RIZAL JOHAN catches up with the files of Irene Ng, better known as the lead actress in Disney Channel's The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo.

Fact file
Name: Irene Ng
Age: 30
Hometown: Penang
Education: Taman Sea Secondary School, Petaling Jaya; Harvard University, the United States
Occupation: Banker
Current base: New York City, New York
Years abroad: 16

PENANG-born Irene Ng had dreamt of becoming a lawyer as a young girl, and remembers asking her father when she was 10 years old, which was the best law school in the world.

"He thought for a bit and said, ‘I suppose it would have to be Harvard Law School.' The next day I told my elder sister, ‘I am going to study at Harvard,'" said Ng, who went on to do just that and, along the way, became a popular face on TV through the now defunct Disney Channel series, The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo (aired in the United States from 1996 to 1999).

By the time Ng got to Harvard, however, her initial enthusiasm for law had faded and she took up medicine instead.

"I did a double major in economics and pre-med," Ng, 30, explained in an e-mail interview.

Ng's family had migrated to America when she was 14, and settled in Pennsylvania. When she was 15, Ng entered a local beauty contest and was crowned Miss Metro Teen Pennsylvania.

Spreading her wings

This proved to be a turning point in her life, as Ng later struck a relationship with one of the beauty contest judges who encouraged her to try her hand in television. He later became her manager and good friend.

"My first acting job at 16, was a day time soap opera called All My Children on ABC network. It was actually filmed in New York City so I used to take a two-hour drive from Pennsylvania to New York City."

Ng had not planned on a career in television but when it was time for her to apply to Harvard, her mother, a nurse, advised her to widen her horizon.

"A friend told her that to get into Harvard, good grades or results were not enough since everyone else who applies has good results. You have to distinguish yourself in a particular field (be it in sports, music, or whatever). Since I was neither a world class athlete nor musician, and I had no idea getting a real acting job was supposed to be hard in the United States, I thought, ‘Maybe if I did well in this acting thing I can finally put down something special on my college application to Harvard!'"

Well, she got that "special" something in her Harvard application when she was cast as the lead character in The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo.

"When I was doing Shelby Woo and enrolled at Harvard full time that one semester, it was probably the hardest time I had in terms of juggling everything. But I never considered dropping either one, certainly not Harvard. I knew both experiences offered something valuable for me in life: Harvard offered world class education and acting was a job in the real world, a business with money and corporations involved."

Ng garnered a lot of attention during her tenure on Shelby Woo. She became the first Asian to grace the cover of TV Guide and went on to appear in the films, The Joy Luck Club and Sterling Chase as well as other TV series such as Law and Order and Teen Angel.

In the limelight

Being in the limelight did not disrupt Ng's studies at Harvard, however, she had a change of heart again after she graduated. Ng decided to pursue a career that had nothing to do with her academic qualifications: she became a banker.

"Life is busy but in a different way now. I'm a banker at Merrill Lynch and I love it. My day consists of watching the market (stock, bonds, currencies, commodities, etc.), then CNBC Asia at night," said Ng.

Now, if you're wondering who leads a life less ordinary then Ng would be the perfect example. Not bad for a girl from Penang who, when she was told that her family would be moving to the United States, was so apprehensive.

Her reason? "I was very anxious I was not going to fit in socially."

Ng currently lives in Manhattan, New York, just opposite Ground Zero and two blocks away from her office at the World Financial Center. She visits Malaysia a couple of times a year as she still has family here.

At the moment, Ng is enjoying her work as a banker and has not returned to acting although she does go for auditions. She would relish the opportunity of working with a big time Hollywood director.

"I still go to auditions in New York City; it's fun, it's always been a hobby and it has not changed. I have not done anything since working as a banker. I am very selective about the auditions I'd go for nowadays. Obviously, if Steven Spielberg wants me in one of his movies, I'd take a few weeks off but that's about it. I have responsibilities at my job that I cannot treat lightly," she stated.

"For those who want to go to Harvard, expand your horizons and become a well-rounded person. If you have a passion or hobby, develop it in addition to studying hard. Try to be the best you can be in that area. Take time to hone your leadership skills in school too.

"As for acting: make sure you're taking it up because acting is an art you should feel passionate about. It's not about the money or perceived glamour. For a full time actor, the sacrifices are too great."

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