Ase's Awesome

Singaporean actress-model ASE WANG talks to us about speaking out about her brush with Harvey Weinstein and the ensuing backlash, as well as why she will remain forever friends with former flame Shawn Yue.

- Cheryl Ong

Ase Wang, who was the object of lust for many a teenage boy back in the early noughties thanks to her scintillating appearances in FHM and Ch 5 teen drama Spin, may have been under the radar, well, at least in Singapore, for a number of years now. But the Singaporean actress and model made headlines last October when she spoke out against disgraced media mogul Harvey Weinstein, who she called “kind of a pig”. She had recalled how a dinner meeting with him was nothing more than a “meat show” and that she felt like she was “treated like a prostitute”.

In person, the Chinese-Swedish beauty is easy-going, very down-to-earth and has a disarming smile. She is cool and casual, much like the ripped-at-the-knee jeans she has on. During our photoshoot, she jokes with our photog: “Just make me look tall!” Her gold midriff-baring crop top hides her famed 32C assets, but flaunts her enviably tiny waist. This is, after all, the woman who was voted as one of FHM’s Sexist Women in Asia five times.

The 36-year-old Bangkok-based actress was back in town to film Toggle thriller Intercept, her first local show in 14 years since Spin. Though Ase was born with a silver spoon, or should we say, spatula in her mouth — her family owns baking supply giant Phoon Huat — it’s clear she works hard for her moolah. At 18, the go-getter moved to Hongkong and later, Bangkok, to pursue her showbiz dreams. Today, the multi-hyphenate not only enjoys a thriving movie career in Thailand, she’s also a #girlboss in her own right, dabbling in ventures from fashion to fitspo. She owns two boxing gyms, a cycling studio and a barber shop chain in Bangkok, and recently, launched her own swimwear line. Can someone say over-achiever?