IN striving for success, it is best to get out of your comfort zone, says Ivan Tai, who is exploring new endeavours in his career.
Tai, 27, who is popular among the Chinese audience, has taken on a role in his first Malay television series called A.I in Love, alongside popular actors such as Janna Nick and Dini Schatzmann, under the direction of Nor Ashikin Zainal.
On his character Roy, Tai says he loves to bully the juniors at his work place.
“My character is not a person you would love. I am glad that I am working with people I have never worked with before. When you do that, you will gain new experience. I learnt a lot on the set.”
Initially, he had difficulty with his Bahasa Malaysia pronunciation, which he has improved on. Tai is also hoping to increase his fan base among Malay audiences.
Tai, who has been in the entertainment industry for over a decade, made his debut in a music video featuring singer Catherine Leong’s single My Tiny Times in 2013. The following year, he starred in award-winning director Edmund Yeo’s film River of Exploding Durian as a student protester named Guo Xiang.
The film became the first Malaysian film to be selected to compete in the Main Prize competition of the Tokyo International Film Festival in 2014.
He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and also dabbled briefly in entertainment reporting for local online media portal Viggou, before joining Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) as a TV reporter and editor in 2017. Two years later, he became a TV personality as a news anchor for RTM Mandarin News.
Last year, he fulfilled his dream of becoming an entrepreneur with his own fashion label, Ivan Tai Studio, and launched his first brand called Extsence, that features sportswear for both men and women.
Tai recently took time off from his busy schedule to tell us a little about himself and his future plans.
What were your childhood years like?
I was born in Perak. When I was about a year old, we moved to China. I spent some of my early years in Chengdu and Guangzhou. My father was a businessman and he had some businesses to run in China. When I was about to start my primary schooling, we returned to Kuala Lumpur. My parents wanted me to have a Malaysian education. My mother is a housewife and I am their only child. I used to be jealous of my friends who had siblings, as I wanted to have siblings badly. But I treat my seven cousins like the siblings I never had.
What motivated you to be an actor?
I have wanted to be an actor since young. Acting was my first ambition. I loved watching Chinese drama series. I often wished that I was one of the actors in the series. As an actor, I can lead a different kind of life through my characters and I love that experience. I was also involved in stage plays during my school days but when I was in upper secondary school, I stopped participating in school plays to focus on my studies.
Why did you opt to study Mass Communication instead of acting, which is your passion?
I love films, fashion and drawing. I wanted to take something related to these fields. But my mother felt that I should take courses that could guarantee a better future. It was my father who suggested that I should take Mass Communication. He said it was similar to film studies as both courses teach you to tell stories to people. I think my father made the right decision for me.
What are your future plans?
Late last year, I started my own fashion brand called Extsence. It offers sportswear clothing for both men and women. Right now, I am focused on making this brand popular. I love fashion and it is not surprising that I started a fashion brand. I am also thinking of furthering my studies in either broadcasting or film studies.
How do you keep fit?
I love cycling, badminton and going to the gym. I look after my diet too and cook my own food for lunch.
