Those who love seeing former Mediacorp actor Wu Kai Shen on their screens are in for a treat. 

In new Mediacorp fantasy series Perfectly Imperfect, the 57-year-old plays a loyal assistant to the King of the Underworld (played by Jeffrey Xu).

It's Kai Shen's most significant role in years. Since leaving Mediacorp in 1999, Kai Shen has only been taking on small roles, he shared in an interview with Zaobao.sg.

“This show overturns people’s preconceived impressions of the traditional Black and White Impermanence (aka Black and White Wu Chang) figures, and it’s a big challenge," he said. 

Kai Shen admittedly seeemed tentative about his performance when filming started for the drama.

The actor and his co-stars — Jeffrey, Nick Teo, Brian Ng and Kayly Loh — were called in for a meeting by executive producer Liang Lai Ling in the early stages of filming. 

“I was thinking, maybe they thought I was doing a terrible job, so they called me in. But luckily, it wasn’t a scolding, it was just a discussion," he revealed.

Turns out, the producer thought that the actors had to coordinate their lines and movements with each other more.

He shared that their chemistry did improve a lot after working together for quite some time. "We got more comfortable and had more fun acting. I’d say my performance was above average!" he mused.

Kai Shen, who also runs an eyewear business, said he's thoroughly enjoying his current phase of life and has no plans to retire. The actor has a daughter, who's now in junior college. 

He's also grateful to his work partners and family for giving him the time to pursue his passion in acting.

“Filming lets me detach from my day job, and for me, that’s a kind of mental liberation. What I observe from my character, what to do and what not to do, can be applied to real life," he said.

He also described working with the crew of Perfectly Imperfect as a wonderful time in his life after turning 50. 

When asked if he will continue acting just for fun, Kai Shen replied with a laugh. 

“Since my acting isn’t that great, doing it just for fun is probably best," he chuckled.

"I think acting depends on talent, and I’m not the naturally gifted type. I might start off slow, but I’m willing to work hard, study the role thoroughly, make adjustments in the details, and improve where I fall short.”

You're just too humble, Kai Shen. 

Emerald Hill.

Catch Kai Shen in Emerald Hill on mewatch below:

Photos: mewatch, Dorothy Gen X/TikTok