An emerging talent
Nyonya’s Taste of Life was the first TV drama to portray the lives of Taiwan’s new immigrants. They needed an Indonesian woman to play the protagonist, so when director Wen Chih-yi visited the Immigrant Center for Learning as part of her search, Huang recommended Mok. They gave her the script to try out. “I think you’ll be a great actor,” Huang told her, which bolstered her confidence somewhat. In the audition, the director wanted a display of strong emotion, so Mok thought about the recent loss of her mother-in-law, bursting into tears on the spot. She won the role.
Mok received her first real script in August 2006, and then followed six months of theatrical training. Shooting began in March 2007 and the show premiered on television in May. That November, Mok took out Best Leading Actress in a TV Mini-series at the Golden Bell Awards, despite the fact that she wasn’t a professional actor and it had been her first acting experience. On 14 December the same year she gave birth to a baby daughter. 2007 was a big year for Mok.
After a decade of acting, Mok has appeared in over a hundred TV dramas and films, playing a diverse range of roles. But her favorite has always been the role of Rosemary in the film Zone Pro Site. She feels there are similarities between Rosemary’s personality and her own. In the Taiwan‡US joint film Baby Steps, Mok plays the role of a surrogate mother, expressing the whole gamut of mental conflicts and contradictions. The scene where she is in labor preparing to give birth was a special experience.
Mok’s late father-in-law once said to her: “You have a great talent. It’s your responsibility to continue to share it with your audience.” Throughout her acting career, she has received encouragement and support from her family. But her friend Huang has taken on a special role in her life, encouraging Mok to make the most of opportunities that are offered, inspiring her to take life step by step, to be always ready to create new possibilities for herself.
Mok says that while acting isn’t difficult, getting along with the people is not always easy. She has had to learn how to work and cooperate with many different lineups. But as she developed her acting skills and was offered new and exciting acting opportunities, she has been able to enjoy the freedom of economic independence. Now she can say that everything she possesses came from her own hard work, but the social prejudice against spouses from Southeast Asia or mainland China still occasionally hits a nerve. As a foreign spouse and a public figure under the spotlight, Mok needs to be cautious of what she says when confronted by malicious attacks. Huang often reminds her of the need to accept her own identity and be confident of who she is and what she’s done. That’s the best way to respond to criticism.
Huang Mu-yin (left) is perhaps the most influential person in Mok’s life. She is always there with support and encouragement.