If it weren’t for the pesky COVID-19 pandemic that’s still raging across the globe right now, 8days.sg would have had a face-to-face chat with Aaron Kwok, who would probably have flown to Singapore yesterday evening (Aug 28).

Instead, we found ourselves logging into a Zoom meeting with the Heavenly King — a sentence we never thought we would ever say — along with several other journos and the PR rep who arranged the interview. It was all part of the grand opening of the Lancôme Advanced Génifique virtual flagship store because, yup, everything is virtual these days.

Aaron himself was in town for the launch of the skincare range a year ago, but for now, #safedistancing still takes priority. And thanks to the wonders of technology, the 54-year-old was still able to ‘meet’ his fans and the media via live stream all the way from Hongkong.

Not that he’s complaining about the lack of travel, though. While the virus has caused a severe disruption to his job and the showbiz as a whole, Aaron is grateful for being able to spend more time with his wife Moka Fang and daughters Chantelle, who turns three on Tuesday (Sep 1), and one-year-old Charlotte.

Although our question about his girls did not survive the vetting process (we wanted to know if they, especially the older one, have started to take an interest in beauty and make-up), the proud papa happily brought them up about halfway through the 15-minute interview, calling it a blessing that he got the chance to be more present in their childhood.

“They will grow up in the blink of an eye and you might miss the process, but ‘cos of all this, I have more time to spend with them,” said Aaron, who had earlier said that like many of his colleagues, he had to stop work during the outbreak, although he has already resumed filming for his new movie Disconnect.

Even talking about something as seemingly mundane and simple like eating his meals at home put a beaming smile on his face. “In the past, I hardly got to eat at home ‘cos I was too busy with work, but recently, I could have dinner with my family every night for two consecutive months,” he grinned with pride. “I think this is a very happy thing. We should all live in the moment and spend more time with our loved ones.”

Being on hiatus didn’t give Aaron an excuse to slack off when it comes to his workout routine, though. Pandemic or no pandemic, exercise has always been a very big part of the famously fit star’s life, and he told us that he tries to work out for at least half an hour every day, even when his schedule is packed. “It’s good for your body and your skin,” he explained.

It’s no secret that Aaron pays a lot of attention to his skincare routine, something he touched on again when we asked if there are ever times when he lacks confidence about his looks (hey, he’s only human too).

“To be honest, when you’re filming a movie, there’s no room to worry about whether your character looks ugly or whatever, but sometimes, when I watch the final product, I would go, ‘Eh!? Why do I look so different?’ (Laughs) But I don’t really mind ‘cos I remind myself that I was in character,” he shared (we didn’t get to ask which films he was talking about, though).

Outside of work, it seems Aaron doesn’t give himself any opportunity to feel insecure about his appearance, saying that when it comes to his complexion, he tries to identify any problem and solve them immediately. For instance, before he goes to bed, he makes sure to thoroughly remove every trace of make-up that he had on from filming that day ‘cos he’s afraid of getting pimples (told you he’s only human).

“If you have any questions about skincare, please go ahead and ask me — I’m an expert too!” he chuckled. Too bad none of us had more time to take him up on his generous offer.

Photos: Lancome, Moka Fang/Weibo, CFP, Aaron Kwok/Weibo