You see, the Malaysia-born actress-singer was once (and still is) in a cold war with an ex-BFF, and they haven’t spoken to each other in more than 10 years. Just like in the show, Bonnie and her ex-BFF’s friendship soured because of a boy they both liked in secondary school. But more on that later. 

“Come to think of it, it’s quite sad ‘cos our friendship ended over something really childish,” Bonnie revealed to 8days.sg in a phone call right before the drama's virtual press conference on Zoom. Her openness came as a surprise to us as we didn't expect the 26-year-old actress to be so forthcoming about something so personal. 

In fact, the Riverside Secondary School alum spilled so much and got so worked up, we even had to tell her to chill out as the time allocated for our chat was running out. And despite her minder's constant requests for us to end our 20-minute phone call, the chatty Bonnie continued to power through our conversation with her thoughts on friendship (she hates liars!) and the questions she still has for her ex-BFF.

8 DAYS: What was your first reaction when you were asked to play a housewife and a mother in the drama? You are, after all, only 26. 
BONNIE LOO: (Laughs) I thought, OMG, am I getting old? (Laughs) But yeah, this role was stressful because I had to be a mother to a young kid and I have no experience with that! But I decided to look at it in another way and think of it as a new experience. 

Did you consult anyone on how to play a mother? 
I have friends who are married with kids so I learnt from them! Actually, what I realised is that they’re still pretty much living the way they did before they had kids, just that they allocate more time to take care of their children.

In the show, you’re the peacemaker of the group. What kind of friend are you are in real life?
I'm pretty much the same as my character in the show! I am also a peacemaker in real life. I am the sort of person who will always be there for my friends whenever they need me. I would take care of them and tell them not to argue, so this role is quite close to my personality. I would be the first to give in if my BFF and I were to fight.

In the drama, you and your two best friends don't talk for 10 years after a falling out. Has anything similar happened to you before in real life? 
Yes, and there was no closure. I fell out with my Malaysian ex-BFF, who was in the same Singapore secondary school as I was. We fought over something and we haven’t spoken to each other til this day. We don’t text and we’re not following each other on social media. Besides, I’m in Singapore now, which makes it harder to reconnect.

What happened? 
Aiyah, we had a crush on the same guy but she didn’t tell me that he confessed his feelings to her and that they started dating. I felt so betrayed! Back then, we took the same bus from Malaysia to Singapore and back every day. We went to the same school and I would tell her everything about my life, including who I liked. I thought we were BFFs! So all that time I was gushing about that guy, she was dating him behind my back! When she finally told the truth, I just said “Oh, okay” and we never talked from then on. 

If you ever get the chance to meet her again, what would you like to say to her? 
This happened so long ago that I don’t care anymore! I would like to connect with her but I don’t know where she is now. But I still feel a little angry ‘cos I don’t understand why she’d treat me like that! She was my BFF and I shared everything with her… She knows I like that guy but she didn’t even help me or tell me anything, so I would like to ask her why she did that? There are so many guys in the world so why did you choose the guy I liked?! 

Okay, chill, chill. Since the show is about friendship, are your pals mostly in or outside of showbiz? 
I have more Malaysian friends who are not in showbiz, but I do have some close friends in the industry too. However, it changes with every drama. For example, I would be close to Yingying and Apple for the entire duration we work on this drama. But when I start a new drama, I would be closer to the next cast. The only ones whom I am constantly in contact with are Yingying and Hongling, and we’d go visiting at Hongling’s place during CNY. 

Is it easy for a star to make friends?
I think it’s a bit hard. Because of our erratic schedule, it’s difficult for anyone to jio me out. Some of them complain that I would back out at the last minute, but they don’t understand that our filming schedules are constantly changing. It’s not that I want to be anti-social! Sigh… I think just one or two understanding friends is enough. (Laughs) 

How guarded are you against meeting new people? 
Hmm, I think everyone has like a ‘wall’ that needs to be broken down. I won’t spill everything to people I just met, but if we’ve been friends for some time then I’ll be more open. 

What do you look for in a friend? 
Sincerity. You can sense it if they’re befriending you to get something out of you. And also, I look for people who won’t lie to me. It doesn’t matter if it’s a big or a small matter, I just don’t like anyone lying to me ‘cos I won’t lie to them. It’s worse if they lie and I find out after that.

How do you continue to keep in touch with your friends during this COVID-19 situation?
Wow, I actually cut down a lot on socialising. I immediately head home after work and have dinner at home. Even when I hung out with friends before the circuit breaker month, it was usually with only one or two people and during off-peak periods. I don’t do big groups and I seldom hang out outside, except for when I exercise but I do that by myself too. I do my part in safe distancing, okay! I am alone most of the time! (Laughs)

Do you feel lonely now that you can’t meet your friends? 
It’s slightly lonely and boring, but it’s a good time to stay home and bond with my family. I also get to do things which I never have time to do at home, like binge-watch dramas and make Tik Tok videos. Oh, and it's a good time to save money too! But I've been snacking so much that I’m scared [that I'll put on weight]. (Laughs)

Speaking of Tik Tok, which has become a very popular way for people to pass time during COVID-19 lockdowns, how much time do you spend on the app? 
(Laughs) It depends! I spend mostly one full day or at least half a day filming and editing short clips. It may seem simple but there’s actually a lot of work involved! For those videos that need to be combined, there would be a lot of retakes and editing, just like my recent #StayHome vid and my duet with Malaysian singer Tan Jieyang. 

What is the process of making a Tik Tok video like? 
I would scroll through tons of songs and see if there’s anything I like. If it’s a dance soundtrack, I would practice the dance moves until I’m familiar with it before I start recording. I mostly dance and sing on Tik Tok. Oh, I have a new video coming up! (Laughs) 

It seems like you’re having a lot of fun!
Yeah, a part of it is about discovering something new about myself. I make all these videos for fun. After all, my job is to entertain people so hopefully I am able to cheer them up during these hard times. Don’t need to be sad lah!

Best Friends Forever is now available on meWATCH. Click here to watch.