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| “Very Few People Say This to Actors”: Jeanette Aw Breaks Down Reading Industry Letters (Photo: Jeanetteaw/Instagram) |
Twenty-five years in the industry, countless iconic roles, and still, a single letter was enough to bring Jeanette Aw to tears. The Little Nyonya star recently marked her 25th anniversary in showbiz with a special episode of her YouTube series JA Unscripted, where the 46-year-old actress took a heartfelt walk down memory lane — and didn’t expect the celebration to hit quite so deeply.
To honour the milestone, the production team invited 80 colleagues Jeanette had worked with over the years to write her personal letters.
Each note reflected admiration not just for her acting, but for her discipline, work ethic and character off-camera.
Unsurprisingly, familiar names filled the stack. Tay Ping Hui, Christopher Lee, Xiang Yun and Qi Yuwu were among those who penned their thoughts.
Ping Hui even went the extra mile by handwriting his message and attaching a selfie.
“When talent, beauty, and professionalism come together with a relentless pursuit of perfection… your name comes before all others,” he wrote.
“You are one and only. Happy silver jubilee — you deserve every success.”
Reading through the letters, Jeanette struggled to hold back her emotions.
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“I see so many familiar names. I’m very touched,” she shared tearfully. “Many of them remembered things from so many years ago. I honestly didn’t expect so many people to write.”
Yet among all 80 letters, one stood out.
The message came from Molby Low, CEO of local production house Wawa Pictures and one of the judges of Route to Glamour, the talent search programme that launched Jeanette’s career back in 2000. From early on, Molby had seen her potential as a future leading lady.
Still, he admitted his first impressions weren’t without doubt.
“At the beginning, I had some reservations,” Molby wrote, explaining that Jeanette had initially been labelled an idol-type actress.
That perception changed entirely after he watched one of her rough cuts on set.
“She conveyed everything with just a single emotional shift, and I instantly burst into tears,” he recalled.
“At that moment, I thought: ‘My God, this actress’s explosive power is incredible.’”
Those words hit Jeanette hard.
“There are very few people who are so generous in directly praising my acting,” she said, openly emotional.
“Actors actually need this kind of encouragement too.”
After 25 years under the spotlight, the moment served as a quiet reminder that recognition — especially from those who witnessed the journey from the very beginning — can still mean everything.