HYPEIf laughter is the best medicine, then popular local comedian Hossan Leong will be the perfect happy pill.
By Amber Chan
Imagine being a total tai-tai (rich man’s wife) , lounging on a swanky beach resort. Imagine lying by a pool, sipping champagne from a gold-rimmed flute. Now imagine Hossan Leong doing all that, because, deep down, that’s all he really wants to do. Although we share his sentiments, Hossan reminds us that all of us need to “wake up and smell the orchids!” It’s just wishful thinking for the rest of us.
Beach resorts and champagne aside, 40-year-old Hossan Leong is arguably one of the most successful entertainers around, having won two Life! Theatre Awards, and rave reviews for his acting chops, and starred in over 50 productions (Read an UrbanWire review of one of his plays here). To his credit, Hossan is a stage performer, television actor, radio deejay and standup comedian. He can even cook – lamb shanks in a red wine reduction sauce is his specialty.
While some entertainers are hilarious onstage but oddly detached offstage, Hossan isn’t known as Singapore’s funny man just because of his staged performances.
“I think, or would like to think that I’m naturally funny,” he says. “I’ve always liked making people laugh. It makes me happy to see people happy. I guess what you see is what you get from Hossan Leong!”
In fact, Hossan is so good at bringing the funny that he used to give standup comedies, which are known to be notoriously difficult. His previous shows like Singapore Boy were completely sold out.
Also well-known for his roles in plays such as Honk! The Musical, which qualified under The UrbanWire events to catch in 2002. Hossan has also directed a few himself. To him, it is as enriching as it is exciting. “Wonderful!” he exclaims. “Such joy watching the show go from page to stage and having a great team to do it with!”
Of course, what good is work without great experiences? He claims that the greatest moment in his career is “filming in Prague”, for the movie The Lost Empire (2001) in which he plays a demon. “It was a wonderful experience to work with a professional film crew overseas,” he says.
Stage acting, however, remains his first love, which brings us to his newest show, The Hossan Leong Show. The staged talk show will cover current affairs and guest “international celebrities” with Hossan’s own brand of tongue-in-cheek humour. We ask him what to expect, and he does a teensy promotion of it. “Lots of fun! Come and participate, laugh, clap, sing, and go home with surprises!”
But what happens if he can no longer continue a career in showbiz?
The funny man says that he would like to join the staff at the renowned Club Med. “So fun! Spend days entertaining people from all over the world in a resort located in paradise!”