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Funny man Corporal (CPL) (NS) Chua Enlai talks about his work as an artiste and his National Service (NS) experiences.

A familiar face on local television, Chua Enlai is best known to Singaporeans for his multiple roles in The Noose (a local news parody programme), which he nails with finesse. Besides sitcoms, the FLY Entertainment artiste has worked on more than 30 theatre productions, such as Cinderel-LAH! and Beauty and the Beast.

More recently, he is rehearsing for a lead role in a re-staging of The Importance of Being Earnest, W!ld Rice's award-winning production, from April to May 2013. Said the actor, who won Best Supporting Actor at the 2010 ST Life! Theatre Awards for his role as Gwendolen in the 2009 staging of The Importance of Being Earnest:"This latest production will hopefully be an improved version - one that has undergone an upgrading, since we Singaporeans are so fond of them!"

Having served his NS as a performer in the Singapore Armed Forces Music and Drama Company (SAF MDC), he talks to PIONEER about his career and what NS was like for him.

What are you busy with lately?

I'm filming the sixth season of The Noose, as well as a Channel 8 drama series called I m In Charge. Recently, I travelled to Chiang Mai to film a Chinese-language cooking show. I'm not very good at speaking Mandarin or cooking, and I had to do both at the same time. Thank goodness the crew and my co-host Pornsak were great fun. They were kind and understanding, and only spat on me twice.

I m also appearing in Judgement Day, a movie due in April. It's a story that will affect everyone because it's about the end of the world. It made me think about my mortality and my priorities in life. Deep, hor?

Which character in The Noose did you enjoy playing the most and why?

Oh, that's a pretty tough question! That's like asking which of your children is your favourite! I like the naivete of Pornsak Sukhumvit and the acerbic nature of B. B. See. Also, I think Wan Moh Pay is the most accurate portrayal of a Singaporean male!

Is a career in showbiz all glitz and glamour?

First, perspiration is not glamorous. Second, rejection is faced by people in the industry all the time.

When you're feeling a bit sensitive, it hurts even more. I think an actor faces more job interviews (disguised as auditions) and experiences rejection more often than normal working people. Also, everyone is a judge, everyone has an opinion. You've got to have thick skin.

Acting is very personal. It's also physically, mentally and emotionally demanding. It's make-believe, so you do things that normal people don't!

For example, killing people, standing on a land mine; it looks easy on stage but a heck of a lot of work goes into making that moment work for the audience.

Where do you see yourself five years from now in your career?

I want to be looking exactly like how I looked five years ago (from now).

How was your Basic Military Training (BMT)?

My BMT was taken as a re-course and I'd already visited (Pulau) Tekong many times before as a performer in MDC. Yet, the training was something that no man can forget.

Nothing can top the psychological state that one lives in during military training. Not even the physical challenges. Ok, maybe not. The food was indeed atrocious.

What was it like being an artiste in MDC?

We performed a lot for camps and formal events like SAF Day, but people don't realise the amount of training we underwent to become good enough. On a normal show day, we had to set up the stage (carry heavy speakers and equipment up several flights of stairs), do a rehearsal and mic check, prepare our costumes and make-up, warm up, then perform a high-energy show. After the show, we had to tear everything down. All this, with military-like discipline.

Sure, it's not a combat vocation, but it doesn't pretend to be.

What were experiences you took away from NS that you've applied in your career?

I made great friends during my days at MDC and I learnt that teamwork is essential for success. No man ever acts alone. The sense of "family" is very important to me and I love projects where actors and crew come together and form really strong bonds.

Complete the sentence: If I had to do NS all over again, I would...

...do it just like how Michael Chiang said it was in Army Daze! It should be filled with endless comedy and drama. (You weren't really expecting a serious answer here, right?)

"We trained in dance, singing and acting whenever we were not on stage... (and) worked extremely long hours. Sure, it (being a performer) is not a combat vocation, but it doesn t pretend to be."
- CPL (NS) Chua on being an MDC artiste