Taking flight abroad

SINGAPORE- They enjoyed a stable acting career in Singapore, but chose to seek ventures elsewhere in Asia.

Over the past year, MediaCorp actors such as Shaun Chen and rising star Andie Chen left in search of opportunities in Taiwan.

And they are not the first to do so.

Local "Ah Ge" (Mandarin for big brother) Christopher Lee took the lead when he signed with leading regional entertainment company Catwalk Production House in 2011 to expand his career beyond Singapore and Malaysia.

How have they fared so far? Here is our report card.

ANDIE CHEN

The local actor dropped not one, but two bombshells this week when he announced on Monday that he and Taiwan-born MediaCorp actress Kate Pang, 30, got married and are expecting a baby together after having dated secretly for more than a year.

The free-spirited 28-year-old is not in a rush to grab more roles and earn more money even though he will soon be a father. Pang is 10 weeks pregnant.

Chen moved to Taiwan in January and returned to Singapore for a period to play one of the leads in Channel 8 drama Disclosed.

He is now playing the lead role of a police investigator in Taiwanese drama Independent Hero.

It is currently airing its 114th episode in Taiwan and Chen started appearing in the show since episode 109.

He got the role after he was introduced to the show's producer, who watched his past reel clips.

The Star Search 2007 winner also had a bit role playing a chauffeur in Taiwanese idol drama True Love 365 and modelled for a Taiwanese commercial.

Hardly the ambitious type, Chen insisted: "I am not worried about having not enough money for my baby. I firmly believe that if I work hard and have a good heart, life will provide for itself."

THE SCHEDULE

He returns to Singapore monthly or bi-monthly, depending on his acting schedule.

THE AGENCY

Signed to MediaCorp in Singapore, Chen is still looking for a suitable agency in Taiwan. He said: "As I'm more carefree and my character is more quirky and weird, I'll take my time to find an agent who understands me..."

THE LOVE LIFE

Chen is a Singaporean based in Taiwan, while Pang is a Taiwanese based in Singapore. The couple therefore "complain" that they do not see each other often enough.

Chen said: "However, we are always in each other's lives and our Skype accounts are always turned on...

"We haven't decided where the baby is going to live yet, but Kate will deliver in Taiwan. I believe that a family should never be apart."

THE WORK ATTITUDE:

He is okay about getting cosy with female co-stars, but frowns on using it as a publicity stunt.

Chen said: "If there're scenes which require me to be more intimate with female co-stars, I'll probably need to pacify and apologise to my wife a lot."

THE CHALLENGES

Chen said: "Initially, I gave up a few good roles here and went to Taiwan with no promises. I really felt down and out at times, and wondered if I had done the right thing.

"I had many sleepless nights in wintry Taiwan and thought about giving up and going back to Singapore, but I know it's too early to return."

THE DEADLINE

Chen is not setting himself one and certainly would not be measuring his success against it. He said: "I go wherever there is a good script, be it in Singapore, Taiwan or other countries."

THE GRADE: B

Chen had been in Taiwan for only four months with no agent to help him get gigs, yet he managed to snag a major part in Independent Hero on his own.

But he should probably focus on tackling more idol dramas to cater to a wider demographic and gain a bigger fan base.

With his boyish good looks, initiative and convincing acting skills, Chen has a lot of potential to shine in a bigger market like Taiwan.

CHRISTOPHER LEE

The local star has got his hands full since he signed with Taiwan's top talent agency Catwalk Production House in 2011, shuttling between Singapore, China and Taiwan for his acting projects.

Having spent the past month in Singapore filming local movie Filial Party, the Malaysia-born, Singapore-based actor jets off again to China today to continue filming for Chinese television drama series The Condor Heroes (2014).

The show, which also stars Taiwanese actress Michelle Chen and Chinese rising star Chen Xiao, sees Lee playing the supporting role of highly skilled martial arts pugilist Huang Yaoshi.

For his latest local role as a good-for-nothing game show contestant in Filial Party, Lee piled on the pounds and weighs 80kg now.

He said: "This is the tough thing about being an actor. I need to be fat for one show and fit in another.

"This has got to my happiest role as I don't need to worry about my diet at all. Of course, (actress-wife) Fann (Wong) prefers it if I'm fitter and healthier."

Last year, the 42-year-old's stellar performance as the male lead in Taiwanese telemovie Forgotten earned him a Best Actor nomination at the Golden Bell Awards.

He lost the category to veteran Taiwanese actor Chan Chu Sheng.

Lee is currently on our small screens in the lead role opposite Taiwanese sexpot Tian Xin (above) in Taiwanese drama A Good Wife, which airs on E City (StarHub Channel 825) every Tuesday to Thursday at 10pm.

He has also been cast in a supporting role in upcoming war movie Wang Pai - starring Tony Leung Ka Fai and Lin Chi-ling - due next year.

THE SCHEDULE

Lee tries to be in Singapore at least once a month, even if he is filming overseas.

THE AGENCY

Signed to MediaCorp in Singapore as well as Catwalk Production House which manages him in both Singapore and the region.

THE LOVE LIFE

Married to MediaCorp actress and fellow Catwalk artist Fann Wong, 42, Lee makes it a point to chat with his wife of four years on FaceTime daily.

THE WORK ATTITUDE

Lee is willing to try anything, except when it comes to reuniting with Wong on screen since they have starred together eight times before.

He said: "I will only act together with Fann if we get a very strong script, I wouldn't do so just for the sake of it."

THE CHALLENGES

Even though Lee is working in a predominantly Asian culture, he said that it can still be difficult to adapt to other countries at times.

He said: "As I go to different countries to act, I need to understand their culture, the habits of the people there, the accents... and learn to assimilate quickly so that I can fit in."

THE DEADLINE

Lee also does not have one yet as he feels like he has not acted enough or challenged himself with enough different roles.

He said: "I have never emphasised winning awards as my ultimate goal. More importantly, I want to be part of a... memorable show which people will always remember me by."

THE GRADE: A

With his increasingly high-profile repertoire, it seems like Lee has made the right decision of stepping out of his comfort zone.

SHAUN CHEN

Although it has been a year since MediaCorp actor Shaun Chen left for Taiwan, the Malaysia-born Singapore PR has not got much to show for it yet The 35-year-old is currently filming the 70-episode Taiwanese drama Love Family, starring Taiwanese actors Chris Wang and Jack Lee, following his cameo appearance in the 72-episode Taiwanese idol drama Love, Now (right) last October.

In Love Family, which is airing in Taiwan now, Chen plays the supporting role of a lawyer who starts dating a woman after helping her settle her divorce.

Chen said: "Even though I've only filmed two shows and haven't got big results yet, I feel that the response from the Taiwanese audience has been great so far. They're slowly getting to know me... "

THE SCHEDULE

He flies back to Malaysia and Singapore once every two months to visit his family.

THE AGENCY

Chen signed with MediaCorp in Singapore and OUI-International in Taiwan.

THE LOVE LIFE

The bachelor is not actively seeking a partner as he is focused on his career.

THE WORK ATTITUDE

He said: "As long as the script's good and the role suits me, I'm willing to give it a try."

THE CHALLENGES

Starting from scratch and working alone in Taiwan has proved to be an uphill battle. He said: "Work-wise, the main challenge will be to get a good role and receive good reviews... "

THE DEADLINE

As his contract with OUI-International lasts four years, he is giving himself that amount of time to succeed in Taiwan. He said: "As long as I do my best and let my work show for itself, nothing is impossible. I also think luck is very important for me to survive here."

THE GRADE: C+

We would have expected more from Chen as he has been in Taiwan since late last year, but he has not made much of an impact and has received minimal media coverage.

Hopefully, his appearance in Love Family can boost his visibility.

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