SINGAPORE — November 5, 2026 — Singapore actress Carrie Wong has revealed how emotionally difficult it was to portray a manipulative mother in the upcoming local film Ah Girl, admitting that some scenes left her so heartbroken she had to step away from the cameras to regain her composure.
The 32-year-old actress plays Mummy, a troubled and emotionally manipulative parent whose behaviour deeply affects her seven-year-old daughter, Swee Swee, played by newcomer Ong Xuan Jing.
In an interview with AsiaOne on November 2, Wong recalled struggling to separate herself emotionally from the character, particularly during scenes involving the young actress.
The film was shot in 2024, when Xuan Jing was just seven years old.
Wong said she found it difficult to act out scenes involving manipulation and gaslighting because she could not accept the idea of a child being treated that way by an adult.
She recalled having to leave the filming area to take a breather because she wanted to cry but needed to maintain her character’s emotional state.
One particularly difficult scene involved Mummy threatening and manipulating Swee Swee into apologising for something that was not her fault.
Wong remembered how Xuan Jing stared at her and began tearing up during the scene. The young actress’s reaction affected Wong so deeply that she also struggled to hold back her tears.
Director Ang Geck Geck Priscilla had to remind her to remain firm in the role.
For Wong, the experience was more than an acting challenge. It forced her to confront the emotional consequences of a child’s relationship with adults who are supposed to provide love, security and protection.
Carrie Wong Says Playing a Toxic Mother Was Emotionally Difficult
Although Wong is known to television audiences for her work in local dramas, Ah Girl marks her feature-film debut.
Taking on the role of Mummy required her to portray a parent whose behaviour is very different from the supportive family environment she experienced growing up.
Wong said she initially struggled to understand her character’s actions.
To prepare, she spoke with director Ang, who shared aspects of her own childhood experiences and explained the emotional insecurities behind the character.
Wong gradually understood that Mummy was an adult struggling with her own problems, seeking validation and failing to communicate properly with her children.
That understanding helped her portray the character without simply treating her as a one-dimensional villain.
She also spent time observing Xuan Jing’s relationship with her mother during meals and conversations on set. The experience helped her build a connection with the young actress and understand how to approach their scenes together.
Despite the emotional difficulty, Wong said she hopes the film encourages parents and couples planning to have children to listen more carefully to young people.
Her message is simple: children need to feel heard, understood and supported, especially when their families are going through difficult changes.
The Young Actress Who Surprised Her Adult Co-Stars
Wong also revealed that she learned a great deal from the film’s two young performers, Ong Xuan Jing and Sydney Wong, who plays Swee Swee’s younger sister, Ah Tian.
Rather than being the one constantly giving acting advice, Wong said she found herself learning from the children’s natural reactions.
She described their performances as raw and genuine, noting that their happiness and sadness often came naturally rather than through rehearsed acting techniques.
The experience made her reflect on her own decade in the entertainment industry.
Wong questioned whether years of working in different productions had caused her to lose some of the emotional spontaneity that made acting meaningful in the first place.
Her co-star James Seah, who plays Ah Pa, also praised Xuan Jing’s instincts and ability to remain present during scenes.
The film’s child performances have become one of its major talking points, with Xuan Jing receiving recognition for her portrayal of a young girl navigating an unstable family environment.
According to The Straits Times, Xuan Jing has already won two Best Actress prizes and received a nomination for Best New Performer at the 63rd Golden Horse Awards.
What Is ‘Ah Girl’ About?
Directed by Ang Geck Geck Priscilla, Ah Girl is a Singaporean family drama set in 1994.
The story follows seven-year-old Swee Swee as she tries to understand her parents’ separation while navigating the complicated emotions of childhood.
Caught between Mummy and Ah Pa, she also feels responsible for protecting her younger sister, Ah Tian.
The story explores how children experience family conflict, often without having the words or emotional maturity to explain what they are going through.
Rather than presenting the situation entirely from the adults’ perspective, the film places viewers inside the world of a child who is trying to make sense of decisions she cannot control.
The director drew inspiration from her own childhood memories, making the project deeply personal.
In an interview with CNA Lifestyle, Ang explained that the film took more than a decade to develop. The filmmaker also consulted family counsellors and child psychologists to better understand how children experience parental separation and to strengthen the screenplay.
The project faced difficulties along the way, including financing challenges and the withdrawal of a producer who had been expected to help bring it into production.
Ang eventually continued developing the film, drawing on her personal experiences and a deeper understanding of childhood emotional development.
The result is a story about family, abandonment, childhood and the need to be heard.
Director Ang Geck Geck Priscilla Turned Her Childhood Memories Into a Film
For Ang, Ah Girl is not simply a story about a family going through separation.
It is also an attempt to revisit the emotions and experiences of growing up in a world where adults do not always understand what children need.
The film’s development began with Ang’s earlier short-film work before eventually expanding into a feature-length production.
The International Film Festival Rotterdam described the film as a personal portrayal of childhood in 1990s Singapore, using Ang’s memories to explore the complicated relationship between children and adults.
The film runs for 99 minutes and uses a 4:3 visual format that helps recreate the atmosphere of the period while reflecting the limited perspective of a young child.
Its story combines humour, nostalgia and emotionally difficult family situations.
The approach has attracted attention from international film audiences and critics, particularly for its ability to tell a deeply local Singaporean story through universal family experiences.
‘Ah Girl’ Has Already Won International Recognition
The film’s growing reputation extends beyond its emotional subject matter.
At the 2026 International Film Festival Rotterdam, Ah Girl received the Youth Jury Award.
It also won Best Asian Feature Film at the 37th Singapore International Film Festival’s Silver Screen Awards on October 31.
The film has additionally secured three nominations at the 63rd Golden Horse Awards:
- Best New Director for Ang Geck Geck Priscilla.
- Best New Performer for Ong Xuan Jing.
- Best Adapted Screenplay for Ang Geck Geck Priscilla.
The Golden Horse Awards ceremony is scheduled for November 22, 2026.
The nominations place Ah Girl among the Singapore productions receiving international attention this year.
The film is also part of a wider moment for Singapore cinema, with several local productions securing recognition at major regional and international film events.
AsiaOne previously reported that five Singapore films received a combined 15 nominations at the 63rd Golden Horse Awards.
Carrie Wong Reflects on Her Own Happy Childhood
The emotional story of Swee Swee also made Wong appreciate her own upbringing.
The actress said she grew up in a healthy and supportive family, with parents who encouraged her to explore new interests, try different things and learn from mistakes.
She recalled knowing that her parents would be there to support her even when things did not go as planned.
That sense of security gave her the confidence to express herself and pursue opportunities.
Comparing her childhood with Swee Swee’s fictional experience made her realise how difficult it would be for a young child to grow up feeling unheard or forced to take on responsibilities beyond her age.
Wong said she could not imagine having to navigate childhood while feeling more mature than the adults around her and protecting a younger sibling from family problems.
It is this emotional contrast that makes her role in Ah Girl particularly meaningful.
Carrie Wong Looks Forward to More Challenging Roles in 2027
The film is also part of a productive year for Wong.
In 2026, she received the All-Time Favourite Artiste award at Star Awards and appeared in the cross-border thriller drama Kidnap Game, which also stars South Korean actor Lee Joon-gi and Japanese actor Kentaro Sakaguchi.
Wong said playing Mummy in Ah Girl and portraying Janice Lau in Kidnap Game gave her opportunities to explore characters she had not previously played.
Looking ahead to 2027, she hopes to continue taking on unfamiliar roles, including villains and characters with a completely different image from the one audiences usually associate with her.
She said she wants viewers to see a different side of her acting abilities.
For an actress who has spent years building a familiar television image, the opportunity to challenge audience expectations could become an important next step in her career.
When Will ‘Ah Girl’ Be Released in Singapore?
Ah Girl is scheduled to open in Singapore cinemas on November 19, 2026.
The 99-minute film features:
- Ong Xuan Jing as Swee Swee, or Ah Girl.
- Sydney Wong as Ah Tian.
- Carrie Wong as Mummy.
- James Seah as Ah Pa.
- Doreen Toh as the grandmother.
The film is presented in Mandarin, English and Hokkien, with English and Chinese subtitles.
It carries a PG13 advisory for some coarse language and sexual references.
For Wong, the movie represents a new chapter in her career. For Ang, it is the culmination of a deeply personal filmmaking journey. And for audiences, it offers an opportunity to see family separation through the eyes of a child who is still trying to understand the world around her.
The film’s emotional subject matter may be difficult for some viewers, but its central message is one many parents and families can recognise: children may not always know how to explain what they feel, but that does not mean their emotions should be ignored.
With international awards, Golden Horse nominations and a deeply personal story behind its production, could Ah Girl become one of Singapore’s most talked-about films of 2026?
