always wants to help people but she always ends up cocking everything up. Yet everyone forgives her. She is very optimistic even when she is bullied. Do you know there was a time when schools were against her? Yeah, they very against the character ’cos they felt like all the kids kept going “hoo-hoo-hoo” in class (laughs). My EP at that time had to answer to the Ministry of Education. So we explained to them that this whole thing is a fad —kids always follow fads and they last only for a short while. And even if kids pick up the catchphrases, it’s okay ’cos they are not vulgarities. I think they accepted the explanation. Anyway, we stopped Liang Po Po two years later ’cos we felt it was time [to retire the character].
Is Liang Po Po anything like your mother or grandmother?
(Laughs) No. But I know that a lot of my mum’s friends call her Liang Po Po. Her name suddenly changed to that. She’s loves it and she’s very proud of the character.
Is it easy to get into character once you put on the costume?
The first day when I wore it again, I realised I had forgot a lot of her mannerisms and I had to watch her old videos again. It’s been 20 plus years, you know. I remember once — and this was like 10 years after I stopped playing her — I was on a coach to JB with some friends and they were showing Liang Po Po on the screen. I was laughing along and for that moment I forgot that I was watching myself.
Is there anyone who can play Liang Po Po as well as you can?
Actually a lot of people are funny when they play her but the original is still me lah (Laughs). In fact in Malaysia, there are people who make a living from just playing Liang Po Po.
But isn’t there an issue with copyright?
Yeah, but we’re okay with it lah. It’s not like he is using the character to commit crime. We are very good-hearted (laughs).

It doesn’t feel like it’s been 22 years.
Yeah, it feels like yesterday. My son [points to Regent] was only two or three, when we first debuted the character. So I really have to thank God that the day we shot the first ep [for Happy Can Already! 4], people were screaming when Liang Po Po walked out. I was very happy ’cos it shows they love and miss the character.
How did it feel putting on the costume again?
My goodness, I am back again (guffaws). The second thing was, “Will I destroy Liang Po Po?” I’m scared of that. If I don’t do well and people say [the show is] not nice to watch, I will be very sad. But I think the first three days of filming went very well. (Turns to his team) Right? You must tell him!
Is it physically harder for you to play Liang Pop Po now that you are also 22 years older? We saw you had trouble hunching like the character during the event.
Yeah, my back aches from doing that. That’s the toughest part. Now I really cannot [hunch] all the way. In the past I could do it for longer. Now, one or two minutes is the max. That’s very good already. I challenge everyone to do it for one minute (laughs). Yeah, so every time after filming, my whole body is sweating. But I take it as exercise lah.
You’re going to be a grandfather next month, right? [Ed: his eldest daughter Ethel is due to give birth in November.]
Yes.
How excited are you?
Very excited (guffaws). Of course lah. I’m going to see a new product coming in to my family. I’m going to have a grandson.
You’re a film and comedy icon in Singapore. Do you think your kids have a lot to live up to?
Yes and no lah. You ask him lor. (Guffaws)
So Regent, is it hard being Jack Neo’s son?
REGENT NEO: There are good and bad points lah. Good is that he can teach me directly, like a mentor.
Jack: Bad also ’cos I am his mentor. What I say he has to follow (laughs).
Do you intend for your son to follow in your footsteps?
No lah. I never force them. I already am the mentor to a lot of people. So I know this type of thing depends a lot on talent. If he doesn’t have this talent, it’s okay. He has the talent for other things, to do something else.
When you were still in school, did people expect you to be funny as as your dad?
Regent: (Laughs) Okay lah. Not really.
Jack: Okay, let me tell you a joke. On my third kid’s first day in primary school, his mum told him, “You cannot tell people you are Jack Neo son, okay?” He kena pressure so he was like, “Okay, okay, I know, I know.” Then when he got to class, his teacher said, “Wah, we’ve got somebody here. Ritz! I heard your father is Jack Neo!” And he sat there and shook his head. And the teacher went, “Then who is your father?” And he replied: “Neo Chee Keong!” [Jack’s dialect name] (Guffaws) That’s the biggest joke of all. We don’t want our kids to get attention, we just want them to lead normal lives but it’s not easy. (Laughs)

The cast of Happy Can Already! 4. (From left:) Henry Thia, Marcus Chin, Jack Neo, Ho Ai Ling and Wang Lei.

Marcus Chin served jokes and dim sum at the event.

Henry Thia makes for not quite a fetching figure in drag.

"Can take a happier photo?" says Jack, sorry, Liang Po Po, to our photog. "This one you can use for Chinese New Year."

Happy Can Already! 4 debuts Oct 26, Friday, 11.30am on Ch 8.

PHOTOS: KELVIN CHIA