'I'm not satisfied with the status quo': Joshua Tan adds 'producer' to CV

He's happily married and pursuing his passion as an actor, but Joshua Tan isn't resting on his laurels.

In an interview with AsiaOne on Monday (June 5), Joshua laid out his latest endeavour for us to see — he's now producing shows.

"It seems to be a natural progression for actors worldwide… Tom Cruise included, and I can do worse than living up to Tom Cruise," the 32-year-old Ah Boys To Men actor joked.

Having been in this industry for 11 years, Joshua also explained that he's in a "privileged position" as an actor, and has seen many people "suffer to get to where they need to be".

"Having been in front of the camera, I think I have some knowhow as to how production works… Being a producer opens many doors for me, whether I can secure any deals is up to my ability — but at least the door is already open."

Joshua isn't alone on his journey, however, and has also brought along fellow Ah Boys actor Wang Weiliang, The Lion Men's Bunz Bao and singer Kenneth Shih into the fray. 

The four are at the helm of three companies as part of their venture: Hong Productions, Paperplane Productions and Seed Music.

Joshua is producing alongside Bunz, Kenneth is leading Seed Music while Weiliang is leading strategic business development. However, their roles are "dynamic" and they intend to cover for each other whenever someone is busy.

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Moreover, this isn't just a flash in the pan for them, as Joshua also expressed that he's already been interested in production for quite a while and has dabbled in it since 2019.

Reiterating that his new role is something "natural" for an actor, Joshua said: "The magic of putting something together, to see it from start — conceptualisation — to execution… these things excite me."

Joshua is also in the process of learning from 36-year-old Bunz, he revealed.

"He's been producing for seven years, and I've been dabbling here and there, but to be honest I don't have that much under my portfolio," Joshua admitted.

"I'm happy to say that I'm learning and I think there are worse people I can learn from.

"But also, why not? Why shouldn't I push myself out of my comfort zone, why should I remain comfortable where I am now?"

Referring to himself as a "go-getter", Joshua added that he's interested in the challenge of approaching this unfamiliar role, while still remaining within the familiar space of showbiz.

Shaking things up

But there's more at work behind the scenes than just Joshua's personality and passion — the four artistes are hoping to make a difference in showbiz as well.

Bunz, a showbiz veteran with almost two decades in the entertainment industry, explained that he hopes to bring producers into the limelight that would usually only shine on actors, directors or scriptwriters.

"Without a producer, there's no show," he succinctly stated.

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Drawing a comparison between Hollywood and Singapore, Bunz described the differences between producer roles in both industries.

According to him, producers in the US have the most say over what happens in a production and will decide what aspects they would like to invest in. From there, the producer then forms a team that would best achieve their vision.

However, in Singapore, producers are instead more like coordinators and are at the beck and call of whoever commissions the production, assisting in conceptualisation and the creation of the team.

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"For us, in a way, we'd like to move towards [the Hollywood side of production], because we want to be able to actually spot good projects, pull in investments… and showcase it to local or regional audiences," Bunz said.

Joshua chimed in: "'When in Rome, do as the Romans do' — unfortunately, I'm not satisfied with the status quo and I don't think we should be satisfied with how things are, because I think that's when things turn a bit stagnant.

"So it's important, once in a while, for people to come and shake things up, and as much as we can be comfortable and satisfied with the current system, I think there's always ways to improve."

As much as following the system may be inevitable, there's no harm in aspiring to be better, Joshua said, adding that we ought to "be the change that we want to see" in our various industries.

"Not to say that we — or our methods — are perfect, but surely with our perspective and our experiences, we might bring something to the table, and might improve the current situation."

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khooyihang@asiaone.com

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