PUBLISHED ONDecember 20, 2023 9:53 AMByYeo Shu HuiWhen the world was in a state of chaos in 2019 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the entertainment industry almost came to a standstill.
For local actress Apple Chan, who has always wanted to start her own business, it became an opportunity to try and venture into new prospects, she told AsiaOne in a recent interview.
"I have always wanted to have a brand to represent myself. So I tried a lot of things, such as making candles, jewellery and other things, but I couldn't find something that really represented myself well," said the 34-year-old, who was signed with Hong Kong broadcaster TVB from 2011 to 2019 and starred in Jack Neo's Ah Boys to Men and Ah Girls Go Army movies.
Eventually, she tried out sales livestreaming to help out some friends and soon realised something.
Apple said: "In every livestream, the viewers would ask me the same thing. No matter whether I sell clothes, food or other products, the first thing people asked me was, 'What is your skincare routine? Which product do you use?'"
Thus, Apple's skincare brand Apondle was created in June 2021.
After releasing her first product, which was a lipstick coat, soon after, Apple was encouraged by her good friend and business partner to develop and sell their second product in December 2021 — a skin toning cream, which can replace foundation and be used for brightening, evening out skin tone and refining pores.
She shared: "I don't really like very heavy makeup and prefer a very natural look. It feels more comfortable on my skin, because I feel that if I have too much makeup, it would clog my pores. So this cream can be used to replace foundation and it's not like BB or CC cream.
"A lot of customers who have used it said that they liked it because for other products they have used before, the white cast is always very heavy."
Apple and her partner also released a sunscreen in December 2022, and their next product is expected to be out in early 2024.
"My products are more suitable for people in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong which can be hot and humid, because the products are not sticky. I think this is very important because if the product is sticky, then people who have sensitive skin may have a rash and their skin would feel very uncomfortable. I want people to feel comfortable with their own skin," she said.
When starting the brand, Apple shared that she was heavily involved in the experimentation process.
"The difficulty is always with the ingredients because I'm the one trying it. I have sensitive skin so if it's not good, I would be the first to experience the effects. I tried products that were not very good for my skin and I had some bumps here and there and redness then… I just have to trial and error," she shared.
During product experimentation, Apple also liaised with the chemist many times to ensure the product quality was met.
"I had to ensure that the product is suitable for sensitive skin and not just that, but also has benefits for and improvement on my skin before I can proceed with a new product. The whole process took at least one year for each product," she said.
In addition, she also designed her own brand logo and packaging.
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When asked how she felt about starting a skincare business among thriving competition locally and globally, she said: "I always believe that everything is now everywhere. It's very hard to start something new, unless you are a super genius to start a brand new thing.
"But no matter how it is, people would still have to narrow down to a product that they like or can relate to, so they would still choose."
"I even have some customers who use Apondle but they don't know me. But it's something I am happy about because that means they know the brand for itself and not because of me," she added.
In addition to managing a skincare business, Apple also starred in her first Tamil drama 1943, where she plays Grace.
Grace is a naive but courageous young woman who has always lived her life under the control of her father, a Japanese general (Richard Low) involved in the Sook Ching operation during the Japanese Occupation.
Grace greatly opposes her father's cruel ways and they frequently fight over it. When she meets Karmegam Kannan (Jaynesh) later, she falls in love with him, not knowing that it is actually a plot to kill her father. Torn between romance and kinship, Grace eventually makes a big decision.
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In preparation for the role, Apple shared that although most of her lines were in English, she needed to speak it with a Japanese accent.
"I learnt the accent on my own by watching videos on YouTube and some movies that have people speaking English in a Japanese accent. I also looked up how Japanese people speak and took note of some pointers to use during my performance," she said.
Filming took place between August and September in a few locations in Malaysia, including Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh. This drama also marks her third collaboration with Richard, 71, coincidentally as father and daughter again.
Apple shared: "The first time I worked with Richard was actually many, many years ago, I think when I was around 17 or 18 years old and I was still trying out part-time acting. I still have some photos. So when we met, I showed him the pictures. I asked him, 'Do you remember this scene, that little girl back then?' He was like, 'Wow, I can't believe it, after so many years, now we are working together as father and daughter again!'"
It was on the Channel 8 drama Beach. Ball. Babes in 2008.
The second time they worked together was in a commercial for Curasia Endoscopy centre earlier this year, of which Apple is a co-founder.
On their latest collaboration, she said: "Initially, although I was excited for this role, I was a bit worried because I really don't know anybody and it is a very different culture setting… The only Chinese actor that I'd be working with is Grace's father, but at that time I didn't know who would be playing the character.
"When the producer told me it was Richard, I was surprised and happy. I think we are quite fated. I was very relieved because at least it's someone that I know and we would be going to Malaysia together and shooting this drama together."
Apple shared that Richard was alone in Malaysia during filming, so they took the opportunity to bond.
"English is not his primary language, so during the costume fitting, he said that English is a challenge for him but he is okay and willing to try… I told him if he needed any help, just let me know," she said, adding that she would occasionally help to translate and communicate with the director, Sundar Ilanchezhiyan, for him.
Apple also said that she and her assistant took care of Richard, such as eating lunch together, sharing fruits with him and helping him with questions that he had about using his mobile phone.
"He is a very cute old man. We just naturally want to help him and take care of him. That's how we bonded. I really treated him like my father and told him that if he needed anything, just let me know because our rooms were opposite each other," she shared.
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When asked about interesting experiences on set, Apple said that they had Indian meals most of the time and she loved it, although she is worried about weight gain.
"There are some meals I tried not to take because Indian food has a lot of gravy, so the calories can be quite high. I didn't want to shoot halfway and my face suddenly appeared rounder," she laughed.
She also appreciated how Sundar, the cast and staff were all very accommodating and would communicate and explain everything clearly to them, adding they took special care of her.
1943 is now available on meWATCH and airs on Vasantham on Mondays to Thursday at 9pm.
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