The word “hustlers” is often synonymous with passionate entrepreneurs racking in big cash or college undergraduates taking on a side-job to make ends meet. When used in everyday conversations today, the word seems to encapsulate an illustration of driven, hard-working millennials going against the grain to chase their dreams. (Alan Wan)
The millennial demographic seems to take pride in being associated with the expression. On Instagram, the axis of millennial and Gen Z lives, images featuring the hashtag, #hustle, rack up more than 25 million posts. Amongst them, motivational quotes emphasing limitless possibilities and optimism are most commonly featured. Occasionally, we would come across the success stories of a 20-something or 30-something individual, who overcame the odds and made a mark in the industry. And since many of us are purveyors of motivational content, the success stories of these individuals, who don’t wear their harried lifestyles as badges, are exceptionally appealing in the inspirational sense; in many instances, these individuals have become role models, whose habits and successes are things we want to emulate.
Back home, hoolah Singapore has had the opportunity to collaborate and interact with four such Singaporean hustlers. In the second part of the four-part series, we feature actor Alan Wan.
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Actor Alan Wan, 33
If you have been binging on TVB dramas in the past few years, you’d likely notice America-born, Chinese actor, Alan Wan on the TV screens. Charismatic, macho and always flaunting his pearly whites, you’d have noticed his (palpable, if I might add) absence on the TVB screens lately. He has since left the broadcasting company a few years ago and instead, you’d likely be surprised to know that Wan is presently based on the sunny Singapore today.
Wan, who was born and raised in New York City, only moved to Hong Kong in 2008, when he enrolled and participated in the Mr. Hong Kong pageant. Despite the language barriers, Wan endeavoured, speaking in accented Chinese throughout the competition as a viewer of the 2008 competition blogs, and he made it to the Top 3.
For his first job, following the success of the pageant contest, he was a weatherman with the broadcasting company. In an interview with 8 Days, he claimed he was fired from that job for being “too sexy”.
“I would wear these shirts and they’d be like, opened down to the middle of my chest, and I would like, roll up my sleeves and they were like, ‘What kind of weatherman does that?’ And I’m like, ‘The best weatherman!’ And then they fired me.”
In the years that followed, he continued working with the broadcasting company, but this time as an actor and host, where he continued honing his acting chops and the Cantonese language. Since then, he has starred in several popular TVB dramas, such as “Come Home Love” (2014), “Ghost of Relativity” (2015), “My Lover From The Planet Meow” (2016), “Two Steps From Heaven” (2016), and “Fraudster in Hollywood” (2017).
In 2017, Wan got a supporting role in the Singaporean drama, “Faculty” where he acted as Alex, a student with a devil may cry personality. That was when his fondness for Singapore developed. In between hustling about the two countries and juggling different commitments, Wan worked on several projects with local production companies. In 2018, he acted in Toggle series “Senior Management”. A year later, he starred in Mediacorp’s first M18 drama, “Last Madame”, which starred local actress Joanne Peh and Taiwanese actor Jeff Chou. “Last Madame” has since clinched the award “Best Asian Drama” at a competition held alongside the Busan International Film Festival.
Despite his hectic schedule, Wan was able to fall in love with the Lion City. “Zachary (Ibrahim) and Sofia (Dendroff) would take me out to eat, Shane (Pow) would bring me out to play basketball – we really hung out a lot and stuck together,” he says in an interview with 8 Days. “If I have the chance, I would love to come back and work with them again.”
In another interview with 8 Days, Wan credits his success in showbiz today to his time spent in TVB for paving the way for him. “If it weren’t for TVB, I wouldn’t have been able to get my start in showbiz. I learned a lot there and I’m very grateful to everyone I’ve worked with.”
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In 2019, Wan moved to Singapore. And it was also on the sunny island where he created his own YouTube channel. There, he documents his life around Singapore with content that runs the gamut from fitness to food, random game shows to casual vlogs. On several occasions, you might chance upon his adorable poodle, Bea.
To hustle well in the 21st century is to be able to manage one’s time well. Wan seems to tick all the boxes of a modern-day hustler; he is an actor, a content creator, a father to “Bea”, and a fitness enthusiast who manages to keep himself in shape. Whether it is hard work or discipline, this is bound to be something worth gleaning from how Wan juggles it all.
Presently managed by Fly Entertainment, a talent agency led by effervescent artiste-turned-entrepreneur Irene Ang, and with several productions in the works, I guess we can all see Wan on our screens soon.
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