Tan Kheng Hua
Singaporean actress
Tan Kheng Hua (born January 17, 1963) is a Singaporean actress.
Quotes
edit- I’ve gone through so many dark periods of my life, but my art has always been there. I firmly believe in this way of living, and I hope to die like this.
- Another big difference is the eye on celebrity. I wouldn’t say I’m unrecognizable in Singapore, but as a person, I guess I’ve never really taken celebrity [status] seriously. I just take my work seriously, and this has been a very calming place to be [in North America] because all I do is keep concentrating on the work. I feel protected in that fashion, and I think that this particular point of view has been honed by the fact that for many years, nobody takes your celebrity [status] very seriously in Singapore.
- My parents are the coolest parents ever. From the minute their children became adults, they have always looked at us as the "experts" in the household, simply because both my mum and my dad never had a high education. They always trusted us. And in return, we never asked them for much and always made sure our decisions worked for us. So when I told my mum and dad I was going to quit my corporate high paying, big benefits job to act for awhile, they basically said "Good. Now you have more time to rest and to go on holiday with us."
- I have said this before in other interviews and I have said it again - if human beings can transplant hearts of any color from one body to another to save lives, surely we don't have to wait any longer for any movie to demonstrate diversity and inclusivity. The truth is out there! We are ALL humans! I repeat - We are ALL humans. 'Nuff said.
- I’ve never felt weak. I’ve never felt not seen. I do feel seen and heard, but I also have a responsibility to make all sorts of layers of representation work—myself as a woman, an older woman, a Chinese woman, a Singaporean in Los Angeles, an Asian actress in Hollywood. Bring it on, because all of them are so Kheng. This is who I am. I’m not an older woman wanting to be a younger woman. I’m not a Chinese woman wanting to be any other race.
- The consistency of my body has changed and I quite like that. Everything has gone softer and gentler, and my ease with how I look is powerful—what I consider beautiful really helps me to grow old.
- Maybe I feel more sexual and you come to realise that you don’t need to be a particular shape to be sexy. If we allow ourselves this lens—and not just women, but men—to understand that sexuality is so much a part of our lives in all the different degrees and forms, then we will all feel at peace with it.
- Maybe mothers will understand this. Being a mum is the easiest and most profound natural goodness that I have in me. I’m not a good person; I’ve got darkness, you know? But the thing about my kid is that everything to do with her that comes from me—it’s just good.
- Being in Hollywood has been wonderful. It’s a much, much bigger pond, a huge, well-oiled machinery. Being in an environment and industry where everyone is so good at what they do is invigorating rather than intimidating. I get to meet and work with many people in an industry that has such high stakes and works with such rigour! It’s rather different from what I’m used to in Singapore.
