HONG KONG, May 1 — If we ever had a TV mother, it would probably be Nancy Sit. The veteran Hong Kong star is one of the bubbliest, most approachable and most genuinely warm stars we have met. Before we sat down with her for this interview at The Sheraton Hong Kong, Sit went around the room in our hotel suite giving hugs to everyone she knew. When it was time for Hong Kong actor Kevin Cheng to shoot a television trailer for their coming concert, Sit made everyone burst out in laughter when she, the perpetual mother hen, chided him lightly for looking too grim and uninviting. And at the end of the day, the actress gave out bags of cookies and sweets to every reporter and crew, to thank them for their hard work.
“I have been in the entertainment industry for so many years, a lot of people have grown up with me. Many people began watching my shows even before they were born, so many people think of me as a member of their family,” said Sit, who will be performing alongside fellow Hong Kong stars such as Cheng, Myolie Wu, Benny Chan, Teresa Mo, Hu Feng and Sammul Chen at a special Mother’s Day at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre on May 10. “I am very grateful. I starred in (Hong Kong series) A Kindred Spirit for more than 1,000 episodes, and later in Virtues Of Harmony for more than 700 episodes. I am just grateful no one is sick of me!”
Q: We hear you recently turned 65. Happy birthday!
A: Thank you. Actually, it’s a very happy occasion, but it’s also a little awkward. (Laughs merrily) A few days ago, I went to Macau for a shoot. When I took the ferry back to Hong Kong, I met a woman. She exclaimed: “Wow Nancy, I didn’t know you were 65! Wah! I can’t tell! I told my husband, ‘Wah, she’s in her 60s, you can’t tell!’” Everyone on the boat turned to stare at us. I was very embarrassed. Now, the whole world knows I am 65!
Q: What is your secret to looking young?
A: You have to let things go. It’s true. Many years ago, when I was having trouble with my marriage, I started to grow black spots on my face. I lost weight and looked haggard. But to really look good and healthy, you have to be healthy inside as well. You have to have a happy heart before you can clear any obstacles that come your way.
Q: But isn’t that easier said than done?
A: I have had my fair share of problems. But when I cannot solve them, I ask for help. When no one can help me, I try to put my problems aside and just trust that they will be resolved by themselves. Sometimes when I feel very frustrated or angry, I try not to think about my problems and just do what is within my control. After the matter passes, you’ll realise it’s not actually such a big problem and it’s something you can probably handle. And when you can’t handle it, ask for help. But of course, when you ask for help, you have to help people when they need help. Because that is how relationships work.
Q: It’ll be Mother’s Day soon. What is your best memory of the occasion?
A: I’ve had many, many unforgettable Mother’s Days. Because we were a single-parent family, my children would always show me how much they loved me on Mother’s Day. When they were in primary school, more than 20 years ago, I would give them each about HK$200 (RM92) per month for their pocket money. They knew I loved jewellery, so one year, they went to a jewellery store. The manager saw they were young children and asked them what they wanted to buy. They told him: “We’d like to buy a Mother’s Day present for our mother, she loves jewellery!” The manager saw that they had about HK$700 in total, so he selected a pendant made in gold that said the word “mother” in Chinese. It was about HK$800, but he gave them a discount.
When they came back, they gave me the pendant, and I thought it was adorable. A few days later, while I was tidying their rooms. I opened one of their drawers and I saw a white piece of paper, an IOU from my son saying that he would pay his sisters HK$200 over two months for the pendant. As it turned out, because my son was quite a glutton, he had already spent all of his allowance on food, so he had to write his sisters an IOU! I saw that and burst into tears. My children were really sweet. HK$200 pocket money is not a lot, but still, they saved their money to buy me a present. My son was very greedy, so he didn’t save his money, yet he said he would pay his sisters back. I was very moved. — Today
* Mother’s Day Special — Hong Kong Superstars In Concert, is on May 10, 7.30pm, at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, Level 6, Hall 601-604. Tickets from S$48 to S$168 from SISTIC.
