Kissing on the small screen is no big deal for MediaCorp Ah Jie (big sister in Mandarin) Zoe Tay.

But it's a different proposition when it comes to the big screen.

Tay was a "jumble of nerves" when she learnt that she would have to kiss Irish actor Aiden Gillen for her new arthouse drama, Mister John.

Unlike her former local co-stars, Tay did not know and had never spoken to Gillen before filming began here last Monday.

Principal photography for the film is being done in Singapore over three weeks, moving on to London after that.

Tay also revealed that this is the first time she is starring opposite a Caucasian actor and that she had never kissed one before.

Adding to the pressure is the fact that this is her first full-length English language movie.

The 44-year-old actress voiced some of these concerns to British husband-and-wife indie directorial team Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor, who are helming Mister John.

Tay told The New Paper in Mandarin-accented English during her filming break: "They told me not to worry about it.

"They said it was their job to get the scene just right, and that they would help me along every step of the way.

"I'm still very curious about how the scene will play out because the directors won't tell me any more."

Audition

Tay first received an invitation to audition from Akanga Films, the home-grown studio co-producing Mister John, in late October last year.

Seven other actresses auditioned but Tay got the part. Tay said that after being offered the role, she debated whether or not to accept it.

She recalled with a laugh: "Philip (Chionh, her husband) kept encouraging me to do so if I felt an inclination.

"The role seemed like a refreshing and challenging change, so I went for it.

"When I told Philip about the kissing scene, he asked me why and I replied, 'You told me to take up this role!'"

Nevertheless, she revealed that Mr Chionh remains very supportive of her decision and has been helping her rehearse her scenes, practise her lines and perfect her English pronunciation when they're home at night.

Tay added: "He'll ask me why I take so long just to film a couple of scenes, and I say there's a lot of preparation.

"I retorted that as a pilot, he always spends the whole day preparing just to fly for a short while.

"He can't give me a good comeback to that!"

In Mister John, Tay plays Kim, who has recently lost her husband John, while Gillen plays John's brother Gerry.

Gerry has arrived from overseas to help resolve John's financial liabilities and at the same time, investigate what he sees as suspicious circumstances surrounding John's death.

With Gerry experiencing marital problems of his own, he and Kim find themselves inexorably drawn towards each other emotionally and physically.

Tay revealed that she and Gillen, 43, were kept apart by the directors, even off the set. She explained: "They wanted it that way because the first meeting between Aiden and me would seem more natural.

"I agreed and therefore tried not to hang out with Aiden, because that would hinder my current strategy of having little or no impression of him as a person.

"It really worked. The feeling of awkwardness was very real and very present. Being natural in a scene is very important to me as an actress."

She added: "Aiden's very quiet! Some of the crew told me he's very shy.

"I've worked with many international co-stars (most recently with Hong Kong actor Kenny Ho in Love Cuts) and they're all livelier than Aiden.

"It's not that he's not approachable, but he's just very quiet. Off the set, he's always sitting alone by himself or walking around."

Tay admitted that Gillen's reserved and introverted demeanour held a certain attraction for her.

"I like quiet men. They attract me a lot.

"I like men who speak sensibly, like Philip, with the kind of low-pitched voice who will make people sit up and listen when they speak.

"Aiden's voice is low but has a more husky quality than my husband's."

Tay said that she put in considerable effort as it was necessitated by the complexity of her character.

"Kim is very depressed by the recent death of her husband John.

"She's extremely emotional and upset on the inside, but also has to present a stoic strength on the outside at the same time for the sake of her children.

"As a very traditional Chinese woman, Kim believes that when a person dies with unfinished business, their spirit is bound on earth.

"She finds herself wondering if John has come back to her in the form of Gerry."

Forbidden love

Tay explained: "When two lonely people find solace in each other, they tend not to be conscious enough about what ought to be appropriate physical boundaries.

"Kim just needs someone to be with her and comfort her, and Gerry is a very convenient person to do that.

"The film is not so much about forbidden love as it is about two lonely people needing each other."

Director of Akanga Films Fran Borgia said Mister John's budget is close to $1 million.

Ninety-five per cent of the scenes will be shot in Singapore, and the Media Development Authority (MDA) is financing the cost of 40 per cent of the local shoots. The remainder is funded by the British Film Institute and the Irish Film Board.

Mister John is the first film to benefit from MDA's revised Production Assistance scheme which was launched last October.

This article was first published in The New Paper.