Veteran actor Richard Low shares tips for making a 40-year marriage last
The Singapore actor recounted wanting to surprise his wife with a trip to Japan to see cherry blossoms, but that was ultimately scuppered because of COVID-19.
Veteran actor Richard Low may have played many villains in his decades-long career in showbiz, but he’s actually a softie at heart and has quite a few tips for those hoping for long-lasting marriages.
On the latest episode of Mediacorp’s Just Swipe Lah, published Thursday (17 Aug), the 71-year-old recounted how he tried to organise a surprise trip to Japan so his wife could see the cherry blossoms.
He told host Jernelle Oh, “I once saw my wife wrote on Instagram that she wanted to walk with cherry blossom petals falling on both sides, so I went and arranged for us to go to Japan to see the cherry blossoms.
“During the season, it blooms on different dates in different places so I made arrangements to see it at three locations.”
According to Low, the private tour was organised by a company opened in Singapore by a Japanese. The contact was introduced to Low by a friend.
The tour would also include two visits to the hot springs, with “good food for three meals” and the rest of the itinerary would be determined by company.
However, the surprise was ruined by the COVID-19 pandemic, said Low.
“I don’t know when I can arrange it again,” he lamented.
He added, “I’m thinking of arranging it for next year. I actually didn’t want to let my wife know. I wanted to arrange everything and just take her there. But in the end, it wasn’t possible as the passports, and other things, have to be processed.”
Low reckoned that it’s a good thing too as the couple can decide on the itinerary together.
“I think I owe my wife too much,” he confessed.
When asked by Oh why he would say that, he replied, “When I was younger, I worked two jobs at a time. In addition to the jobs, I had to socialise. The time spent outside was much more than the time spent at home. All the trivial things at home had to be taken care of by my wife.”
4 cards in a day
Low admitted that he had not thanked her for the sacrifice but recounted a touching incident where his wife called him out for not sending her cards like he used to when they were dating.
In the end, he sent her a total of four cards in one day.
He explained with a smile, “That day happened to be the 15th day of the first lunar month, which was also the Chinese Valentine’s Day. And it was also our wedding anniversary, plus her birthday, plus the Western Valentine’s Day.
“[It was] a total of four occasions in one day. So I showed my appreciation and she was really a bit touched. That’s how our marriage can last till now. We married in 1982, it’s been more than 40 years.”
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