He Yongfang will return to TV only if it’s a positive drama role

It’s always nice to see familiar faces making their comeback on TV.

Local artiste He Yongfang told Shin Min Daily News in a recent interview that she is coming back to acting but there’s a catch. As she is spending more time on charity work, she is particular about the roles she gets.

For one, she won’t take on negative roles.

She told the Chinese daily that she wants to be a positive role model for her son and daughter — that is also the reason why she is actively taking on charity work.

“There was a role that required me to play a wealthy woman taking care of her toy boy. I rejected it,” Yongfang shared.

And though she may be 53, the actress-host looks anything but. She was once asked to play the mother of a middle-aged man and instead of a text reply, she sent a recent photo of herself to the casting director who changed their mind afterwards.

Most recently, on the upcoming local drama Strike Gold, she plays the wife of the president of a company, who is also a loving mother to her kids. This is her first role in three years.

She explained: “Actually, I don’t mind playing ‘mummy’ roles, like Huang Biren in Your World in Mine. I would definitely love to play a role where I get to interpret the selfless dedication of a mother to her children.”

Yongfang also recently hosted a charity event with Marcus Chin and she wore multiple hats as she was involved in planning, hosting and performing.

Fellow veteran actress Biren even teased her for being an artiste of many skills.

“Biren made fun of me and said it was very ‘worth it’ to get me. I could plan, sing and host, so I’ll save a lot of money for the organiser,” she said.

Unlike other actors and actresses of her generation, though, it seems Yongfang’s kids aren’t interested in showbiz or being second-generation stars. There was an invitation for parent and child to appear on a television programme but both her children didn’t want to appear on TV.

Her daughter is 17 while her son is 14. The latter, according to Shin Min, bears a slight resemblance to Taiwanese actor Eddie Peng.

She said: “The two children are very introverted and have no interest in the entertainment industry at all.”