KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 — From living a quiet life as an inconspicuous antique-collector renting out props, Frankie Lee, star of Malaysia’s highest-grossing film “The Journey”, now can’t go out without being recognised and asked for autographs.

The same goes for Lee’s co-star, Ben Pfeiffer, who says that he can’t eat a meal here in Kuala Lumpur without being recognised, and that disguising himself with a cap and sunglasses doesn’t help either.

“We can’t hide ourselves. They call my name; they call him Sofaman,” Lee said, referring to a nickname for Pfeiffer’s character, Benji, in the movie.

At a joint interview with The Malay Mail Online recently, Lee, 73, and Pfeiffer, 32, displayed an easy camaraderie that reflected their onscreen chemistry.

Lee plays a conservative Malaysian Chinese father called Uncle Chuan in the heartwarming movie about a young woman, Bee (played by Joanne Yew), who brings to him a British fiance called Benji, upon coming home after spending several years in England.

The film, directed by Chiu Keng Guan, chronicles Benji’s and Uncle Chuan’s journey throughout the country to deliver wedding invitations to the latter’s childhood friends by hand, and the growth of the father-daughter relationship between Uncle Chuan and Bee.

During “The Journey” that alternates between sadness and hilarity, the elderly Chinese man and young Caucasian learn more about each other’s customs and discover the good in the other, despite initial hiccups in their relationship.

Ben Pfeiffer, who plays ‘Ben’ in "The Journey”, speaks to The Malay Mail Online in an interview on March 6. — Photo by Saw Siow Feng

Pfeiffer, who is an Australian stage actor, is the most experienced in the cast, while Malaysians Lee and Yew are newcomers.

Lee said that he needed an average of 10 to 15 takes just for a scene of a few lines, compared to Pfeiffer’s average of three takes, upon which the latter immediately whispered to The Malay Mail Online: “37 takes. You can watch it on YouTube. Cut. Cut. Cut.”

But Lee, smiling, defended his many NGs (the takes dubbed No Good), saying: “The more NG it is, then the last should be the best.”

He also said he found dialogue to be more difficult than portraying emotions, but stressed that the latter is more important than the former.

“When people watch and they look at you being sad, they are also sad. You cry, they also cry,” said Lee.

The 73-year-old’s melancholic expressions in the movie were, indeed, especially striking despite this being his first acting role.

Lee said he drew inspiration on portraying sadness and grief from the Cantonese dramas that his wife watches every day.

Memorising the script was an arduous task for Lee, who said that he spent sleepless nights and almost all his time going over it, even right on the set before the shoot.

“When shooting on set, I was a bit nervous, but the director would just say ‘rehearsal’,” said Lee.

Pfeiffer explained that Chiu would pretend to Lee that they were just rehearsing in order to calm the 73-year-old’s nerves, when, in fact, the tape was actually rolling.

Pfeiffer said “The Journey” was his first Malaysian and Southeast Asian job, and that he had never visited the country before this.

“My experience with the culture was reflected in the narrative. I didn’t want to study too much on Chinese or Malaysian culture,” he said.

“I don’t speak Chinese. I didn’t understand a lot of things the cast said. If someone shouts at you, it means they’re not happy,” Pfeiffer added, smiling.

“In some ways, it was an isolating experience, but we found a way to understand each other,” he said, pointing to body language and facial expressions.

“The Journey” features various languages, including English, Malay, Mandarin, and other Chinese dialects like Cantonese, Hokkien and Hakka.

When asked if he has learned any Chinese throughout the shooting, Pfeiffer shook his head and said: “I can speak Gong Xi Fa Cai. That’s it.”

Pfeiffer, who has been acting since he was five, said he has done hundreds of stage shows, TV series, and some work in the US.

“My mum told me that when I was three or four, I told her I’ll be a performer,” he said.

“When I watched movies, stage shows, I saw acting as a way of existence, not something that you do. All your characters are extensions of yourself. Often, the characters that you play teach you things about yourself,” added the blue-eyed actor.

To play Benji, Pfeiffer said that he tapped into the character’s childlike qualities to make him more endearing.

“If you judge the character, it becomes less complex. No one thinks they’re a bad person. I didn’t want to judge his ethics and say he’s racist,” he said.

When asked how Lee and Pfeiffer work with each other, the two men smiled.

“We’re both very naughty and we always play tricks on each other. He tries to pinch my bottom,” said Pfeiffer.

“He starts tickling me. It’s more fun. When you go for any shoot, you’re relaxed,” Lee chimed in.

Both actors also said it was easy to work with Chiu.

“He has a very paternal energy. Everyone was able to relax and enjoy themselves. He’s extremely patient. When you’re working with experienced actors, if you can allow them to relax, you’ll get a much more natural performance,” said Pfeiffer.

According to Astro, “The Journey” grossed RM15.6 million as of March 5 since it was released on January 30, surpassing “KL Gangster”’s previous record of RM11.74 million, based on the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia’s (Finas) figures.