Mata Mata stars talk ’80s fashion

PENANG — The Channel 5 drama Mata Mata, which will premiere on Nov 30 this year, stars Desmond Tan, Oon Shu An, Cheryl Wee, Desmond Tan and Alaric Tay as police officers and gangsters who negotiate the past 30 years in Singapore’s history. But even as the drama series moves into the 1980s in its third and final season, its cast must also grapple with another decision: The fashion choices of the decade.

In a special visit to the set of Mata Mata: A New Generation in Penang, we found Desmond Tan looking nearly unrecognisable in his “gangster” wig. “It’s very warm (with the wig on),” said Tan. “In fact, I get pimples when I wear caps — this is like wearing a hat. Sometimes, I feel the sweat going down the back of my head.”

Uncomfortable the new look may be, Tan says it has helped him navigate his role as Tommy the gangster, who is Oon Shu An’s love interest. “I’m trying to do something different, and this new image for my role has helped me quite a bit. Most people can’t recognise me (in my wig), so it’s quite interesting for me. I want people to notice me without knowing it’s me.”

Likewise, co-star Daren Tan found his oversized clothes also made filming in Penang’s hot weather more uncomfortable than usual. “I like my jeans the least,” he said. “Jeans were made of such thick material (in the past). They feel so heavy compared to what everyone now wears. My T-shirt is also XXL. It’s kind of ridiculous. I would never dress like that!”

Desmond and Daren are both perhaps a little less fortunate than Cheryl Wee, who managed to convince the wardrobe department not to put her in shoulder pads. “I looked like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle gone wrong,” Wee said, laughing. “We tried a lot of clothes with shoulder pads, and I looked at myself ... It just didn’t work! We decided to go with bigger shirts, which had the Princess Diana-look, and tailored pants. But the pants make me look like I have a very long and saggy butt. I guess it’s a good thing, because I finally have a butt — although it’s not perky.”

“When we went for the fitting, and I saw her in shoulder pads, I burst out laughing. They looked like pillows!” Daren quipped. “They aren’t very useful, unless you fall asleep all the time. I don’t think shoulder pads will be coming back in fashion any time soon.”