Life with plastic is fantastic

By Kwok Kar Peng
The New Paper
Wednesday, Oct 03, 2012
Like the 1997 hit song by dance-pop group Aqua, local actress Joanne Peh is a Barbie girl.
The 28-year-old, who is this year’s Star Awards’ Best Actress winner, has more than 100 vintage second-hand Barbie dolls from the 1970s and 1980s in her collection.
She also has newly released ones like the Harley-Davidson, Tokidoki and Mermaid Barbie dolls.
The pink-haired and tattooed Tokidoki doll was a gift last Christmas from her boyfriend, 36-year-old American actor Bobby Tonelli.
Peh told The New Paper in a recent interview: “I’m very interested in vintage dolls because they are a lot more well-made.
“I feel the faces are prettier and the make-up is softer. The bodies are fuller and not anorexic. The dolls have got more character than the mass-produced ones now… The outfits were made better in the past too.”
She added that she gets a kick out of buying old unwanted dolls that she sources from the Internet and then restores them to their former glory by cleaning them up and brushing the tangles out of their hair.
Peh even has a secret remedy, which she declined to reveal, to restore shine to the dolls’ lacklustre hair.
“The more damaged they are, the more I want to fix them up and give them new life,” she said.
“It makes me happy to dress them up and do a photo shoot with them in different costumes.”
Some of the dolls are not in collectible condition and are just for play.
There are others that come with disconnected heads and green spots on the body.
She usually takes a few days to restore a doll.
Her mother also makes outfits for them.
Peh was speaking to the TNP at the lensing ceremony to mark the beginning of the shoot of Channel 8 cop drama sequel C.L.I.F. 2.
The 20-episode drama is expected to air next February.
Peh reprises her role as policewoman Leow Xin Yi but this time, her character is transferred to the Serious Sexual Crime Branch.
There will be more action scenes and possibly more blood, said Peh.
Her character will also see a lot more personal development with a cop boyfriend – played by MediaCorp actor Qi Yuwu – and a younger sister, played by rookie Jayley Woo.