Meet Ferlyn G, dancer, singer, and actor, most recognised for her roles in Mandarin drama serials like “I Do, Do I?” and the epic period series “Emerald Hill”. But she would just as well like to be known as a golf enthusiast. She has, after all, become a familiar face on the fairways, and is a self-confessed golf fanatic.

During our conversation, the keen golfer left the room midway and returned with a new 56-degree wedge she received as a gift. Her passion for the game is palpable as she talks animatedly about the latest addition to her set of TaylorMade clubs in a neon yellow golf bag. Her foray into K-pop, and soul-searching acting roles notwithstanding, golf has certainly piqued this talented millennial’s interest.

Lights, Camera, Action

Ferlyn Gilleen Wong, better known in the entertainment world as Ferlyn G, has always been drawn to performance and artistic expression. Her journey in entertainment began in dance, where she used to perform as a backup dancer for Mandopop stars like JJ Lin, Rainie Yang and Wang Lee Hom. She successfully auditioned for a spot in the K-pop girl group ‘Skarf’ when she was just 17 and debuted with the group two years later in 2012, right at the height of the Korean pop craze.

Although things didn’t quite work out in Korea, Ferlyn remained dedicated to her craft and in 2015, explored a solo career in music. She shared,
“I love music and performing and I love singing on stage, so I started to write my own songs, working with people that I knew.” But overwhelmed by circumstances and the changes in her young adult life, Ferlyn faced mental health struggles along the way saying, “I was going through a lot then. Anxiety kicked in, depression kicked in and then I was unsure if I wanted to do this anymore.

 “In Korea, I had a full support system and everything was spoon fed to me. But when I came back to Singapore, I had to do everything on my own and I didn’t have anyone to guide me. That’s when I slowly started spiralling.”

An opportunity came knocking and she decided to audition for a role in the Mandarin romantic comedy ‘When Ghost Meets Zombie’. “People knew me as a member of Skarf (sigh), but at that point, I didn’t even know what I wanted to do in life, so I said, ‘Just try’. It was a public audition, so it was nerve-racking as I wanted to prove my worth.”

Ferlyn successfully scored a lead role in the movie and officially debuted as an actor in 2019. In a beautiful celebration of her multiple talents, Ferlyn also sang in two of the songs on the movie’s soundtrack.

Just when her acting career started to kick off, the Covid-19 pandemic hit. The talented artiste laughs as she recounted the incredulous starts and stops in her career path. That’s when she seriously reconsidered her career path in the entertainment industry.

But it is at this very pause that Ferlyn experienced the game of golf for the first time.

Love at First Swing

“I was dating a golfer at the time, and he asked if I wanted to take up golf,” Ferlyn took up the challenge saying, ‘I’ll just try, lah’. I was willing to give anything a try, even things that I was not comfortable with.”

She hit shots at a golf simulator and was instantly hooked. “I tried it and loved it! I decided to take it seriously and signed up for lessons,” she shared. “We ended the relationship, but my relationship with golf continues to get stronger with each game.”

The 25-handicapper is humble about her golf ability saying, “With golf, there are a lot of times when you question yourself. One day you feel like, ‘Hey, I’m getting better’ and then the next game you go ‘Sigh (frustrated), what am I doing?’. Golf trains me to be patient with myself and to just let go. You know, not to be too intense.”

When asked, the golfer shared about some of her recent golfing achievements with endearing enthusiasm. She carded her first birdie ever this year and won a nearest-the-pin novelty prize at a recent golf tournament.

“I’m usually very hard on myself and have high expectations for myself. When I do something wrong, I’ll beat myself down. I’m not a good golfer and I only break 100 once in a while. Golf reminds me to just do my best and I’ve learned to better handle pressure. If you make one mistake, its ok, you still have 17 holes to prove yourself and to do it. All you need is one (good) shot,” shared the actor who plays up to twice a week. “Emerald Hill was my one shot (she laughs). I got the role that I wanted.” The star-studded period drama series is arguably Ferlyn’s most notable role to date, with more people recognising her, even on the golf course.

With her formative adult years spent largely within the bubble of the entertainment industry, the self-confessed ‘super introvert’ appreciates the varied social connections made on the golf course saying, “In golf, I meet new people, clients, people from other industries like construction or F&B. I’ve been in the entertainment circle my whole (adult) life, and there are so many things that I don’t know about life. I enjoy listening to their stories and experiences. It helps me to bring depth to the characters that I play as
an actress.”

Though dancers and actors have heightened kinesthetic intelligence (an enhanced awareness and control over their bodies), Ferlyn shared that it’s a two-edged sword, saying, “I may pick up skills fast but it’s also bad because I try to make too many changes before I even master the previous golf tip. I can get very tense. Before I swing, my mind is already racing through a hundred swing thoughts,” she laughs. “Now it’s all about muscle memory. I’m starting to trust myself a bit more. If I duff shots, then I’ll just go back to the range to hit shots and try to find a comfortable swing,” she said.

Live Your Dreams

With a growing portfolio of acting roles in film and television and nominations at the 2025 Star Awards, Ferlyn reflected on her career journey saying, “I love dancing and singing and chose those careers early on, but I never imagined myself to be an actress. It was the people around me who supported me and encouraged me along the way. They said that I have what it takes and that I know what I’m doing.”

The singer-turned-actor shared, “When I was younger, I just wanted to have fun on stage, and to just enjoy the experience. Acting makes me sit down, think and feel more deeply. I’m more willing to step out of my comfort zone and experience different things. Whenever a new acting project comes along, it’s for a different role. I feel a great sense of achievement after a show has aired. The feeling of accomplishment is far greater than when I perform a song or dance on stage.”

Several acting roles have uncannily tipped the hat to her humble beginnings in K-pop, with Mandarin drama productions like “Live Your Dreams”, a story about the formation a girl music group, and “I Do, Do I”, a series of stories about interracial couples where Ferlyn plays a Korean woman married into a Singaporean family. Though most of her acting roles are in Mandarin, Ferlyn was able to showcase her fluency in Korean in the latter drama series. This year, aside from Emerald Hill, Ferlyn has also acted in a local fantasy drama “The Spirit Hunter”, her first foray into stunts and fight scenes.

Beyond acting, Ferlyn’s work also extends to engagements and campaigns with well-known lifestyle and golf brands like Longchamp, La Mer, adidas Golf and Tag Heuer, including marquee golf events like HSBC Women’s World Championship, and LIV Golf Singapore.

Silent Walls

From the outside, her celebrity life seems perfect, with abounding beauty and talent, and a career that is going places. Yet, Ferlyn holds a deep appreciation for the mental health challenges she has had to overcome to get here. Things were not always perfect.

Upon returning to Singapore after her stint in Korea, Ferlyn reportedly said that she didn’t feel comfortable leaving the house for almost two years. She felt afraid and unsure of how to talk to others about her unrealised dreams in the K-pop scene. Today that mindset has changed.

“A lot of people may see me as a failure, you know? People think that going to Korea and then coming back (after Skarf disbanded) is a failure. To me, it’s not true, because I was living out my life. Perhaps others might say ‘Hey, if she can go through so much and is still living her life now, with small achievements here and there, then maybe I shouldn’t give up too’,” she reflected.

“I want to live a life that can impact others in a positive way. I used to be in a very negative space where, you know, I spiral and the depression hits. It’s always going to be with me. I am proud of it because I was there, and I learned how to cope.”

It takes courage to share your vulnerabilities, particularly when you’re in the spotlight. In 2022, she shared an Instagram video in collaboration with the mental health stigma campaign “Beyond The Label”, where she talked about the importance of seeking help and therapy. It was the first time she had talked publicly about her own mental health challenges.

Beyond therapy, golf helped. 

“I am a homebody, I don’t leave my house when I’m not working. Golf gives me the best reason to leave my house and to take in some sun. I take things easier now, I don’t give up so easily. I don’t take everything to heart. I used to be easily triggered, with frequent anxiety attacks when things don’t go my way. With golf, the sport really humbles me. I learn not to be too hard on myself.”

Ferlyn’s journey is a reminder that success isn’t defined by public opinion or through achievements. Rather, it’s about personal resilience and courage to venture outside of your comfort zone and to pursue your dreams. With each swing, golf reminds Ferlyn G to be kind to herself, reinforcing the very message of perseverance and self-acceptance that she hopes to share with the world.