SINGAPORE — As if we needed any further proof that Aaron Aziz has arrived, the regional star is the focus of an episode in the E! News Asia Specials featuring the lives and careers of Asian celebrities.

Aaron himself, though, seems less than aware of his own superstar status. “I was taken aback,” he told TODAY over the phone from Kuala Lumpur. “I was just like, ‘Why me, of all people?’ Because I’ve always watched the True Hollywood stories,” he said. “It was pretty exciting because I’ve always wanted to know what it felt like to be featured in a programme that’s of international standards.”

That seems pretty typical of him — the Singapore-born 37-year-old, who lives with his wife and three children in Malaysia, has never been the showy type. Instead, the actor of humble beginnings is more known for his steady hard work.

Is that the secret to his success, we wonder?

“I really don’t have a formula. I don’t have a secret,” Aaron said. “But all I can say is that my initial intention when I entered this line was definitely not to find fame or popularity. I think the younger generation enters the industry with the wrong intentions. So they tackle it differently; they have different obligations and different prerogatives … People who enter the industry for the wrong reasons — I don’t think they can sustain that long in the market.

“But for me, it was basically to learn, to be a better actor, and definitely just to support my family and to give them a better life than I had; a better childhood for my kids. And the fame and the fortune weren’t on my list. If it comes, it comes as a bonus. But it was nothing that I chased, nor did I deliberately do things so that my name would be highlighted — uncalled-for exposure or publicity. I think that is the reason why I’m so-called rewarded, lah.”

The renowned family man, who is currently working on a 13-episode drama for RTM as well as the movie adaptation of Adam And Hawa, the television series in which he also starred, added that an open attitude helped, too.

“I think me not hiding who I am or what I am is the key to people really accepting me,” he said. “The fans that I have here, they are so supportive and they are more like confidantes. They really give me a purpose to go on: If I’m having a bad day, just to entertain these people. I just feel it’s something I have to repay society with sincerity. Being sincere in doing what I do — I think that’s the key to being successful.”

Although he’s made a name for himself with acting roles in films like KL Gangster and Ombak Rindu, Aaron, who has experience in producing and directing, said he was giving himself “another four to five years” before he goes “behind the camera”. “It’s not going to last forever,” he said. “I started in Malaysia in 2006 and for the past seven years it was a nice journey. I don’t want it to end, but if it does end, (I won’t quit) the industry totally … I just feel that I can do more and there’s more for me to learn and more for me to do. There are a lot of things that I have not explored yet, and so many ways that I can give back to society.”

Catch the E! News Asia Special on Aaron Aziz on July 7 at 7.30pm on E! Entertainment (StarHub TV Ch 441).