Why Richard Low is into hip-hop, fashion, water sports and Instagram

SINGAPORE — Veteran actor Richard Low may be 63 but, if you ask him, he’ll tell you: “I’m 18 at heart — plus 45 years of life experience.”

And as it turns out, Low, who has been acting since 1986, could be the poster boy for active ageing — from his taste in clothes to his penchant for extreme sports and even his calculated tactics for amassing social media followers. His latest TV venture is perhaps fitting for him: Low stars alongside Li Nanxing, Chen Liping and Zhu Hou Ren in A Blessed Life, the new sitcom about seniors who find renewed purpose and vitality.

“If you think you’re old, you’ll feel restricted and won’t dare to do a lot of things. Like when it comes to fashion,” he said. “I choose colours suitable for my age in cuts that young people wear, like slim fit. In the past, I didn’t dare experiment with fashion. I would wear flared trousers over leather shoes. Now, I wear skinny trousers. I don’t want to dress like an old ah pek.”

He added: “I hope to shave one or two inches off my waist. When I pose for pictures, I do suck in my tummy!”

Low attributes his grooming know-how to his years in the entertainment industry. “We need to know how to maintain our image and look younger. And we meet people who advise us on anti-ageing, how to look after our hair and what moisturiser to use at night,” he elaborated. “In the past, I used sunblock only when I went swimming. My friends outside the industry would never even think about talking about skincare!”

But Low thinks it’s important to maintain one’s looks. “When you look younger, the roles you get are more varied,” he said, adding that he likes livelier roles such as the one he will play in the coming Channel 8 drama, Super Senior (premiering June 11), for which he is taking up hip-hop dance.

“The show is about a bunch of lively old people and encourages seniors to try new things,” said Low. “Seniors don’t have to line-dance or waltz. Hip-hop really makes you feel young.”

Super Senior will also see other veteran actors Hong Hui Fang, Chen Shu Cheng and Xiang Yun take up diving. Low already has a diving certificate.

“I suggested (to the producers) that we should also jet ski and water ski,” he said, showing photos and videos of himself jet skiing and banana boating with his cronies, including Ah Boys To Men’s Wang Wei Liang. “It helps keep your energy up. It’s all in the mind. I can do the same activities young people do — just not as fast and with less risk.”

Even Instagram — and yes, you can join his 14,000 followers @richard__low — is a walk in the park for him. “Instagram is necessary for artistes and helps if we need support or votes,” he said. “I’ve studied how to gain more followers. I ask the young ones to post our photos. Jesseca Liu and I have done a lot of shows together. Once she posts a picture of us, I immediately gain two or three thousand followers in two or three hours.”

Ever the charmer, he added: “I also love chatting with young people — they have different perspectives. That’s why I’ve been here talking your ear off!”

Is there anything else he would like to do to challenge himself? “I want to speak simple but grammatically precise English,” he said. “My only regret is that I didn’t study English well in school.”

To this end, he has always wanted to do more acting projects with Channel 5. He did a show called ABC DJ (in 2006) and has had cameos in Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd. He now holds down a role in Spouse For House, for which he received a Best Comedy Actor nomination at last year’s Asian Television Awards. Filming for the second season is in progress. That means early nights for Low.

“I go to bed early the day before I have scenes, so I’ll be more alert on set and I go over the script many times at home,” he said. “I used to get my kids to help me learn my lines, but now, with a smartphone, I can just use an app that tells you the meaning and pronunciation of each word. As an actor, if you can’t say your lines well, you won’t be able to portray the role well.”

Catch A Blessed Life from tomorrow at 8.30pm on MediaCorp TV Channel 8. Spouse For House 2 premieres on April 1, Wednesdays at 9.30pm on Channel 5.