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Andie Chen Says He “Looked Really Cocky” During His Star Search Days

Maybe all that confidence was why he won Star Search in 2007.

Maybe all that confidence was why he won Star Search in 2007.

Maybe all that confidence was why he won Star Search in 2007.

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When you swim with guppies, you only swim as fast as a guppy. But when you swim with sharks, you’ll start to swim as fast as them,” says Star Search 2007 champ Andie Chen matter-of-factly as he recounts to 8days.sg his days as a talent contest hopeful.

What the 33-year-old is trying to say with his guppy-shark reference is how joining (and subsequently winning) the talent competition, which is making its comeback this year, helped him become a better actor, a job that he tells us that he’s wanted since he was 11. It’s been my passion since I was young and if I can, I want to commit my life to acting, he muses.

1 of 14 So much passion

But it wasn’t all fun and games during his time on the show. Quite the opposite actually. “It was literally blood, sweat and tears,” Andie. “In the middle of the competition, I had an operation on my leg, went for training two days later, and then was up on stage four days later. It was tough but we all managed to survive, and that’s why I’m very proud to be a part of this whole legacy. There’s something about Star Search that sets it apart from other competitions. I feel that Star Search is solely Singaporean, and everyone watched it when they were young. To be a part of that history is very humbling.”

  • 2 of 14 Star Search 2007 contestants

    But unlike introverted 2001 Star Search alum Zhang Yaodong, who told us recently that he’s not in contact with his batchmates, Andie’s more of a social butterfly. The star, who is currently producing and also working on a few acting projects , says he still keeps in touch with his fellow Star Search 2007 contestants, Desmond Tan and Ya Hui, as well as his Star Search mentor, Zheng Geping.

  • 3 of 14 Andie and Geping working on Ch 8’s upcoming drama, The Good Fight

    While he’s now starring in Geping’s directorial project The Good Fight, he reveals that he has never been in the same drama as Desmond and Ya Hui. We have a suggestion though: Maybe they can be mentors to 2019’s batch of Star Search hopefuls? Now wouldn’t that be something?

  • 4 of 14 Andie and Yahui in a #throwback pic

     

  • 5 of 14 Intense, much?

    8 DAYS: We think it's an understatement to say that joining Star Search has changed your life. Would you agree?
    ANDIE CHEN: Yeah... It has given me a stable income. (Laughs) Ever since the competition, I’ve been given lots of opportunities that have helped me hone my craft and grow as a person. The producers got to know me, and started offering me roles, which I really appreciate. It’s a far cry from the past where I spent a lot of time trying to make a living and accepting any jobs that came my way. I acted as an extra in the background, a host… Whatever I could get my hands on lah.

     

  • 6 of 14 Working it for the cam

    Were your parents supportive of your decision to take part in the competition?
    My parents were aware that I’ve been trying to get into showbiz since I was 11, and my dad’s always trying to get me to join every single talent competition like Project Superstar, Singapore Idol… You name it. But I didn’t audition for a lot of them because I felt like I wasn't much of a singer or a host. (Laughs) But when Star Search came along in 2007, I was just fresh out of NS and I felt it was the right time to seize the opportunity.

  • 7 of 14 Andie received his trophy from late president S. R. Nathan

    You weren't tipped to win the competition — if memory serves us right, Desmond Tan was the hot fave. So what do you think the judges saw in you to anoint you champion?
    I think it’s because I was committed and had more experience than the rest of them. Luck plays a part as well, but I think it’s mostly because I’ve been doing this for a much longer time than the others on stage. I came up with a “performance structure” instead of just singing and dancing. The showmanship comes from experience lah, you will know what to do if you’ve been doing it for a long time. And I’ve always had a very strong desire to show the best I can offer, and not be one of those idiots that just say “I want to be an actor”. (Laughs) And I’m glad that I still have that in me today.

  • 8 of 14 No sweat

    In what way did your experience give you an edge?
    When we were on stage, some of the contestants were so nervous they started shivering. But for me, because I’ve been doing this since I was really young, I wasn’t crippled with fear on stage. Yes, I was excited, but I was calm and ready.

  • 9 of 14 According to Andie, he and Pat Mok were "improvising"

    You mentioned earlier that the competition was really tough. What did you do to prepare yourself for it?
    I read books, stage plays, brushed up on my Mandarin and tried to groom myself with the limited resources I had. (Laughs) It was hard, but I cherish those times lah. (Laughs) Before that, I was also in the Music and Drama Company in NS so I had experience [on performing in front of an audience] by the time I left the army.
     

  • 10 of 14 Mr Versatile

    They had flashed clips of you during Star Search at this year's Star Awards, where it was announced that the competition was returning. What was running through your head when you saw your younger self on screen?
    (Laughs) I was like, who’s this arrogant bastard! (Laughs) I think I looked really cocky on screen back then! (Laughs) I was 22, and I had been trying to be an actor since I was 11 leh! So I felt like, yes, I deserved to be here! I had been working my ass off! (Laughs) But on hindsight, I should've been more humble. (Laughs) Aiyah, I was young and full of myself! (Laughs)

  • 11 of 14 Star Search 2007 finalists

    Were you close to the other contestants during the competition?
    Very! Super close! (Laughs) I think every season of Star Search has a different team dynamic. It was a whole six months of competition. We were really close, spent all our training time together, and it didn't get any better than that. In fact, I’m really proud to be considered an alum, because we all literally shed blood, sweat and tears together over this competition.

    What advice do you have for future Star Search contestants?
    Cherish this feeling of passion that you have, and go all out to chase it. Star Search is a great platform to showcase your talents, and if you deserve to be with [an actor], it will happen. Also, the Singapore market is easier to break into compared to China. I would tell all aspiring youngsters to be on screen as much as possible. You can do stuff like YouTube, perform for friends… Anything. You just need to put yourself in a surrounding where you are performing in order to harden yourself up.

  • 12 of 14 Super focused

    What we remember most about the finals was that you were so immersed in your role, you had snot coming out of your nose during a crying scene.
    Actually, I didn’t realise I had snot dripping from my nose until I saw the playback. Honestly I felt like it was pretty bad acting! But I was committed. (Laughs) When I had to act angry, I was really trying to be angry. (Laughs) I’m just glad that the judges were able to see past my disgusting snot. ((Laughs) ​​​​​​​

    Is there anything different you would do if you were to compete again?
    I don't think I have the stamina to do it all over again. (Laughs) But I think I would be more aware of the people helping me. I was very single-minded back then, but now I will take a step back to appreciate my mentors as they were very patient and helpful. I would give them more recognition and be more thankful and grateful.

  • 13 of 14 The Chen family

    How do you think life would be if you hadn't joined the competition?
    I have no idea! (Laughs) I might not even be living in Singapore. I’ll probably be in China or Taiwan. If I didn’t join showbiz, I also wouldn’t have met my wife, so I don’t know how this chapter would be like. (Laughs)

  • 14 of 14 Fight hard

     

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