Actor REMUS KAM. Think ASIAN and the WORLD can be a BETTER PLACE.

Actor REMUS KAM is one interesting fella.

He is an ACTOR, setting his sights on the big time.

He has guts.

He’s candid, expressive, speaks his mind.

He digs creative freedom without sanctions.

Honesty is the best policy, but honesty does not bag you many friends.

Actors always love compliments, irrespective of how superficially crappy these are,

and nobody likes to be placed on a hot plate of criticism.

“I dare dream,” REMUS says, “but I have to be practical.”

Yet he perseveres, nonplussed.

He’s a Malaysian bred actor starting out a little over twelve years ago when he was just 21.

He is 33 now, looking not a day over 28.

“Think positive and the world can be your oyster, only if you are mentally and physically prepared

You make sacrifices

and along the way you’ll experience the usual thrills and spins,

And unless you try …..

you’ll never really know.”

He has this “wander lust” in him,

As an ACTOR he’s seen and been places, worked in Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China and Singapore.

TAIWAN is where he is based now.

And he has his fair share of this thing called fame and the problems that come with it,

plus the occasional bad press.

Such as this time in SINGAPORE before the Chinese New Year 2010, shooting a 20 episode drama series HAPPY FAMILY.

He commented something in jest about kissing his leading lady (known for her icy demeanor) and was misquoted, slammed left and right and made to look like a silly Billy.

REMUS took it in one professional stride, casting pretension aside.

“No problem,” he enthuses. “If the reporters wanna get this one out of context, so be it. You can’t please everyone.”

This is the name of the game called occupational hazard.

He chose the industry to be in and he abides by the rules.

He’s exuberant that his role in HAPPY FAMILY charmed one and all as he exuded charismatic screen presence.

His first foray into the acting industry was in MALAYSIA with the then established Cantonese drama factory called HVD. That year was 1997.

When HVD plunged into economic doldrums and all were not well, he quited three years upon fulfilling his contractual obligations and repositioned himself in Hong Kong. There he joined ATV and starred in a slew of dramas and features.

In 2007, he headed for TAIWAN where he is currently based.

In the last few years, kept himself busy with back-to-back Taiwanese soaps.

He enjoys TAIWAN where he plans to invest in a production company and make TAIPEI his home.

“I am happy and comfortable here,” he quips.

REMUS says the SINGAPORE market is too small.

He will do the occasional drama, but he has no intentions of putting SINGAPORE into his long term plans.

Opportunities are few and far between, he feels.

He is a tad disappointed with the MALAYSIAN entertainment scene though.

It may be true that MALAYSIAN singers such as GARY CAO GE and MICHAEL WONG are raking in the million of dollars through their albums and sell out concerts and are household names in most parts of ASIA.

Not so, the Malaysian actors.

Creatively, there are little or no changes in the MALAYSIAN CHINESE entertainment scene, even after the ten long years since he left.

He observes that it’s still the same deluge of mundane old scripts and shoot techniques.

Worse, there are hardly any viable opportunities for actors, as most, if not all, are working on a freelance basis.

Production budgets are low as you can go and the pay is pure peanuts.

The pastures are always greener away from home where you garner better respect and money.

REMUS KAM has this advice for fellow artistes:

Think ASIAN and the WORLD can be a BETTER PLACE.

You must have the determination to plan and venture.

He reiterates:

And unless you try, you’d never know.

LIFE HAS MANY EXPRESSIONS.

So play the cards you’re dealt -

Strive hard, work smart.

He sustains his unwavering belief in the power of faith.

You just have to move forward.

Yesterday is a closed chapter.

GO, REMUS, GO!