When local comedian-host Moses Lim died on Feb 11, his longtime friend and collaborator Jack Neo expressed his sadness and regrets.
In the new episode of #JustSwipeLah uploaded on Feb 24 which also featured actors Mark Lee and Henry Thia, the 65-year-old director reminisced about his time with Moses from when they met in 1985.
Moses, who died at 75, was well-known for his performance as Tan Ah Teck in local English sitcom Under One Roof — which aired from 1995 to 2003 — as well as the Chinese variety show Comedy Nite in the 1990s also starring Jack, Mark and Henry.
“I’ve never known someone for as long as 40 years. How does it feel to know someone for that long now that he has passed on?” asked host Juin Teh, 34.
“You would feel heartbroken, and you couldn’t bear the thought that he has left,” said Jack.
He shared his reaction when he paid his last respects at Moses’ funeral.
“I walked over and said to him, ‘Hey, why are you lying here?’ It was a natural feeling for me. I really told him in my heart, ‘Your hair is not messy. You can rest in peace,’ because he would always joke with us, ‘Is my hair messy?’ This was his catchphrase that everyone is familiar with,” he recalled with a smile.
“I told him that meeting him as a partner in this life is an honour.”
Henry said he wanted to say his last words to Moses but “didn’t dare to”.
“I suddenly shed tears when I saw him. So I thought, ‘Forget it. I won’t talk to him,'” said the 73-year-old.
“I wanted to ask him, ‘Is my hair messy?’ But I shed tears and didn’t say anything.”
Mark, 56, felt there was “no point” in doing so as he was “already gone”: “The most important thing is that his family can continue to live their lives well.”
‘Cherish every moment’
When Juin remarked that Jack is likely the “most emotionally affected” by Moses’ death, the latter agreed.
“We might have had less collaborations in the last 10 years, but we had a lot in the first 30. So of course, I think it’s a pity to lose this old partner,” he said.
“But that’s how it is, all good things must come to an end.”
Jack also revealed the AI-generated video of Moses saying his goodbyes was his idea.
“I had just made a movie about AI (artificial intelligence), so we had this technology. When I went to his wake, I told his daughter we could make such content so that Moses could bid a proper farewell to everyone. She thought it was a very good idea,” he shared, adding that the message spoken by AI-generated Moses was written by his family.
While Jack didn’t know the exact details behind Moses’ death, he said it was “very sudden”.
“His heart failed and he was sent to the hospital… You really don’t know when you’ll suddenly leave without saying goodbye, so cherish every moment,” he said.
Mark remarked that the most important thing is to “live in the moment like Moses”.
“Although it looked like he left without saying goodbye, his family knows that him leaving like this is the most perfect ending. He didn’t have to suffer or be intubated. I think he was very blessed,” he added.
Henry agreed with a nod: “He left happily.”
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