November 15, 2001

Since 1989, Terence has come a long way. Though his showbiz journey has been less than smooth sailing, he has proven his popularity at the polls. Can he ensure his status at the coming Star Awards?

By Yap Geok Hui
Partial pictures provided by MediaCorp Studios

His current dark and hunky image Terence is a far cry from the fair, lanky and fresh-faced young man back in 1990 when he played a supporting role in Sweet Dreams (better known as Xin Xin Xiang Rong) alongside Chen Liping and Zhang Shuifa.

His image overhaul reminds me of Hong Kong heartthrob, Louis Khoo, who morphed from fair-skinned pretty boy during the filming of The Condor Heroes to the present manly look.

But the similarity does not end here. Both actors seem to attract bad press. Call it the ills of fame or sheer bad luck, but somehow, for the past few years, their real life misadventures frequently become dirty linen in public.

What's the reason for this bad press magnetism?

Louis attributed it to his highly moldable look in an interview with I-Weekly. "People tend to believe in what is written about me as I appear convincing."

For Terence, being the target of the bad press draws a blank.

"I don't know. I don't really care what people think of me but it pierces my heart when I think what my grandparents think when they read some of that stuff they print about me (Terence was brought up by his grandparents). I get very, very hurt when I appear in the papers with negative reports and I see my grandfather holding the paper and reading it," says the 33-year-old in an 8 Days interview.

Some people just have it tougher. Being public figures, artistes are naturally easy targets of gossip and criticisms.

Take for example Terence's portrayal of the unrepentant baddie in The Challenge. Some called his acting over-dramatic and stagnant while many others praised his performance. It all boils down to different tastes and perceptions.

And the knowing actor understands the 'rules of the game'.

"I guess . . . the contenders are just too strong this year," says the Libra on not getting nominated for Best Actor (The Challenge) in an exclusive interview with us.

"Moreover, the genres of productions are very varied. I believe that the same can be said of the preferences of the 'voters' (read about the mechanisms of nominations). They may prefer other forms of performances, so I just have to work harder,"

He smiles, "I can only put it this way . . . "

Is that a hint of slight disappointment we hear? After all, Terence has been in the running for Best Actor since 1998 for 3 consecutive years.

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