By spcnet.tv on March 24th, 2010 | Chinese Entertainment, newsfeed
It must be the stress from juggling work and studies that probably why celeb-students Jerry Yeo and Desmond Tan both enjoy playing villains on screen.
If there’s something about the most amiable and easygoing folks in real life who make portray the most contemptible villains on the screen, then these two have it in spades.
They were nothing but polite and forthcoming in their phone interviews.
The two actors, both 24 and alumni from Star Search 2007, received nominations for the Most Unforgettable TV Villain category at April’s Star Awards. Like the other two categories of Favourite Male and Female Character, the winner is decided by the public through online voting. (See details below)
“I don’t mind having more baddie roles or being labeled as the bad guy,” says Desmond good-naturedly in a phone interview. “Somehow I can explore and bring out the uglier, more brutal side of human beings that we can’t really display in real-life society. So I think it’s fun.”
The freedom of expression and development is certainly quite the catch as Jerry, a communications student at NTU, concurs, “(When you play a villain), you can do whatever it is you want to do in real life. Normally, you wouldn’t think like a villain, or at least be engrossed in thinking what a bad person would do (in a situation).”
But for his role as a bad-ass rich kid who tortures Felicia Chin to near madness in The Ultimatum, Jerry admits that it was “relatively easy” to play the part. No, not because he’s got an inner baddie streak, of course, but because “the character’s evilness is concentrated on-the-surface, through outward expressions and mannerisms which are quite exaggerated. Once he’s provoked, he just reacts immediately.”
It’s quite the opposite compared his fellow nominee and co-star Constance Song’s role of his mother in the drama that aired last year. “Hers is more internally-driven. Her thoughts and intentions are evil, but she doesn’t behave like such in front of the characters. Yet the audience needs to know she’s bluffing. It’s more nuanced.”
It’s this diametric that led Jerry to say that his chances at winning the most votes are “really 50-50″ with Constance. “It all depends on what the audience prefers, whether they like the villain to be louder and upfront, or subtle and scheming.”
Jerry had to take a six-month break from his studies for his role, meaning he will only graduate a year later than his peers, but he jokes that the returns have been lucrative, with triple nominations at the Star Awards, including Best Supporting Actor and Favourite Male Character. “Quite value-for-money (laughs). The drama aired nearly a year again and now that it’s getting attention at the Star Awards, I see the whole process as a joyous experience.”
Having dipped his nib in villain territory, and currently seen as a budding magician in Channel U’s The Illusionist, Jerry reveals that he would like to play, surprisingly, a cop for his next project.
“I’d like to carry a gun,” he chuckles. “For the last two years, I haven’t had a cop role. I’m fan of those Hong Kong cop dramas where there’s lots of action going on.”
Perhaps he might like to take a pointer from fellow nominee and celeb-student compatriot Desmond who played a corrupt cop in megadrama Together, which also aired last year.
Desmond, who’s studying real estate in NUS as well as a minor in theatre studies, says that he’s “happy with his nod as it’s a significant recognition of my learning process in acting, and motivation for this passion.”
Having “started from scratch” in Star Search, he described the past two years as “quite bumpy”, with balancing TV work and um, homework.
Despite being in the same boat as Jerry since their Star Search days and now in school and the googlebox, that apparently isn’t fertile ground for animosity as it is for empathy and camaraderie.
“We came out of the same competition. I understand the process he’s going through with studies and work. And I’ve always liked his style of acting and look up to him. There’s not much competition than there is encouragement between us.”
The Star Awards 2010 will be telecast live on two Sundays, Apr 18 for the professional categories, and Apr 25 for the programme and performance categories. The second show is slated to take place in Resorts World Singapore and both shows will air at 7pm on Ch 8.
Cast your online vote for Favourite Male Character, Favourite Female Character and Most Unforgettable TV Villain here.
Most Unforgettable TV Villain nominees
Jerry Yeo in The Ultimatum
Constance Song in The Ultimatum
Desmond Tan in Together
Patricia Mok in Love Blossoms II
Chen Tianwen in Love Blossoms II
Voting for the Most Unforgettable TV Villain will only open during the first Star Awards live telecast in Apr 18, 7pm.
The first round of voting for Favourite Male Character and Favourite Female Character is now open until Apr 11, midnight.
The second round for each of the Top 10 from both categories will commence on first Star Awards live telecast on Apr 18, 7pm. Votes are not accumulative from the previous round and will start from zero during the show.
