Local actor Romeo Tan on what he'll do for someone he really loves, and the biggest romantic gesture he's made

He’s not giving up without a fight.

At least, that’s what local actor Romeo Tan told Yahoo Southeast Asia in an exclusive interview on 27 October when we asked if he ever finds himself in a love triangle.

Real-life romance tactics and jigsaw puzzles

To provide some context, the boyishly handsome actor is starring in a new drama series Till The End and he plays a Haoming, a dashing doctor (who is a clean freak), and finds himself caught in a love triangle with Huiqi (Boon Hui Lu) and Pengyou (Richie Koh).

Expressing his commitment to love, the 38-year-old said, “As long as I really love that person, I will try everything I can to fight for them, woo them, and have them. I will keep trying until I can’t anymore. I will try very, very hard. At least, end of the day, I will tell myself I tried. I did my best.”

Despite the drama in his roles, Tan hasn’t found himself in a similar situation before, though. He humorously admitted, “Sadly, my life is not so dramatic like in the drama. I think it’s quite straightforward – yes or no.”

However, like dramas and movies, he has done a big romantic gesture for a girl he liked in secondary school by assembling a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle and delivering it to her.

That said, there was a slight hiccup.

“Back then, we were all staying in the neighbourhood area so I remember after fixing the jigsaw puzzle, I cycled over to her house. But halfway through, I had a minor accident and the jigsaw puzzle went haywire so I had to go back and redo again,” he recounted.

The puzzle initially took five days to complete as well. Fortunately, the story had a happy ending as Tan confessed that his romantic gesture won the girl's heart.

He added, “In most of my relationships, I like to give this kind of surprise element. Because I’m into photography, videography, and I know how to edit, I like to fix all these pictures, videos in a clip, and then we’ll find the right time, decorate the room, and then play the video out to give a surprise. I did that a few times.”

Playing the handsome male lead

The character of Haoming is something that Tan is no stranger to – he’s become synonymous with the role of the handsome male lead over his almost 20-year career.

And it’s not hard to see why either. So, does he feel like he’s been stereotyped into that kind of role?

Without missing a beat, and with a smile that has charmed many aunties, he replied, “At least I’m stereotyped into a good role. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

He went on to admit that all actors will worry about being stereotyped into a specific role but felt that he has had the chance to play various roles apart from the handsome male lead.

“I did play like [people with] autism, split personality, and comedy or even more dramatic [roles],” Tan pointed out as he reflected on his career briefly.

After being in showbiz for so long, though, he’s definitely checking boxes when it comes to choosing roles, such as character development over the course of the show.

Tan explained that the highs and lows of the character’s journey must resonate with the audience, creating an impactful viewing experience.

Tan expressed a desire for more challenging roles, stating that they provide opportunities to enhance his acting skills and foster continuous learning.

“I hope for more of such roles. It allows me to challenge my acting skills and learn,” he said.

While Tan admits a reluctance towards the predictability of “generic good guy” roles, as the journey can be monotonous, he remains open to them if there’s a twist, such as the character turning from evil to good or having a more tragic ending.

In fact, he finds the generic good guy role to be a very “plain” character even though he acknowledged that these roles are very popular among the audience.

He openly shared, “I hope I can receive less of these roles because I’ve played them many times. I also wish to try other types of roles.”

More Romeo Tan in a uniform, please

Well, if Tan gets his way, then we’ll have another chance to see him play a character in a uniform – something that is bound to excite his female fans (among others).

He previously expressed interest in playing a firefighter and got his wish in the miniseries "In Safe Hands".

Despite it being a 10-episode series, Tan enjoyed the experience and hopes that he’ll be able to act in an extended version of it.

Next on his list is playing a pilot.

“I did 'When Duty Calls' – that’s for the Army – but I’ve yet to try Air Force. I mean, being an actor, sometimes, you also want to try different kinds of occupations. I tried doctor, lawyers, firefighter, army, police, so maybe pilot the next time? But that's provided if Singapore Air Force will want to collab with us,” he said sheepishly, always ready to embrace new challenges.

Till The End airs weekdays 9pm on Channel 8 and is available on meWATCH.

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