Christopher Lee restores Sonia Sui’s faith in love and marriage

SINGAPORE — If you needed more proof that Christopher Lee is a model husband in addition to being an enthusiastic new dad, well, he makes marriage look easy even to Taiwanese model and actress Sonia Sui.

The pair star in the Taiwanese romance drama Mr Right Wanted, in which Sui plays a 32-year-old woman who, disenchanted with love, puts up an online ad and goes on 100 blind dates as research for a book she’s writing.

Lee, who plays her character’s love interest, is a vocal proponent of marriage and children, and Sui revealed that, yes, he had urged her to settle down.

“I think the great thing about him is that he always gives people the feeling that marriage is a beautiful thing,” said the 33-year-old. “I don’t know if the situation I find myself in is unique to Taiwan, but I feel people have lost faith in love and marriage because there are too many cheating incidents and sudden divorces. But he constantly tells you, ‘It’s not that scary. As long as you put effort into it, it’s not that difficult. It’s easy to be happy’.”

Sui, who recently revealed that she is in a new relationship with a US-based Tony Chia, said she believed in the idea of Mr Right. “When you meet Mr Right, you’ll know. I believe in fate,” she said. “I am not someone who takes the initiative to chase after love. I believe if the right person appears, he appears; if you’re meant to be together, you’ll be together.”

What’s her biggest turn-off in a man? “Lack of hygiene,” she replied immediately. “The worst is if there is dirt under his fingernails.”

As for Lee, his biggest turn-off is “women who don’t get it”. He explained: “Even though women are independent in today’s society, I feel it’s very important to understand and respect your other half. I’m most afraid of women who belittle their men in front of others. Appearances are important to all men, regardless of their personality.”

Both actors felt technology had made the dating — and romancing — game much easier. “I think it helps a lot,” said Lee, who added that his long-distance phone calls to wife Fann Wong once added up to a bill of thousands of dollars in a single trip. “Now, video calls are like being in front of each other. It’s great.”

“Especially for people in our line of work, where we may have to travel often, if you have a partner, you may not get to see him a lot,” Sui said. “So, we really have to rely on technology to keep in touch.”

Catch Mr Right Wanted starting Nov 23, Sundays at 7pm on MediaCorp TV Channel U.