Xiang Yun, 63, Stars as Li Nanxing’s Mother in Mediacorp’s The Leftovers

Imagine an actress portraying the mother of a peer just a few years her junior. For many, it could be an awkward situation. However, Xiang Yun, at 63, is ready to take on this challenge, playing the mother of 60-year-old Li Nanxing in the upcoming Mediacorp blockbuster, *The Leftovers*.

Interestingly, Xiang Yun is only three years older than Li. While Li expressed some discomfort in calling her “Ma” during filming, Xiang Yun appears completely at ease with their unconventional on-screen family dynamic.

She makes a brief appearance as a doctor who has had her license revoked and shared with the media her lack of hesitation in playing Li’s mother. “I’ve portrayed everyone’s mum, even Wang Yuqing’s!” she remarked, noting that Wang Yuqing is just a year older than her.

This isn’t Xiang Yun’s first collaboration with Li Nanxing. They both appeared in the 1988 Mediacorp series *Airforce*, although they didn’t share any scenes back then. Xiang Yun fondly remembers Li as the “ultimate heartthrob” of the ’90s, a time she refers to as the “golden age of Singaporean television”.

She humorously noted, “Even now, he’s still like a god. It’s like he’s immortal!”