Veteran Actor Li Nanxing Talks New Sci-Fi Series ‘The Leftovers’ and Reaching Younger Fans

Singaporean actor Li Nanxing addresses aging fandom and aims to capture younger television viewers with the dystopian Mediacorp sci-fi thriller The Leftovers, which premieres its first season on November 9, across mewatch Prime and Netflix, as reported by The Straits Times.

The Bottom Line

• Li Nanxing stars as scientist Xiao Wenze in the three-part apocalyptic drama, which switches timelines between 2017 and 2037 on the fictional Equaland island.
• The series marks a regional push for the veteran actor, pairing him with younger co-stars like Zhang Zetong and Cheryl Chou to appeal beyond his traditional audience base.
• Production involved a grueling six-month shoot across 2025 in Singapore and Malaysia, utilizing virtual production sets and extensive makeup transformations.

Aging Fandoms Meet Dystopian Sci-Fi Ambitions

At 61 years old, veteran local actor Li Nanxing is candid about the natural progression of his audience. During a media preview for Channel 8’s upcoming drama The Leftovers, the actor joked that many of his longtime supporters are now grandmothers, with some fans reaching into their seventies and eighties. Having spent over four decades in the Singaporean entertainment industry, the star acknowledged that his established reputation alone cannot automatically secure a fresh generation of viewers. Facing a landscape where younger audiences view him as unfamiliar territory, Li positioned the ambitious dystopian thriller as a vehicle to bridge that demographic gap.

The three-part apocalyptic series kicks off its first season rollout on November 9, via mewatch Prime and Netflix. Subsequent television broadcasts begin on November 16, airing every weekday at 9 PM on Channel 8 and mewatch, while seasons two and three are slated for release in 2027. Each season consists of eight episodes. The sprawling ensemble cast features Jesseca Liu, Zhang Zetong, Cheryl Chou, Desmond Tan, Jeremy Chan, James Seah, Bryan Wong, Chen Liping, and Zoe Tay.

Navigating Virtual Production and Hair Loss Realities

Li portrays Xiao Wenze, a gifted scientist whose initial ambition to develop artificial wombs and organs spirals into an obsessive pursuit. The narrative plays out across timelines in 2017 and 2037, set against an environmental catastrophe triggered by a volcanic eruption on the fictional island of Equaland, where rampant organ failure drives desperate residents into the sights of organ traffickers. The fictional disaster drew an unexpected parallel to Li’s own past; he recalled a 1980s Indonesian volcanic eruption that sent ash drifting to Singapore to coat his car and killed the fish in his home pond when he was in his twenties.

Filming across six months in 2025—including location shoots in Malaysia—demanded grueling 13-to-15-hour workdays. Because all three seasons were shot simultaneously and out of chronological order, Li frequently jumped between playing the younger and older iterations of Wenze. Preparations required bleaching his hair to make grey styling easier, a process that caused him to lose significant hair under daily two-hour grooming sessions. Memorizing dense medical terminology for his scientist role proved equally taxing, though working on virtual production sets—which replaced traditional green screens with complex digital environments—revived his professional curiosity.

International Reach and Co-Star Dynamics

Co-star Jesseca Liu views the broader distribution platform as a crucial advantage for regional discovery. The 47-year-old actress, who portrays Wenze’s former assistant Lin Aiqin, noted that international viewers may lack preconceived notions regarding Singaporean production values, potentially turning the series into a welcome surprise. Liu initially hesitated to take on another suffering mother role following her role in Mediacorp’s Emerald Hill – The Little Nyonya Story (2025), for which she won the Best Actress award at the 2026 Star Awards. However, executive producer discussions convinced her to pursue Aiqin’s selfless, vulnerable dynamic.

The project reunites Liu and Li on screen for the second time, having previously appeared in the 2006 family drama Through It All. Liu described her character’s deep reverence for Wenze as a reflection of her genuine admiration for Li himself, whom she regards as a mentor. Reflecting on his own career trajectory, Li compares his current physical stamina to a high-mileage vehicle that requires regular maintenance and a slower pace. Yet, as The Leftovers prepares for its multi-platform launch, the veteran actor maintains that his enduring passion remains the primary engine driving his continued work.

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