Romeo Tan: From Popular Extra to Extra Popular

Romeo Tan: From Popular Extra to Extra Popular

    By Han Wei Chou
    POSTED: 26 Apr 2013 3:58 PM

Singapore actor Romeo Tan shares his thoughts on starting out as an extra, and reveals why beginning his career as a nobody suits him just fine.

SINGAPORE: He was a nobody.

Before he formally entered showbiz in Star Search 10, and shot to fame after starring in hit shows like “Don’t Stop Believin’” as well as “Joys of Life”, Romeo Tan was a nobody.

He was what industry people call a ‘calefare’, an extra.

But he was a very popular extra.

Tan was well-liked and was often picked when extras were required to play bit parts.

Still, he has had to pay his dues to get to where he is today.

Tan expressed that he had to learn numerous things on the job, and often from scratch - like how to die.

“I started off with no acting experience.

“One of my first roles was this gangster called Ryan in ‘Heartlanders’. In the end he died at the hands of Vincent Ng’s character. He shot me,” recounted Tan with a smile.

“It was a really challenging scene that night, because there was limited stunt ammunition.  You can only fire the gun two times. And I had no idea how to die!”

“I was sweating bullets! I had a few NGs (No Good takes) without the gun. Luckily, on the second shot, it turned out to be okay,” said Tan, gently shaking his head.

After his stint on “Heartlanders”, he started to receive more roles, but each was smaller than the last.

“There was ‘Without Warning’ and ‘Incredible Tales’.

“Sometimes, my name wasn’t even featured in the credits. Because the role is so small, and you are only needed for those few scenes, there is no time for you to establish who you are,” said Tan.

“The script says you’re playing Leslie, this so and so’s husband, but in the whole scene, they never mention your name, so nobody even knew who I played.”

Extra Popular

However, things gradually improved after he appeared in his first Mandarin drama “Portrait of Home II”, and started getting bigger roles.

“I was very excited!

“More Chinese drama roles came in, and my roles started getting bigger and bigger … slightly bigger,” said Tan.

“But still you could see the improvement, from having no name to getting credited, from being credited to getting more dialogue.”

It was only when he worked on “The Best Things in Life” that he found out about Star Search from veteran actor Chen Hanwei, and joined the competition.

While he didn’t win, he caught the eye of MediaCorp and was signed as a full-time actor in 2010.

The change was massive for Tan.

In just a few short years, he has garnered legions of fans, and had managed to snag an endorsement deal.

He is also involved in a myriad of projects, from MediaCorp's first-ever cross-media drama “96C Café” which airs on April 29, to the upcoming drama “Sudden” alongside top actress Rui En.

In addition, Tan had snagged the Rocket Award, which honours the artiste who showed the greatest improvement, at the "Star Awards 2013 Show 1", and is in the running for a "Top 10 Most Popular Male Artiste" award on Sunday's "Star Awards 2013 Show 2".

But till this day, he still remembers how depressing it sometimes got, when he started out as an extra.

“Once, I turned up for work and the security guard at the gate said ‘Your name is not on the list.’ I tell him I am acting in this show, but they have no idea who I am at all.”

“You feel like such a nobody, waiting for them to clear you,” said Tan.

He experienced the same feeling at the Wardrobe department.

“When I report to Wardrobe, they ask me ‘What role are your playing?’ I tell them a lot about the role, but to them, it’s just ‘that passer-by’ or ‘that guy’s cousin’," said Tan.

Rules of The Game

Still, he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

“I am glad that I actually started out as an extra, a calefare, because I see that I managed to climb my way up from the bottom.

“I gained a lot of self-esteem and confidence from this,” said Tan.

“Although I’m not the best, I managed to prove to myself that I can act.”

Neither does he hold a grudge against those who have treated him shabbily in the past.

He understands the rules of the game.

“It does make a difference who you are in this line. You are judged by your status.

"This is a fact of the world we live in, whether you are in showbiz or not,” said Tan, with a knowing smile.

“That’s just how it is.”

“96C Café” airs every weeknight from April 29, 9pm on Channel 8. “Sudden” will air in September.

- CNA/ha


- wong chee tat :)