For those who’ve watched local TV religiously in the past, Andie Chen’s probably a face you’re familiar with.
More recently, Chen, who was a full-time Mediacorp artiste from 2007 to 2017, moved to Taiwan after marrying fellow actress Kate Pang.
And it seems like almost three years after making the move to Taiwan, Chen’s ready to dive right back into showbiz.
Chen, 37, recently announced through his Instagram account that he had taken on his first role in a Taiwanese drama.
Apart from that, he also shared his experience with Shin Min Daily News.
Needs to Deal With Cursing and Sexy Scenes When Filming in Taiwan
When speaking to Shin Min, Chen pointed out that there was a noticeable difference in content that could be filmed in Taiwan as compared to Singapore.
In particular, he recalled how he had a scene with Peggy Tseng where she had to seduce him just a few days after filming started.
According to Chen, Tseng had to strip until only her ‘sexy inner beauty’ was left, but added that she did so in a professional manner.
Regarding that scene, Chen commented that Singapore dramas would never feature such sexy scenes.
Apart from that, Chen also revealed that his script for a scene included vulgarities, which proved to be a struggle for him to film at first.
The scene, which involved him scolding someone, took multiple takes as Chen was not used to cursing in scenes when filming in Singapore last time.
I mean, you probably don’t even need to watch local TV shows to know that cursing is not allowed.
Despite having to adapt to the change in filming culture, Chen said that he started to get the hang of cursing in the scene after two or three takes.
Taiwan Provides a Variety of Filming Experiences, Singapore Feels More ‘Homey’
Beyond having to adapt to the new filming culture, Chen also shared that the production of Taiwanese dramas is more diverse.
According to him, he has a different experience whenever he works with different production crews.
Additionally, Chen said he felt the need to prove himself again with regards to every aspect of his career and that it reminded him of when he first started as an actor.
With regards to that, Chen mentioned that it has been a long time since he felt challenged like that in his career.
Thereafter, Chen also talked about how unexpected circumstances do sometimes arise while filming in Taiwan.
Recently, he was involved in a scene where he needed to push someone down the stairs.
The script he was given only took up one-fifth of a page, prompting him to believe he would finish the scene in two hours or so.
However, once he reached the filming location, he saw a crane at the scene and was told that the person would be pushed down from the second floor.
In total, filming the scene took 12 hours instead of the two that Chen had assumed.
On the other hand, Chen commented that the ‘mode of operation’ for the filming of every drama in Singapore is around the same and that the actual act of filming scenes usually does not deviate much from his expectations.
Apart from that, he explained that filming in Singapore feels more homey and comfortable as he has acted in dramas for over 20 years.
Everyone working together knows each other as well, allowing for pleasant filming experiences.
Chen Feels Like a Newbie in Taiwanese Dramas, Initially Auditioned for a Smaller Role
As for how Chen feels about his debut in a Taiwanese drama, he said that he feels slightly nervous as a newbie since people in Taiwan do not know him.
He also revealed that he had initially auditioned for a smaller role in the drama but that the production crew enjoyed his audition.
In the end, he was offered the role of Xu Dongkai, the villain in Best Interest.
In response to the amount of faith placed in him, he said he was quite stressed when he first started filming as Xu Dongkai plays an important role in the drama.
However, he felt grateful towards the production crew for placing such faith in him and allowing him to secure an important role as a newbie in a new environment.
Chen’s character, Xu Dongkai, will be featured in seasons two and three of Best Interest.
Xu, the villain in the show, is a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who started manipulating his family’s business after returning from overseas.
In addition to being arrogant and cunning, he is also very ruthless.
Beyond his role as Xu, Chen mentioned that he is currently filming another Taiwanese drama.
As for his work in Singapore, he recently finished filming God Bless the Honest People, a new drama filmed in dialect.
When asked about his newest goals in showbiz, such as becoming a recipient of the coveted Golden Bell Awards, Chen answered by saying that receiving awards is something that he is unable to control.
He then shifted the focus to talk about how he is happy with his current achievements in the entertainment industry.
Additionally, he expressed his gratitude towards being able to film shows in both Singapore and Taiwan, which has allowed him to go through different experiences and take on different roles.