Cheryl Chou wanted to quit new drama The Leftovers while filming tough outdoor scene in ski outfit
For the first time in her career, local actress Cheryl Chou thought she would quit and walk off a drama set.
The 30-year-old is part of the upcoming Mediacorp Chinese drama The Leftovers, which held its press conference on Oct 29.
The dystopian-crime series, which is slated for a three-season run, spans between 2017 and 2043 on a fictional island named Equaland.
A volcano erupts, resulting in severe environmental pollution and skyrocketing rates of organ failure among the citizens and the characters each go through trials and tribulations to survive.
In an interview with AsiaOne, Cheryl — who plays Ren Xin, a doctor with a fiercely compassionate heart — recounted the most difficult scene she had to film, which happens at the start of season three.
In it, Ren Xin works in a search and rescue team, and Cheryl said the uniform she wears is actually a ski outfit with thick padding.
The arduous scene was an opening sequence for the show, filmed outdoors at two locations in Malaysia.
It took 11 hours and Cheryl struggled as she was also required to wear a helmet, mask and goggles.
"It was so hot that at that moment, for the first time in my career, I thought I was just gonna quit and walk off the set," she told us.
While she was resting during one of her break times, Cheryl recalled how the executive producer tried to liven up the atmosphere but unintentionally did the opposite.
"He pointed his phone at me, showed me a photo of (co-stars) Jeremy Chan and Zhang Zetong on set, smiling and getting a foot massage. I was so angry. I thought I was gonna cry," she said lightheartedly.
"I was like, 'Why are people's lives so different from mine?' They get to do a full massage. I have to sit here and like, make sure I don't faint.'"
Looking back now, Cheryl said it was all in good fun and she's excited to see how the drama turns out, including the scene with her "11-hour sacrifice".
The cast of The Leftovers. PHOTO: AsiaOne/Syarifah Nadhirah
Sharing more about Ren Xin, Cheryl said she's a righteous person who strives to do her best for her patients.
In Equaland, many need lung transplants but there's not enough to go around.
"Mostly the rich take away all these organs and for people who don't have that kind of income and finances, they usually don't survive in these times. So Ren Xin's the type of person that would fight for justice and the people who truly deserve to live," she said.
Ren Xin is also protective of her family, including her sister Li Yina (played by Sheryl Ang), which Cheryl says is similar to herself.
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"I do whatever it takes to protect my family and the people that I care about. I'm also a person who stands up for justice. I think that's the way I was brought up, so everything is either black or white. It's very hard for me to see grey in a lot of the things that we do," she explained.
"So if you hurt my family or if you threaten them in any sense, I feel like I would react the same way as Ren Xin and go all out to defend them."
But unlike "gutsy" Ren Xin, Cheryl admitted she's the worst at confrontations.
"Ren Xin is someone who doesn't hide what she says, and she is very straightforward and confrontational. But I'm not that type of person," she said.
"She's braver than me, and I think because of the environment that she's in — it's a disaster zone in the hospital all the time… It makes her think a lot less about what people think of her."
Other than having a consultant on set to teach her how to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), Cheryl said there wasn't much she needed to prepare to play a doctor as the tools used in the show aren't medically accurate due to the futuristic setting.
"A lot of the stuff that we do are on holograms, and it's equipment that you've really never seen before. It's not a medically accurate drama because it's not a medical show, but I think it's just to showcase the fact that in times like this, even medicine evolves," she said.
To her, one of the most important messages of the show is that "there is always love".
"No matter the circumstances of how the world turns out, no matter how much evil there is in this world, there is always love — love between friends, love between family and love between partners. I feel like love is always present, even in difficult times," she said.
"I think that is one of my core takeaways from being a part of this story. Even though you feel like there's no more hope in this world, there's always love."
(From left) Cheryl Chou, Jesseca Liu, Li Nanxing and Zhang Zetong at the press conference for The Leftovers on Oct 29. PHOTO: AsiaOne/Syarifah Nadhirah
Cheryl said she has the most scenes with 33-year-old Zetong, who plays her love interest Lin Zhekang.
Ren Xin and Zhekang meet in the hospital and she helps him treat his mum Lin Aiqin (played by Jesseca Liu) who has an illness.
A scene that resonated with her the most is one where Ren Xin and Zhekang set off fireworks in a parking lot and talk about their happy memories and regrets.
"That is one of my most memorable and favourite scenes in this entire series because it was shot so beautifully, and the story and lines were written so beautifully that whatever I was saying was very relatable," she said.
When asked if there were any funny incidents that happened behind the scenes, Cheryl couldn't pinpoint any but said she really enjoyed working with Jeremy.
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The 45-year-old stars in two roles: as Zhang San, a driver for illegal organ trafficking ring Straits Hall, and as his father Zhang Er.
"He's actually a really funny person, and he brings a lot of life to the scenes that I'm in… So it's really nice to feed off someone like that. We crack a lot of jokes with each other," she shared.
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We asked Cheryl if she thinks she could survive in a dystopian world akin to Equaland, and she didn't hesitate to say no.
"I spent two days filming and afterwards I got sick because of the haze. I don't think my body is equipped to fight a dystopian world. I'm not that strong as a person, so I don't think I will last very long in a situation like this," she laughed.
She joked that the only reason she'd be able to survive long is due to the fact that she doesn't leave the house often.
"When you don't go out, you don't suscept yourself to danger. So, I think that's maybe my only saving grace. But for anything more than that, if you want me to go out and fight, I don't think so," she said before crossing her arms over her chest and saying: "Take me as it comes. I'll gladly go."
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Cheryl moved to Shanghai at eight years old and stayed there for a decade before moving back to Singapore.
She entered showbiz after winning Miss Universe Singapore 2016 and has starred in local dramas such as Fried Rice Paradise (2019), Shero (2023) and Devil Behind The Gate (2025).
She's also fluent in Cantonese, which gave her the opportunity to host the 2020 travel show Beautivels in Hong Kong.
In 2024, she acted in the Mediacorp and Taiwanese collaboration drama Love on a Shoestring (2024).
She told AsiaOne that she's currently filming the drama R.I.P which is expected to air sometime next year.
The cast also includes actors Xie Shaoguang and Richie Koh, whom she acted with in the 2025 film A Good Child.
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"I think we've been filming for about a month and a half now, so we're due to wrap. It's really interesting because it's the first time I get to play an embalmer in a show; it's a new set of skills for me to learn," she shared.
After a "turbulent but fun" period from her teen years to her 20s, Cheryl told us she now has a clear direction and clear goals.
She learnt a lot through her 20s and took those takeaways into her 30s, she said.
"I've been saying this to people a lot. I really enjoy my 30s… When you're younger, you always think people in their 30s are so old. But I actually enjoy myself more in my 30s than I did in my 20s," she shared with a smile, adding she's also "much more confident" in herself now.
"I feel like all women shouldn't be too apprehensive about reaching their 30s because it's so nice — suddenly everything seems so clear and I'm much happier now. I enjoy what I do."
The Leftovers also stars Li Nanxing, James Seah, Desmond Tan, Cavin Soh, Zoe Tay, Xiang Yun and Chen Liping.
The first season of The Leftovers will be premiering on Mewatch Prime and Netflix on Nov 9, followed by on Mewatch and Channel 8 on Nov 16, airing weekdays at 9pm.
Season two and three are expected to premiere in 2027.
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