Aloysius Pang likes older girls

SINGAPORE — Though his former girlfriends have all been younger than him, Aloysius Pang said he prefers older women.

“I find an independent girl attractive,” said the 26-year-old actor. “When we’re alone with each other, she won’t cling to me, and we can do our own thing and grow together … We understand each other better, and good communication is important to me.”

For his upcoming role in the Mediacorp Channel 8 drama Mercurial Men, Pang’s wish sort of comes true when his character falls in love with Paige Chua’s. The actress plays his boss in the 20-part series and saves his life when he falls over a railing at a parking complex.

The actors shot the scene in two hours last week, with Aloysius suspended from a third-floor ledge, a ladder propping him up by the feet during breaks.

This will be Pang’s second onscreen May–December romance with Chua, following their collaboration on Channel U’s Love?, a six-part series on the complexity of relationships. He had also starred opposite the older Candyce Toh in Channel 8’s Hand In Hand this year.

But has he ever had a secret crush on an older girl?

“Not yet … for now … it hasn’t happened,” he said hesitantly. “Right now I just have a good feeling about someone, but it hasn’t got to the point where I want to pursue the relationship.”

The actor said he would put work before romance for now. “I won’t have time to spend with her, and that’s irresponsible and unfair to her,” he added.

As for whether his crush was an actor, too, Pang demurred to elaborate, saying he hadn’t yet told her how he feels.

“Though I’ve proclaimed my preference for older girls, if the feeling is right, I’ll let nature take its course,” Aloysius said, when actress Carrie Wong’s name came up. The 22-year-old isn’t older, but she does appear more mature than girls her age.

“Carrie and I haven’t gone to the extent of harbouring romantic feelings for each other,” Pang said. “But on set you can tell we have a remarkable relationship. We can chat and joke about anything — nothing is off limits.”

The two last worked together on Life — Fear Not, and in Mercurial Men, they play colleagues — she develops a crush on him — and they have a one-night stand after a bout of heavy drinking.

Would sparks fly for real for the duo? “I heard we will be working on another drama series in which we share romantic scenes,” Aloysius said. “So you’ll have to wait and see what happens!” ZARA ZHUANG/TOGGLE.SG

Mercurial Men debuts August 9, 9 pm, on Mediacorp Channel 8.