Tasha Low, Chantalle Ng wheelchair-bound in Hope Afloat
Rising local actresses Tasha Low and Chantalle Ng hope to bring greater representation of people with disabilities to the small screen by portraying them sensitively in the upcoming Mediacorp drama Hope Afloat.
With the encouragement of para swimmer Tianqing (Ng), dancer Xilin (Low) – who becomes paralysed from the waist down after an accident – regains the courage to embark on her new journey in life.
Over time, the two forge a sisterly bond as they overcome life challenges together, which include navigating relationships with their love interests (played by Zhang Zetong and Tyler Ten).
Hope Afloat will be available on mewatch from July 29. It premieres on Channel 8 on July 30, airing on weekdays at 9pm.
Low says during a July 15 media conference at Mediacorp Campus: “While filming this show, I realised people with disabilities are just like everybody else. They can also have their dreams and love lives.”
This is the 30-year-old’s first time portraying a person with a disability, since she embarked on an acting career in 2020. She was in Jack Neo’s period film The Diam Diam Era (2020), as well as dramas such as Silent Walls (2023) and Oppa, Saranghae! (2023).
To prepare for her role, she used as reference material video interviews with a real-life dancer from China, who had an accident that robbed her of the ability to walk.
One challenge she faced were scenes in which her character picks up swimming. She says: “We are so used to kicking our legs in the water, and the camera can pick up even the tiniest movement of our legs. Trying not to use my legs was very difficult.”
To play an athlete suffering from Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a group of inherited disorders that cause nerve damage, leading to muscle weakness and numbness in the legs, Ng consulted Singaporean Paralympic swimmer Yip Pin Xiu, 32, who has the condition.
The 29-year-old star – who rose to prominence in the romantic comedy-drama My Star Bride (2021) and played a character who is visually disabled in the drama All That Glitters (2023) – recalls: “Pin Xiu was very generous with her answers. Throughout filming, I was asking her small things like how someone might use a wheelchair or how I should place my legs in some scenes. She even offered me swimming lessons.”
Singapore’s Paralympic medallist and swim star Theresa Goh and para badminton champion Tay Wei Ming were also consulted during Hope Afloat’s planning stages, checking facts and giving feedback.
Goh, 37, feels that the production team has done its best to give a full picture of the lives of people with disabilities, adding: “But since everyone’s disability looks different and this is a fictional drama, there are limits to how accurate any onscreen portrayal can be.
“That said, I am glad Hope Afloat helps to bring more mainstream representation to people with disabilities and the issues they face. Viewers may not see such people on-screen that often, especially in a romantic context. So to me, highlighting them is already a step in the right direction.”
Tay, 35, hopes the show can educate the public about how to offer help.
He says: “Before helping someone, I would suggest approaching him or her first, ask how best one can help, and listen to what the person needs.”
Fans of Low and Ng can look forward to them reuniting for Mediacorp’s blockbuster period drama Emerald Hill, which they are now filming. Slated to air in 2025, the spin-off of popular series The Little Nyonya (2008) is set to help their stars shine brighter.
But the close friends will be playing enemies instead. Low is the new “Little Nyonya”, Zhang Xin Niang, while Ng plays Anna, Xin Niang’s wily and vengeful cousin.
To convey the tension and animosity between their characters, Low had asked Ng not to speak to her while on set.
Low says: “I don’t talk to her. I avoid her. For me, I need to slowly build my emotions.”
Ng adds: “Whereas I can just switch it on. We all prepare for our roles differently, and it is something that I respect.”
Outside of Emerald Hill, the co-stars are thick as thieves. They go for exercise classes and hang out with friends together. They first met while filming the idol drama Live Your Dreams (2021) and starred together in the cooking-themed drama Love At First Bite (2022).
Ng says: “We were just very drawn to each other. Fate always brings us together, and it is always such an enjoyable time with her.”
Low concurs. “Over the years, we have got a lot closer. Although I am older than her, she takes care of me like a younger sister.”
- Hope Afloat will be available on mewatch from July 29. It premieres on Channel 8 on July 30, airing on weekdays at 9pm.
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