SINGAPORE — Shakespeare once wrote, “a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet”. That could apply to the person we used to know as Chris Tong. The actress was featured in dramas such as The Journey, Good Luck, The Caregivers and 96°C Cafe, but since last November, she has asked to be known simply by her Chinese name, Tong Bing Yu.

And that’s the credit we’ll have to get used to as we prepare to see more of her on screen this year. She stars in the upcoming Mediacorp TV Channel 8 drama House Of Fortune, premiering Jan 19; and in the next long-form drama Peace And Prosperity, on which production begins this month.

Why the name change? “Chris is a name that I started using in college, and I think maybe it has been used long enough,” she said in a press conference for House Of Fortune, adding that it wasn’t really a big deal, since the television audience already knows her by that name. “I’m not giving myself a new name that people have to get used to.”

The decision was motivated by a meeting with a fortune teller, she said. “Actually, I’m not very superstitious. Many people have asked me to change my name before, but I didn’t. But the shifu said something that resonated with me,” she shared. “In 2015, stress was a big problem for me, and he said that if I continued using the name ‘Chris’, I would earn a lot and would see a surge, but my stress would also be multiplied many times over because ‘Chris’ is a masculine name.”

Tong revealed that there were moments during the year when she broke down because of stress. “I found myself unable to control my emotions. There were a few occasions (where) I would suddenly burst into tears for no reason, and if you asked me what was wrong, I wouldn’t be able to tell you. I think I gave myself a lot of stress, rushing from one place to another. I’m still young; I can take it — but it will start to affect me physically as well.”

She added: “It’s not that I no longer want to work hard — but if getting rid of one name can reduce some of my stress, maybe I’ll be able to start taking it a little easier. I think I am aggressive to the point where I myself cannot take it, but I still want to work for things. I hope I’ll be able to adjust my mindset.”

Part of becoming a little more zen included coming to terms with going ugly for her “auntie” role in House Of Fortune, in which Tong, aged 32, plays mother to 21-year-old Bonnie Loo. To look convincing, she wears a wig that could almost be an Afro. “The character is nicknamed Broomhead, so I was prepared for the hairstyle — it’s just that I didn’t expect it to be quite so explosive,” she said with a laugh.

“Frankly speaking, there was not a single photo in which I looked good! But later on, I accepted it as part of the role,” she said, adding that the hair helped her get into character. “It also brought everyone a lot of laughter — they were always making fun of it. Whenever we went out for lunch, (co-star) Thomas Ong would check that I wasn’t wearing the wig because he didn’t want to be seen with me. On set, we leave the wig lying around, and when someone walks by, it gives them a shock.

“It’s really quite scary! I have a trolley bag and I once hung the wig on the handle; I was frightened by my own hair, because it looked like there was someone sitting there! Then I realised, ‘Oh, it’s my hair.’”

Catch House Of Fortune starting Jan 19, weekdays at 9pm on Mediacorp TV Channel 8.