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Tosh Zhang and Wang Weiliang are caught in a Bad Bromance

In terms of personalities, backgrounds and even the languages they speak, the two leading men of The Lion Men: Ultimate Showdown could not be more different.

In terms of personalities, backgrounds and even the languages they speak, the two leading men of The Lion Men: Ultimate Showdown could not be more different.

Tosh Zhang and Wang Weiliang are two of Jack Neo’s “Ah Boys” — a group of actors, including Joshua Tan, Maxi Lim, Noah Yap and Charlie Goh, who were plucked from relative obscurity to star in the hit ensemble movie Ah Boys To Men. Zhang and Wang were later selected to play leaders of opposing lion dance troupes in The Lion Men, another Neo two-parter feature.

Zhang, 25, graduated from Republic Polytechnic, and is clearly more comfortable expressing himself in English. He has more than 62,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, Tosh Rock. On the other hand, Wang, 27, dropped out of Monfort Secondary School at 14, speaks predominantly in Hokkien and Mandarin, and worked as a getai singer before he became an actor. But after two years, one musical and four movies together — five, if you count the upcoming Ah Boys To Frogmen — Zhang and Wang have become the quintessential “bros”.

“We keep seeing each other, so it’s difficult not to develop affection for each other,” Wang quipped. “It’s lucky we controlled ourselves.”

Despite their onscreen rivalry, however, it was clear that an unlikely bro-mance has blossomed between the two. When they popped by our offices for this interview, the duo teased each other relentlessly and even took a selfie together (with a stack of old magazines, for some reason). They even hijacked the interview at one point, quizzing each other even though both claimed they already knew all there was to know about the other. Well, almost.

Weiliang: Sometimes when a group of us are chatting, Tosh would be using his phone by the side. We could be discussing something, and when we ask Tosh for his opinion, he would be like, “What are you talking about”? So Tosh, can you really not hear what anyone says when you are on your phone? Or are you doing it on purpose?

Tosh: I cannot multi-task. When I am doing something, I like to be very engrossed in it. And it’s usually because I am replying to work e-mails. I have to pay attention because I have to sound very professional.

Q: Isn’t it rude to use your phones when you are with your friends?

Tosh: No, because we are all on our phones! (Laughs) And I don’t do it around people that I don’t know.

Weiliang: So you are saying that you can be rude when you are with your friends?

Tosh: Yes. (Laughs)

Tosh: Weiliang, can you tell me why you used to have that helmet hairstyle? Because when I saw it for the first time, it really left an impression.

Weiliang: Let me explain. When I sang getai in the past, nobody knew who I was, and no one wanted to hear me sing or joke. So I came up with a plan to make sure everyone would notice me the minute I went on stage.

Tosh: But your face already attracts attention. Doesn’t the hair make it worse?

Weiliang: That is a personal attack, bro.

Tosh: No, it’s a professional question, from an interviewer.

Weiliang: Yes, I know my face is very unique. But I wanted to add something special, so my face would stand out even more. Who would think that a young, 22-year-old man would cut his hair so he looks like a mushroom, and walk around Orchard Road! I had no choice. I had to do something to survive! In those days, I’d scare even myself when I looked in the mirror. Do you know how horrible that is!

Q: Weiliang, is Tosh an easy person to understand?

Weiliang: Tosh is not an easy person to understand — you can never guess what he’s thinking. I’ve never seen someone who can eat bak chor mee three days in a meal.

Tosh: I am someone who, if I like a certain stall, would eat at the same stall every single day. I don’t want to try other stalls because if it’s not good, it’d be a waste of money.

Weiliang: So you’re not an adventurous person.

Tosh: I am not — in terms of food, I want to make sure that I have good food so I can work well.

Q: Tosh, you made a YouTube video about people with body odour a long time ago. There are so many stunts and action scenes in the Lion Men movies. Did anyone smell bad?

Tosh: Actually, we are all very particular about our hygiene, so none of us smelt. We would all bring our own deodorant and perfume. You don’t want to be acting with someone and make it difficult for him to act because ... (Weiliang puts his armpit near Tosh, who makes a face.) We are very open, if someone is smelly we just tell them so.

Q: Who smells the worst?

Weiliang: Oh, we cannot tell you!

Q: Tosh, you had dreadlocks in the movie. Why on earth would you do that to yourself?

Tosh: Actually, I was a smart aleck and suggested it. (Laughs) Because I thought the dreadlocks would make me look like a lion, with the mane and everything. I thought it would be a very good image change, because (my role in Ah Boys To Men) Sergeant Ong was very formal. But after I did the hair, I really regretted it. I had the dreadlocks for three to four months, and actually you can wash it everyday, but it becomes very messy, so I washed my hair every two to three days. It’s very bad (in this weather), because you perspire a lot and it becomes very itchy.

Weiliang: It’s really very difficult, I asked him how he washed his hair, and he said this way – (demonstrates washing his scalp with his finger tips). And he had to dip his head in a pail with medicinal water.

Q: Who among the Ah Boys has the most fans?

Tosh: One thing good about our group is that we appeal to people of different ages, so we can attract everyone together. Everyone has his own market.

Q: You are very humble.

Weiliang: Well, we have to say this because it’s an interview!

Tosh: None of us in the group is so-called good-looking. We all know that. So when people say “they are not good-looking, why are they popular?” That’s where they are really wrong. People are successful or famous not because they are good-looking. If it’s purely based on looks, then this industry is screwed. You need people with the right attitude, the right passion. Professionalism. That is why people can survive. Look at Mark Lee, he’s not good-looking, but up till today, he’s still holding his own.

Weiliang: There are some people who pursue good looks. But you still need talent, the right attitude. I think attitude is really important in this industry. You must treat people the way you want to be treated. You cannot expect to be served just because you are popular. If you treat yourself as the centre of the earth, you’re finished.

Q: You’ve had to train so hard for both Ah Boys To Men and the Lion Men movies. Do you ever stop and wonder why you are working so hard?

Tosh: Sometimes, you really feel that way.

Weiliang: It’s been two years since I’ve had a day off, and every time we go overseas it’s for work. It’s been a while since we’ve been able to take a break, where we can just throw our phones into the ocean and stop answering work calls. But when you look at the final product, you’ll see that the sacrifice is worth it.

Tosh: In this industry, you are constantly being pushed out of your comfort zone. We are doing a lot of things that I might not have been comfortable doing in the past. Sometimes I think, is this really what I want? But I am able to give my mother and my sister money, I am independent, and then I realise it’s all worth it. You have to do things you don’t like to do to go to places you want to go, and to achieve things you really want to achieve.

Weiliang: Nobody likes to go through hardship, but it’s worth it.

Q: Do you think you’ll look back in 20 years and laugh at all those funny videos you’ve made?

Tosh: Definitely. I started YouTube in 2010, and it’s been four years - in a blink of an eye. When I look at my first few videos, I think, “Wow, that crazy kid!” I was using a lot of vulgarities, and I was very outspoken. I can’t imagine being like that now. But it’s where I came from. I believe Weiliang too, when he looks back at his getai days ...

Weiliang: My kids (in the future), when they see my mushroom head, they probably won’t want to acknowledge me! But I’ll tell them it’s because I fought hard for my life. And it’s why I will have so many stories to share with them.

For the full interview, visit http://tdy.sg/todaymovies

The Lion Men: Ultimate Showdown opens in theatres tomorrow.

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