Lighter roles for Li Nanxing

SINGAPORE — Li Nanxing is known for his dramatic roles in MediaCorp TV Channel 8 series such as The Unbeatables, The Golden Path, C.L.I.F. 2 and The Journey: A Voyage. But the veteran actor actually would not mind moving away from roles he thinks are too serious towards more lighthearted ones.

Happily, the 50-year-old plays the lead in A Blessed Life, a new eight-part sitcom about seniors who learn to live out their dreams in their silver years. The show also stars Chen Liping, Zhu Hou Ren, Richard Low, You Yi and Brandon Wong, with cameos by Kym Ng, Xu Bin, Lin Meijiao and Ye Shipin.

“Having done this show, I think I can try more comedic roles; roles that are more lighthearted, relaxed and not so serious,” Li said. “I’ve played a lot of policemen and it’s too serious! So, after acting in this, I feel like I’m not too bad in comedic roles,” he said. “There’s less pressure!”

The best part, he said, was getting to work with other veteran actors again. “We all reminisced about the old days,” he shared. “It has been so many years and everyone has been busy with their own thing. There was a feeling of nostalgia on set.”

It was especially so in his scenes with Chen, with whom he was last paired in 2007’s The Golden Path. “She’s my old partner, so the chemistry is there,” Li said. “She plays a taichi instructor in A Blessed Life. I watched her practising taichi and I learnt a few moves. It was fun.”

Catch A Blessed Life starting Jan 29, 8.30pm on MediaCorp TV Channel 8.