MALAYSIAN actress Yeo Yann Yann takes on the role of a burnt out and financially-drained single mother in the episode titled Lian, from the new HBO drama series Invisible Stories.
Containing six episodes, each individual story follows a regular person who has to navigate through the ups and downs of everyday life.
Yeo's character Lian is also struggling to cope with her 19-year-old autistic son, played by Devin Pan.
He is prone to having severe meltdowns where he displays aggressive behaviour, following the sudden death of his grandmother who was his main caregiver.
"There's nothing bigger than a mother’s love, it's eternal. When I first read the script, I was very touched by how Ah Lian takes care of her son," said the 42-year-old mother of one during a phone interview.
The Golden Horse Award-winning actress, who hails from Johor Baru, said the character was a person that was rarely featured onscreen.
"These characters have less of a voice in society. So I had to do it and, in the end, I'm so happy that I did."
Known for her moving performances in the Singaporean film dramas Ilo Ilo and Wet Season, Yeo added that there are not many roles or stories that reflect everyday people in Malaysia and Singapore.
"We can have more. I always see the performing arts as a reflection of life. I hope to see more in both countries."
FACING CHALLENGES WITH HOPE AND COMPASSION
Talking more about her character, she said: "Lian is a very strong woman facing very tough times but she never loses hope. You get a glimpse of their life in this episode."
The role was physically challenging as well, mainly due to the scenes where Lian had to manage her son's meltdown.
"The first day of rehearsals was where I really got bruises on my body. I think it was a challenge for Devin to play Bryan. He had to thrash about and use all of his strength but, at same time, protect me. That took a lot of adjustments and rehearsals for us."
Another memorable experience for her was a night scene in an actual residential neighbourhood.
"I had to continuously shout out when my character discovers her son has disappeared. I was on the street in the middle of the night in an area that had about 200 families. So I had to pretend and was silently shouting. My actual voice was added on later via ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) in the studio."
To get into the role, Yeo explained that she did a lot of research and visited families.
"We also had an advisor on set and during rehearsals to guide us step by step."
"I didn't want to over-exaggerate or underplay the challenges they were facing. I also wanted to play her as someone who is strong and not to appear as a victim."
After doing this project, Yeo said that she understood more about the hardships that families with autistic individuals go through.
"I hope this show will influence people to have more sympathy and compassion when they meet children having meltdowns and have more understanding on how difficult it is to have a child who is uncontrollable."
Yeo explained that viewers will also get a different glimpse of Singapore, where the story is set in.
"Most people think of Singapore as a glittery and glamorous place and its one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in. This episode shows it in a different light and you get to see the challenges that regular people are facing."
On why viewers should watch the series, she said: "I think the challenges that people face in this world are varied but at the same time quite similar. Invisible Stories lets you feel that there is hope in the world."
LITTLE GIRL IN THE BOX
The actress, who has worked in theatre, television and film productions, let on that she was grateful to be able to work in both Singapore and Malaysia.
"I'm so glad to know people from both sides, I see the passion from the filmmakers and the collaborations between the creative talents from the actors to the crew members as well. I totally appreciate everyone involved in filmmaking from both countries. I'm so lucky to be able to work with them."
Yeo, whose career spans over two decades, says that she got into acting after being inspired by "the little girl in the box."
She recalled watching a film on television when she was just a six-year-old girl.
"I was so touched by this little girl speaking onscreen and tears started to flow but I quickly wiped them away since I didn't want anyone to see me cry."
She added that a thought suddenly came to her mind after that.
"If I was that little girl in the box then I wouldn't need to care about how other people look at me when I cry. That was the first thought of me wanting to be an actress, dreamimg of being that little girl in that little box where I could express my emotions freely."
Talking about people who inspired her career, she said: "So many people. Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Maggie Chung, I can go on and on."
When asked what advice she wished someone had given her as she was starting out her acting career way back then, Yeo answered: "Save money, save a lot of money."
"So you don't just work for money. I think sometimes our body, heart and soul are our tools and they need time to rest. When it's time to rest you need money, otherwise you have to accept any job to keep going."
"It's very imprtant especially when you're freelancing like what I've been doing my whole life. It's important to save, no matter what," she said.
Yeo is known to take the MRT a lot while in Singapore and values the fact that she won't be recognised.
So what's the weirdest thing she's encountered on the MRT?
"A person once approached me and said, 'Can I take a photo with you? Eh, what's your name ah? You look very familiar'," she said with a laugh.
Yeo added: "Well, thank you very much for your support, I will work harder to let you know my name."
Watch Invisible Stories on HBO GO and HBO (Astro Ch. 411/431 HD).