'The director triggered my inner demon': Richie Koh on having to play grumpy character in new drama

Some bad-tempered actors have to rein in their grouchiness, but some need to have their inner demons drawn out of them.

Speaking to 8world recently, local actor Richie Koh talked about some of his difficulties acting in the funeral-themed drama Till The End, specifically as a character who was abused by his father in childhood and thus develops a grumpy disposition in adulthood.

The 30-year-old — who won Best Actor in Star Awards 2023 for his performance in Your World in Mine — said: "I am not a grumpy person by nature, so the director kept making me angry!

"One day, when we were reading the script, he suddenly played arm-wrestling with me. I couldn't win, so I got frustrated. He triggered my 'inner demon'."

In Till The End, Richie acts as Peng You, who works as a mortician at Once in a Lifetime Funeral Home. He is one of the love interests of Huiqi (Boon Hui Lu), who encounters many setbacks because of her ability to see spirits and her reluctance to associate herself with them. However, after the death of her mother, funeral home director Yang Kehua (Kym Ng), Huiqi has to take over the management of the business.

Her other love interest is Sun Haoming, played by Romeo Tan. Together, Huiqi, Kehua, Peng You and Haoming resolve the lingering issues of the living and dead.

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In the show, Peng You is possessed by Kehua, and he said he enjoyed the process of acting it out.

He elaborated: "When I read that she would possess me, I started to observe Kym's actions, like her gaze, and copy them.

"I tried not to be exaggerating, because when Kehua possesses Peng You, she has to pretend to be him, so it was half of each character."

Kym also had fun acting as a ghost bumping into other ghosts, especially as a character who didn't believe in spirits when she was alive.

The 56-year-old veteran actress-host shared: "My character didn't know she is dead and already a ghost, so when she bumps into another ghost in the funeral home, she has a big shock! This scene left a great impression on me because it was hilarious!"

Till the End is still in production, and will stream on meWATCH and Channel 8 in October 2023.

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jolynn.chia@asiaone.com