DIRECT FROM PERTH: Back in March,
we packed our bags and hopped on a plane to Perth to join the crew and
four cast members of Channel 8’s upcoming blockbuster drama The Dream Job.
Filming took place for about ten days in the Western Australian region,
and scenes from the overseas shoot will be featured in four out of the
30 episodes.
While we were there, we grilled each of the artistes
on their various “dreams”: what amenities will their dream house have?
What do the single ones look for in their dream partner? Have they
managed to achieve a childhood dream of theirs?
For new father Shaun Chen,
who plays vengeful lawyer Li Jun Feng in the series, this work trip
marked the furthest he’s ever been from his wife Celine and infant
daughter Nellie so far (in addition to being the furthest he’s ever
travelled to film a show). However, they’re no stranger to distance as
back then, mother and daughter were based in Kedah, Malaysia, while the
man of the house shuttled back and forth between there and Singapore
(the family of three is now blissfully reunited and living here
together).
“I always keep in touch with them on the phone, just
like when I’m in Singapore,” he told us during our interview between
takes at the picturesque Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park, where we were
frequently threatened by the obnoxious cawing from an annoying bird
overhead (it got a few well-deserved shushes from an irked Shaun).
Another
way the actor was reminded of his child: a photograph and her, uh,
nappies. “(The nappies) are clean and smell good!” he reassured us with a
laugh.
While Shaun – or anyone else – did not have enough time to
go souvenir-shopping due to the tight shooting schedule, he finally
managed to pick up a couple of adorable onesies for his little girl at the Perth airport just before flying home.
When
asked if being a dad will mean him cutting down on such faraway work
trips in the future, the 37-year-old actor immediately replied that he
will not. “Maybe if it’s possible, I can even bring them along with me,”
he mused.
