SINGAPORE – Oon Shu An is the newest policewoman on the force in the third and final instalment of the Mata Mata trilogy, premiering next month on MediaCorp TV Channel 5. And, playing her gangster ex-boyfriend who resurfaces after she has crossed over to the other side of the law is Desmond Tan, the other new addition to the cast in Mata Mata: A New Generation.

Said generation inhabits the ‘80’s – that decade that inevitably conjures up images of big perms, oversized clothing and any teen rebellion movie starring Emilio Estevez.

Speaking of teen rebellion, not only will we get to see flashbacks to the characters’ nightclub-prowling, sequin-wearing, back-alley-rumbling past; we’ll also get to explore what happens when that past returns to haunt them.

And both Tan and Oon couldn’t be happier to be playing the bad boy and the (reformed) bad girl. “In some ways, I did feel more attractive (in character), because I didn’t play according to the rules,” Tan mused. “I find it very manly when a guy is bochup but he does care. I think that is sexier than rushing to you when you fall and going, ‘Are you okay?’ That is just, like, too much.”

“It always feels good to be a bad girl!” Oon exclaimed. “Especially a rebel without a cause, because you’re just angry at everything. It can be quite cathartic sometimes, because you get to unleash a lot of rage.”

BAD BOYS AND GIRLS

But, as we all know, it’s only good girls who say things like that. And, sure enough, both our stars confessed to only having been wannabe-bad.

“I always thought I was a bad boy but my friends told me I never was,” Tan chuckled. “Actually, I was trying to be one. I talked dirty sometimes and swore. I have a lot of naughty thoughts, like when I see people fall, I always laugh! But I’m just not a natural bad boy. I was a monitor and the leader of the scout group I was in. Although, when I’m playing soccer, games or competitive sports, I can be quite aggressive.”

Oon described herself as a “very angsty” teenager. “When I was 14 or 15, I used to fight with my parents all the time. It was like, ‘Why don’t you want to listen to me? Why won’t you let me stay out late?’ All kinds of stupid things. That was until my grandma passed away. Then, I was like, ‘Life is very short. You don’t waste it on these kinds of things.’ That’s when the switch happened. But before that, I was very naughty. I would always go out and find boyfriends. But I never went too hardcore!” she said, adding that she never dated any gangsters “because inside I was a bit scared. It’s like, want to be a rebel also cannot really rebel. Cannot go all the way.” She laughed.

But she does have a “type”. “I’ve liked ah bengs since I was young!” she exclaimed. “I like the fire; I like that they’re not afraid of anyone or anything. I like the brashness and the honesty. For me, it’s always more about the don’t-care attitude – could be ang moh beng, could be Chinese beng, could be Hokkien beng. All those atas (types) I feel are not very me.” And, she added: “Inside, I’m very ah lian. I’m very chor lor.”

Not only does Tan share the opinion that women prefer bad boys, he also admitted to having a penchant for bad girls. “Guys kind of like bad girls as well,” he said. “I mean, there are two extremes: Some guys like very demure, very gentle girls. And some guys just like the bad girl look: The more you don’t want to talk to me, the more I want to talk to you.”

Which does he like? “The hard-to-get kind. Because I think the chasing process makes things more fun and you cherish it more,” he winked.

WEAR YOUR ATTITUDE

Okay, so attitude is key to being badass, but no ‘80’s gangster would be complete without some serious ink. One of his favourite things about playing the role, said Tan, was the “tiger tattoo” he had emblazoned on his left bicep.

“I’ve always wanted to have a tattoo on my body but I never had the courage or purpose or story to get one,” he said. “I always wanted a tiger or lion, actually, because I’m born in the year of the Tiger and my horoscope is Leo.”

When the stick-on tiger tattoo was first applied on him, though, “I thought it looked like the Maybank logo,” he laughed.

It has since turned into some real body art, because “I went swimming a lot” and he now has tiger-shaped tanlines where the stick-on used to be. “It’s a real tattoo now – and not a very nice one! It looks like a scar.”

Oon said she, too, “always wanted to get a tattoo” but her parents wouldn’t let her. “My grandma wouldn’t even let me get a second ear piercing,” she said. “And now, I’m afraid of pain! I’ve always wanted a colourful half-sleeve. Dragon, phoenix, tiger – really the ah beng sleeve! Nice, right?”

While he might not be trying out body art any time soon, he does want to venture into acting in more languages. Mata Mata: A New Generation is his first English-language drama (he also appeared on Channel 5 in the sitcom Spouse For House) and he’s not stopping there. He’s setting his sights on acting in Malay.

“I always wanted to do an English drama because for an actor, especially for Singaporeans because we’re bilingual, we just want to have a taste of the different kinds of genres and languages. I’ve even thought of trying out Suria just once, maybe like a cameo role, to experience it,” he said.

Catch Mata Mata: A New Generation starting Dec 7, Mondays at 10pm on MediaCorp TV Channel 5.