While filming in Japan’s Chiba Prefecture for new travelogue Rail Life Story, Mark Lee met a train conductor who likes to dress up as a ghost.
The 57-year-old local actor-host told AsiaOne recently while promoting the show at the Asia TV Forum & Market: “There was a couple who love trains and they live in Tokyo. They travel to this particular small town for work, where the woman works as a train conductor and the man in the train office…
“The woman’s job includes dressing up as a ghost to scare their passengers, so that they would be entertained and post about it on social media to attract more people to visit the town.”
Mark also shared that throughout the experience, he was touched by the locals who choose to preserve their legacy and tradition, some even travelling for a long distance every day to get to the town, even though their salaries could be low or even non-existent.
While listening to their stories and their dedication to preserving the train system in the small town, he also reflected on his own journey from humble beginnings to stardom.
Mark, who was nominated for Best Leading Actor at the Golden Horse Awards in 2020 for his role in the movie Number 1, said: “At the end of the filming for the episode, I thought to myself, if director Jack Neo didn’t select me for Comedy Nite all those years ago, what would I have been now? Perhaps I would still be a deliveryman for stationery and forgotten by everyone.”
Comedy Nite is a popular sketch show helmed by Jack from 1990 to 2003, airing weekly on Channel 8. The show featured comedians from Jack’s JTeam Productions, which included Mark, Patricia Mok and Henry Thia.
Rail Life Story is an eight-part infotainment series that is co-commissioned by Mediacorp and Taiwanese broadcaster Public Television Service.
Each episode of the series follows a celebrity as they travel across different railways, including Bangladesh, Finland, Vietnam and Australia, to explore the stories of the people and places they visit.
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ATF, held from Dec 3 to 5, is part of Infocomm Media Development Authority’s (IMDA) Singapore Media Festival.
Mark also hoped his personal journey would encourage and inspire people who are in similar situations as him.
He added: “I thought back over the years and felt that the right opportunity always presented itself to me at the right time, and I persevered and put in my hard work to do it well.
“From Comedy Nite to hosting, to acting in dramas and films later, whenever I met a career bottleneck, a new opportunity would arise for me, and because it’s something that I am passionate about, I would work hard for it.”
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When asked if he had felt that these opportunities were “miracles”, Mark responded: “I don’t think they are miracles, but they are perhaps from a guardian above or something.”
Jack had announced in early December that he will be reprising his role as Liang Po Po in a new movie for Chinese New Year 2026. The film is co-represented by Mark’s King Kong Media Production.
Mark had previously played Liang Po Po’s friend Ah Beng in the first movie, released in 1999.
When asked if he would be appearing in the upcoming movie, he revealed that while he had invested in it, he would not be acting.
He also shared that he invested in another Chinese New Year movie, which will be produced in Malaysia, and he will be appearing in it. More information about the film will be released later.
Rail Life Story airs every Thursday on Channel 8 at 8pm and is also available on Mewatch. Other hosts include Kit Chan, Danny Yeo and Darren Lim, as well as Taiwanese artistes Bowie Tsang, Pets Tseng, Lulu Huang and Kaiser Chuang.
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