Christopher Lee said he dotes on his son Zed, but can be a strict dad when necessary. Photo: Fann Wong/Instagram
Malaysian-born actor Christopher Lee once spent more than NT$20,000 (RM2,700) on a bionic pet cat for his 10-year-old son Zed, but the toy ended up being a white elephant.
The 53-year-old, who is married to Singaporean actress Fann Wong, said in a recent media interview in Taipei that he dotes on the boy, but can be a strict dad when necessary.
He was promoting the Taiwanese science-fiction drama Q18 Quantum Dice: Allegory Of The Quantum, in which he plays a quantum physicist. It also stars Taiwanese actors Tien Hsin, Aaron Yan and Shih Chih-tian.
“I am not the type of father who will give him whatever he wants,” Lee said. “I will buy things for him most of the time, unless they are of little use or too expensive.”
But two to three years ago, Lee purchased a bionic cat for Zed. Lee said his son loves animals and nature, but he felt Zed was then too young to rear a pet.
“However, the cat just lay on the floor every day, and I asked my son if he had taken good care of it,” the Singapore-based actor said. “One has to teach and interact with the bionic cat like a real one so that it will grow and develop.”
The three-time Golden Bell winner said that he once hit the bionic cat to test its reaction and the robot meowed at him.
However, he eventually felt the product was a failure and has since not bought similar toys for Zed.
“My son once asked if he could keep a dog and I said no,” Lee said. “I told him we would buy one when he knows how to take care of it, or the job will fall to us (myself and Fann).”
The actor, who said he does not know where the bionic cat is now, recently permitted his son to rear fish, as Zed needs only to feed them.
Lee also described how father and son communicate with each other, and recalled an incident when Zed was three years old.
The toddler had been throwing a tantrum at the time, and Lee stayed with him in a small room for 10 minutes until the boy calmed down.
“He did not throw a tantrum again after that,” the actor said. “I just tell him to go to a small room if he is about to do so and he will behave immediately.” – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
