Ayden Sng, Sheryl Ang get 'lovey-dovey' again in new drama

Buzzy new Mediacorp drama To Be Loved marks Ayden Sng and Sheryl Ang's third time working together.

And while they have never been more at ease with each other, the show was anything but easy to shoot, the pair revealed to TNP.

Sng portrays an outstanding doctor grappling with severe clinical depression – a secret known only to his long-term girlfriend, played by Ang, who bears the brunt of his struggles. Their turbulent relationship begs the question: can love conquer all?

The 20-episode drama also stars Liu Ling Ling, Irene Ang, Guo Liang, Gavin Teo, Daryl-Ann, Kiki Lim and Peter Yu, all of whom navigate various trials and tribulations in life.

To prepare for his role, Sng delved into substantial research by speaking to psychologists and counselors who had extensive experience in dealing with depression. He also talked to acquaintances with similar mental health struggles, which gave him an understanding of "what’s realistic and what’s not".

Sng, 30, told TNP: "I think a very basic thing is to do your research because regardless of how you portray these types of characters, we still need to ensure that we do our due diligence as an actor so that whatever that goes out comes with an informed perspective."

Meanwhile, Ang's character is one that many people, including herself, can relate to.

"Personally, I have been through a relationship where it's very push and pull," the 25-year-old revealed.

"One second they say 'I want you', then 'I don’t want you' the next. Then it becomes 'Okay, I’ll change' and they change, but a month later, it reverts. So it keeps going and going and going.

"Relationships like that are very stressful lah. Even when I was doing the show, I was like, 'Oh my god.' It's one of my most tiring shows and I don’t mean physically, but mentally."

For Sng, the real challenge came from scenes with his on-screen father.

He explained: "Those are trickier because my dad is the cause of my depression and there are many scenes where he is causing me to have a breakdown. I think reaching that emotional state was a bit more difficult."

Despite the emotional and mental demands of filming, working together again was a breeze for both Sng and Ang.

To Be Loved is the duo's third collaboration, after Remember To Forget (2020) and Leave No Soul Behind (2021).

Ang said it was much more comfortable partnering with Sng this time: "It was easier to get into the whole lovey-dovey state."

She recounted their first show together, in which they played a couple: "We had our first kissing scene and he was so awkward about it. He couldn’t stop laughing. I hadn't even gone close and he would start laughing. This time, he didn’t even 'um chio' (laugh secretly).

"After you do multiple shows together, it becomes a very normal thing. It wasn’t awkward. I would say it’s one of the more comfortable pairings I have done so far."

Sng added: "I think because we have this kind of unit at Mediacorp, where we have the opportunity to work with the same actor numerous times, our co-stars become like a kind of mirror for us. They reflect our growth. I get to see where she is, she gets to see where I am. The mirror also tells us where we are lacking and I enjoy that kind of process."

So what do they hope audiences can take away from To Be Loved?

Ang said: "Love comes in all forms and it doesn’t mean that if I love you, we have to be together, that kind of thing. I guess it’s a very big concept that maybe most people won’t get straightaway, but I would like everyone to see or feel love that is not based on fear.

"I feel a lot of us love based on fear: the fear of being alone, the fear of dying alone, the fear of not having anybody to be there for you, or even the fear of being alone with yourself.

"If people can actually learn to love being with themselves, then it would be a lot easier to love somebody else."

Sng echoed: "I think the concept we are trying to push here is there are many types of love in the world and a lot of them are more complex than we imagine.

“It’s also really about embracing the lack of need to judge. When you see something that doesn't make sense to you, it is not your narrative and not your place to judge.

"Whatever people are going through, there are backstories and it can be extremely complex. It can also be something that’s simple, but who says something simple cannot be traumatic or harrowing?"

Sng described the show’s message as "very powerful". 

"It goes back to the acceptance of love. Love, at the end of the day, is love. We should be more willing to embrace it, no matter what form it takes, and judgement is something which hinders all of that," he said.

Asked if she had any advice for those in similarly tumultuous relationships, Ang said: "It’s very simple. Don't make it more complicated than it already is. You either stay or you go. Just choose. Because the more you think about it, the more you complicate things. If you wanna stay, you find your way to work around it. And if you can’t, go."

She also told TNP: "I would say love for yourself transcends all. The moment you learn to love yourself, everything else will just happen."

• To Be Loved is airing on Channel 8 and mewatch.