Zhu Houren Was Worried About Son Joel Choo Becoming An Actor, Says He “Didn’t Have Much Acting Talent”

Veteran actor Zhu Houren, 71, and his younger son, actor and content creator Joel Choo, 31, are the latest guests on 8days chat show DNA, where celebrity parents and their kids open up about life in and out of the spotlight.

In the episode, Houren and Joel speak to host Rebecca Lim about navigating the industry as father-and-son, and how Joel copes as a second-generation star who didn't grow up around his father’s work environment.

Is acting talent inherited? Not quite, if you ask Houren.

Joel shared that his interest in performing began in secondary school, where he took part in school dramas and end-of-year plays.

“They always asked me to act because 'Eh your father is an actor, you should be able to do it’,” said Joel. 

Houren recalled: “Once, when he was in secondary school, he filmed some silly videos with his friends. That was when I realised he didn’t have much acting talent. His delivery had no rhythm at all. It was terrible.”

Becks, tickled by Houren's brutal comments, then asked if he was worried when Joel decided to pursue a career as a full-time actor. 

Without missing a beat, Houren said: “At first, I was worried. There are so many good-looking people who can’t act, why must it be my son?”

He continued: “Even now, I still think his acting isn’t quite there. But I don’t teach him [how to act], I can only remind him.”

Production on Pace (脚踏实地), the feature film debut of Houren’s elder son, filmmaker Jonathan Choo, is currently underway, with both Houren and Joel starring in the film.

Houren said it had always been his wish for the three of them to work together, though he knew it couldn’t be forced. Now that it has happened, he revealed that Joel lost 10kg for his role as a marathon runner.

Though Houren has yet to see Joel’s performance, he said Jonathan told him they had cast the right person for the role.

When asked if he goes through his scripts with his dad, Joel replied, “My first few acting jobs, yes.”

When asked what the experience was like, he gave a short but telling answer: “Not fun.”

“A lot of the scenes were with girls, so it was very hard to go through those scenes with my dad. And you know, his version of charming might not be my version of charming, so it’s very different,” explained Joel. 

Joel may have honed his acting skills on his own, but Houren was instrumental in nurturing both him and Jonathan’s interest in the arts.

“My dad is also a very tasteful person when it comes to shows and movies and he always brings me to movie premieres and he would critique [them], and from there I understand film and acting, and I think that build my interest in acting,” said Joel.

While Houren didn’t impose specific career paths on his sons, he did hope they would complete university and earn their degrees — especially given that his siblings’ children are all high achievers, including one who secured a scholarship to Cambridge University.

“Instead, they ended up like [me], not exactly on a conventional path,” he chuckled. “But sometimes, you have to believe in genetics. All those years watching me, they were taking it in. One took what he learnt and went behind the scenes, the other stepped into the spotlight.”

He then dropped some wisdom on parenting: “Parenting isn’t about control. We’re meant to support and encourage them. We also wish for them to go far.”

Photos: Mediacorp, joelchoozw/ Instagram

To watch the full episode of DNA with Joel and Houren, click here or scroll down to watch.