SHE may not be well-known in Malaysia but Rebecca Lim Hui Ling is a multiple-award-winning Singaporean actress who is set to make her presence felt here by teaming up with a local A-lister.
The 32-year-old accountancy graduate has transformed herself into an unglamorous, no-nonsense detective who investigates a crime at the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link.
Playing aggressive and by-the-book Serena, Lim is the Lion City's co-star to Bront Palarae in The Bridge, an original series from Viu and Media Prima Television Networks.
"It's something I've always looked forward to. I'm a fan of Bront, a versatile star who's done so well in Malaysian films such as Ola Bola, Terbaik Dari Langit and HBO's Halfworlds.
KICK-ASS ROLE
"Better still, Serena is different from those girl-next-door characters I've played so far. She kicks and punches!" she said at a recent interview on the set of The Bridge in Jalan Tangsi, Kuala Lumpur.
In The Bridge, Serena teams up with laidback but brilliant detective Megat (Bront) to nab the culprits behind the death of a man whose body is found on the Second Link.
"This new series is very unconventional, and that's what I like about it. It's been adapted into an American and a Scandinavian version, which I've watched, but it's flexible enough to be given a Malaysian-Singaporean flavour. That's cool, because both our countries have lots of common issues that we relate to. Furthermore, the storyline contains mutually shared humour as well," said Lim.
She describes the 10-episode series, based on the global phenomenon created by Hans Rosenfeldt, as a "dark and physical" drama.
Lim added that in the first episode, which was filmed late last month, Serena had to fight a man twice her size and got a bruising.
"He didn't beat me up that badly, but I still have minor bruises on my arms and legs. Nevertheless, I'm proud to have eventually ‘defeated’ him. After all, I used to play hockey during my schooldays."
Asked about her experience working with Bront, Lim said despite his "garang" (fierce) look, he is a "sweet gentleman" with a great sense of humour.
"He's always polite, and shares a lot of his experiences with me. What I like most about him is he's widely read about local and international films."
As for working with director T.J. Lee, Lim said it was a “reunion” since they had collaborated in a popular Singaporean drama eight years ago.
"He directed me in one of my earliest TV dramas, The Pupil. where I played a trainee lawyer. In many ways he is my mentor, whose guidance landed me the Best Actress at the Asian Television Awards 2010."
Lim may have filmed four Singaporean dramas in Malaysia but The Bridge is her first joint Malaysian and Singaporean production.
Early this year, she won Best Actress for the drama series "The Lead".
PLAYING THE DETECTIVE
Bront said playing Megat may be "one detective too many" but he likes the character for his wit, wisdom and imperfections.
"I was detective Gusti in Halfworlds and now I'm detective Megat. It's another thick jacket for me in the blazing hot sun!" he said.
"Nevertheless, I like Megat a lot because he represents everything about Malaysians — the good and the bad. In other words, he's one of us."
The Bridge is also Bront's first drama with a Singaporean, and he is "having a great time" working with Lim.
"She is just the opposite of Serena. Friendliness is all over her, while Serena is smug."
Asked about their dialogue, Bront said he spoke in English and Malay, with the occasional Chinese and Tamil phrases.
"There's a bit of me ribbing Singaporeans and Rebecca ribbing Malaysians, but nothing controversial pops up. It's the kind of cross-border humour we've all grown up with, as in Phua Chu Kang."
As for fight scenes, Bront said he would have a few of them soon.
Bront is willing to star in Singaporean dramas, if the "script is right".
Describing Lee as a "pleasant and smart" director, Bront said he joined the cast of The Bridge to reunite with co-director Jason Chong.
"Jason and I go back a long way. He directed me in Belukar eight years ago, and it's great to have him back," said Bront.
Lee said that Bront and Lim were "always in his list" even though they still auditioned for their respective roles.
"They're truly representative of homegrown talent, so it's good to bring them together in a compelling story that highlights issues facing both countries," he said.
CHARACTER DRIVEN
"Both Megat and Serena are tough as nails but they also show their vulnerable sides at times. While they are the best detectives from their respective countries, they both have a lot to learn, and this case is their learning curve."
Chong said he and Lee took turns to shoot every episode, but they always met to discuss developments so that no overlaps occurred.
"It's the first time we're working as a team, and we've learnt a lot from each other," he said.
"What I like about this story is that it's so character-driven, and Bront and Rebecca have superb chemistry on the set."
Lee said the biggest challenge they faced was making the story as realistic as possible.
Chong said 20 per cent of the scenes had been filmed, and 70 per cent will be in the Klang Valley, especially Kuala Lumpur.
"We expect the job to be done by Sept 30 or earlier," he said.
The Bridge will be screened on ntv7 and Viu in November.
It is a Viu partnership with Double Vision, and a licenced format from international distribution house Endemol Shine Group.
Besides Bront and Lim, it also stars Cheryl Samad and Tony Eusoff.
The Bridge is one of three Viu originals co-presented by the leading OTT video service and Media Prima, the others being Salon and Jibril.
Salon will premiere in September while Jibril comes in October.
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