Fill Me In

Channel 8 will premiere its newest drama serial, A Jungle Survivor, next month, which features Rebecca Lim, Felicia Chin, and Pierre Png in a love triangle that is set in a workplace.

Lim, who plays the role of Tang Ruoqi, is a housewife who finds out that her husband, Jiang Yongxi (Pierre Png), is having an affair with his colleague, Olivia (Felicia Chin). In a bid to save her marriage, she enters the firm with the help of her friend, Xinya (Priscelia Chan) to try and win her husband back.

The office as a jungle

However, because Ruoqi has been out of the workforce for such a long time, she has a difficult time adapting to the environment, and is often bullied by her colleagues, who take on the personas of different animals, such as a wild boar (Chen Shu Cheng), a snake (Patricia Mok), a rabbit (He Ying Ying), a fox (Romeo Tan), and many more.

Through these various challenges, struggles, and attempts to bring Yongxi back to her side, Ruoqi eventually transforms from an innocent and naive puppy into a strong, confident woman who learns to love and value herself.

Press conference on Facebook Live

A virtual press conference was held on 26 October on Channel 8’s Facebook page, where the main cast came together to share about their roles in the drama.

In discussing his role as a two-timing man, Pierre Png revealed that this was the hardest role that he’s ever taken on in his 20 years in showbiz. “When I first read the script, I had so many questions. I cannot understand why a man would do such a thing. I remember constantly asking the director if [Yongxi] would say or do a particular line or action.”

Patricia Mok, who plays Sandra, one of Ruoqi’s colleagues who takes on the persona of a snake, expressed her excitement at being part of a drama serial after a 7-year long hiatus. “It’s been 7 years, so the audience will naturally want to see me, so please support [A Jungle Survivor]!” she chimes.

“I thought Ruoqi was really silly.” – An interview with Rebecca Lim

During a phone interview with Rebecca Lim, she shared how her perspective about her character changed before and after filming the show.

“When I first read the script, I felt that Ruoqi was really silly. But perhaps it’s also because I’m not married, and I don’t understand the severity of the marriage vows. But responsibilities change after one is married, especially with children, and there are so many things to consider, which could be one of the reasons why she was going all out to save her marriage. While I was playing the role, my impression eventually changed because I saw how she navigated the corporate jungle, and grew into someone she never knew she could become.”

When asked about how she personally resonated with her character in the show, she said that it reminded her of her first few years in the media industry. “Every industry is their own jungle in their own way, and when I first entered, I was really just an innocent and gullible little puppy. But as I grew in my career, just like Ruoqi, I became a person I never thought that I could be.”

A Jungle Survivor will premiere on MeWatch from 9 November, and will air on Channel 8 on weekday nights at 9pm from 11 November.