THOMAS PRICE 白梓軒 Hong Kong Actor. He’s BUSY, HAPPY and CHATTY.

“It’s officially TOM PRICE from now on.”

“HEALTH IS THE GREATEST GIFT.”

“I USUALLY DON’T GIVE UP TRYING TO DO WHAT I REALLY WANT TO DO.”

“LOVE YOURSELF. RESPECT YOURSELF.”

“STANDING TALL with my screen idol ANTHONY WONG.”

TOM PRICE (白梓軒)

a.k.a THOMAS PRICE.

(A SPECIAL PICTORIAL SPREAD)

“Please address me as TOM PRICE now,” the ACTOR says with a disarming determination. “It is short, sincere and personable.”

Yeah, sure.

TOM knows what he wants and has demonstrated what instant stardom is all about.

He’s the newest Asian icon who has successfully made inroads into the regional teen and gay populace at a relatively short notice.

He is immensely popular in THAILAND where has a colossal following, and the teens there are enamored by his intense, yet vulnerable screen image.

THAILAND is a captive market, with a growing population of 67 million people, mind you.

His fans have affectionately compared him with another THAI pretty boy superstar called MARIO MAURER.

TOM PRICE’s name is up high in the bright lines and has peaked as a result of the social media boom, especially in Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and the neighboring region.

He has a lot to smile about these days and is beaming way over the moon.

Thankfully, he has this positive motto:

Nothing is improbable, impossible or can’t happen.

He almost turned down the daring lead role in the controversial film AMPHETAMINE. Luckily he did not as this film made it to the 60th Berlin International Film Festival.

It was his lucky break into the big screen.

For a newbie he has paid his dues in his debut Hong Kong feature as the lead role. This was his launching pad into the international scene.

He has given his all to the movie, bared his body and soul for art’s sake.

He’s happy that this aesthetic sacrifice has paid off, though it’s very unlikely he will be naked again, unless he is lured by an irresistible script and a powerful director

TOM PRICE’s first interview was published mid last year in this Blog.

The article consistently tops the chart (amongst the top three in ranking – daily) for many months. Right till now.

With a deluge of requests from die-hard fans requesting for new pictures and updates on this dashing actor I had good ground to talk to TOM PRICE again.

This time the interview is conducted online as he’s currently shooting a 20-part mandarin DRAMA SERIES in Taipei.

TOM offers sincere opinions to intricate questions, but begs to skip stressful subjects relating to sex and zen.

Those are private matters, he shrugs.

So he has a killer face and body to die for, but it’s his intellectual bending that stands out.

He believes in working hard and smart.

The world does not owe us a living. It was here first, he affirms.

To TOM PRICE, health is the greatest gift and contentment is the greatest wealth.

Great guy, this one.

With JOSEPH CHANG, RAINIE YANG and TIFFANY HSU in “LOVE YOU”【醉後決定愛上你】a 20-PART TAIWAN DRAMA SERIES.

TOM PRICE (白梓軒)

a.k.a THOMAS PRICE.

“As an artiste I am always looking forward to learning a new craft or profect the old ones.

I love the development of the art process, from start to finish.”

Here’s TOM – up, close and as personal as you can get:

What is keeping you BUSY these days?

These days I am spending most of my time in Taiwan and learning Mandarin. I’ve just finished shooting a TV drama here and about to start another movie. Also recording shows for Channel [V] International every month or so.

What is it that you love about acting?

As Clint Eastwood once said, acting is one of those professions where you are constantly learning. Even he is continually learning to this day, and he has pretty much done and seen it all. To me, this is important because Im continually trying to develop myself as an actor and I love learning, whether it be acting or anything else. Right now everything Im doing is in Mandarin and this has been a huge learning curve. Acting in a new language is tough, sometimes I worry about not saying my lines correctly and spend a lot of time going over the script. It’s definitely a challenge.

Also, acting is dynamic, you are constantly meeting different people in different locations with different backgrounds who all bring their own “flavour” to the table. No two days are the same and no two characters are the same. The fact that you can be someone completely different and experience a whole new world makes it so much fun and is what keeps it interesting.

Favourite movies and actors of all time?

I love Al Pacino. He brings something different every time and has been in so many brilliant movies. His performances are always engaging and entertaining to watch. Simply one of the greatest film actors of all time and an inspiration to many. Tony Leung and Johnny Depp are some other favourites.

In terms of movies…. Scarface, Donnie Brasco, Colors, The Godfather, The Usual Suspects (I particularly like watching gangster movies)… others include 2046, The Graduate, Human Traffic, Superbad, The Shawshank Redemption, Wild Strawberries.

Whats your musical background? When did you get into DJing?

I didn’t grow up in a musical family so it was never in my blood, so to speak. However during high school I got into graffiti and that drew me into the hip hop scene. I was (still am) into the old school stuff like N.W.A, Run DMC and EPMD.

It was after high school though that I discovered electronic music and the underground sounds of house, techno, drum&bass and I absolutely fell in love with all these new and crazy sounds I was hearing. I was determined to learn how to DJ so I started buying and collecting vinyl. Then in 2004 I was living in a shared flat in Sydney and it just so happened that my roomate had a set of turntables in his room and thats where it all started… destiny!

These days im listening to a lot of jazz and blues stuff from the 40-60s. Sometimes I wish I was around in those days because there were so many legendary artists perfoming at that time… it would have been amazing to see them all live. Unfortunately, many of them have passed away so for me its like going back and rediscovering the past when listening to their records.

What got you into graffiti and street art?

I was 15 and at the time a lot of amazing graffiti artists were attending or had attended my school… some of them my friends. I loved the colours, the individual styles and the whole underground culture that was the graffiti scene. It was a lot of fun. I would always get in trouble for drawing in class but back then I really was not into studying at all… girls, sport and graffiti were all I could care about.

What was life like at University? What did you study?

Uni was awesome… some of the best times of my life. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Education majoring in Health and Physical Education. Im a sports nut and coaching and teaching is something that I really enjoy and would be doing if I was not acting.

For me, paying full fees as an international student, was difficult. Half way though I had to return to Hong Kong where I worked for two years and eventually saved up enough money to return to Sydney and complete my degree. I joined sports clubs, attended all sorts of lectures, DJed, coached basketball and soccer, and eventually became a student ambassador for the Faculty of Education. I miss those days and all the friends that I made along the way. Great times.

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself?

Im a straight up Science nerd. I spend a lot of time watching lectures and documentaries on all disciplines… especially astrophysics. For those who are interested, www.sciencedaily.com is a great website to keep up to date and learn about all the latest findings.

And in the area of love?

To be honest, I have not had the smoothest of times in this area. My last girlfriend was nearly two years ago. Although, being single for such a long time has allowed me to focus on my career and to develop myself professionally, whether it be music or acting. I try not to think about it too much, all I want to do right now is sort myself and my family out first and then see what happens.

Tom’s all time favourite albums:

Dinah Washington – Dinah Washinton’s Finest Hour (2001)

The 40s and 50s produced some of the greatest jazz and blues records of all time…. and this was when Dinah Washington was most prolific. She takes my pick from the all time great female jazz and blues singers. Like so many others during that period, she died young at the age of 39. A great album for chilling at home with a bottle of wine, or for a romantic night in. Classics like Teach Me Tonight and What A Difference A Day Makes always bring a smile to my face.

Junior Wells – Hoodoo Man Blues (1965)

Good ol’ Chicago Blues. This was Wells’s debut album and In my opinion one of the greatest blues albums ever made. Some really tight and slick tunes on this with a little bit of funk and rock to make things interesting. With Buddy Guy appearing on lead guitar, this is one album all fans of the blues should have in their collection.

Chris Fortier – Balance 007 (2005)

The Balance series has always provided quality underground electronic music featuring some of the finest DJs. This is one of the best mix albums I have ever heard and it just gets better with every listen. The tune selection, flow and mixing are all top notch just with no obvious anthems featured on any of the 3 cds. Full of cool, edgy and upfront tracks that pump and groove away to produce an album of the highest quality. Chris Fortier ‘s taste in house and techno is always fresh and unique which is why he remains one of my favourite DJs to this day.

Beyond - 樂與怒 (1993)

Probably my favourite band ever. This was the first album I ever owned so it has a special significance for me. I wish I still had my original copy, which was on tape! Another superb Beyond album filled with beautiful and inspiring music. Nothing in Hong Kong produced these days even comes close – musically or lyrically. Wong Ka Kui was a true genius with an immense passion for music who sadly, died a young and tragic death. To this day, his music lives on in the hearts and souls of all the people of Hong Kong.

Evil Nine – You Can Be Special Too (2004)

Released on Adam Freeland’s Marine Parade label back in the good ol’ days when Breakbeat was going strong. Combining elements of rock, punk and electronica, this album was, and still is, FRESH. Wicked production throughout – banging beats with the unmistakeable Evil Nine flavour. Six years after it was first released and I still like to drop some of these tunes in my DJ sets.

Stan Getz – The Lost Sessions (2003)

This is a sublime album by one of my favourite jazz artists, Stan Getz. It was recorded in 1989, two years before his death, and not released until later due to record company issues. Cool, smooth and at times moody, this is an exquisite record by an absolute master tenor saxophonist.

The Eagles – Hell Freezes Over (1994)

I love the Eagles and this album contains all their biggest hits, including my personal favourite I Can’t Tell You Why.

N.W.A – Straight Outta Compton (1988)

Banging, raw and in your face, a truly groundbreaking album that redefined hip hop and paved the way for the gangster rap explosion that was to follow. If your sensitive to obscene lyrics, then this is not for you. Dr Dre is one of my favourite hip hop producers and he lays down some serious beats in this one. Check out Fuck Tha Police, absolute classic!

You started working for Channel (V) in 2010?

Yes! I started working as a VJ last year and its been a lot of fun. remember watching Channel [V] as a high school student and thinking to myself what a cool job VJing would be.. getting paid to talk about music! So last year a friend introduced me to the guys at Channel [V] international and I went for a screen test and luckily got the job! So now you can catch me every now and again presenting shows like the [V] Plug and [V] Countdown on Channel [V] international which is aired across Asia.