SINGAPORE – Just very good friends.
That’s how Taiwanese singer-actor Kai Ko Chen-Tung, 21, described his relationship with Taiwanese pop diva Elva Hsiao, who is 11 years his senior.
The tanned, lanky Ko, who shot to fame after his debut big screen outing in last year’s sleeper hit You Are The Apple Of My Eye, spoke about the rumours that have been circulating of late.
Reports of the pair locking lips at a popular nightspot in Taipei have been exaggerated, stressed the bachelor, who added that if he were not working in Singapore this year, he would “most probably enjoy Valentine’s Day by having dinner with fellow single mates”.
Ko was in town yesterday to promote his first Mandopop album Be Yourself, a collection of pop-rock tunes, including a sprightly duet with his You Are The Apple Of My Eye co-star Michelle Chen.
The showbiz rookie was refreshingly straightforward when fielding questions and did not have the eager-to-please tone that veteran artistes tend to display.
He did not praise Hsiao to the sky when asked if her looks and personality are the types he is attracted to.
“She’s okay,” said Ko, after a slight pause.
One reporter laughed and wondered out loud if Hsiao would be angry with his blasé reply.
Ko, who spoke in Mandarin, said that conversation flowed easily between them despite their age gap. “Elva’s a great senior to me and I’m able to learn a lot about the music industry from her.”
Pals with older celebs
Turns out, he’s pals with many older celebrities, including host-singer Harlem Yu (“He gives me advice, but he can be a little strict”) and rocker Jam Hsiao, whom he plays basketball with.
So while there is no truth to the rumours involving Hsiao, we’re sure Ko’s hordes of female admirers would be happy to know he is not averse to a May-December romance.
“If my girlfriend is older than me, it’s definitely not a problem,” he said.
“But if she’s older than my mum, then that’s a problem!”
A self-professed fun-loving lad with a weakness for clubbing and hanging out with friends over drinks, the Golden Horse Award Best Newcomer winner is aware of the “ladies’ man” tag that the Taiwanese media has attached to him, but does not feel he deserves it.
“Actually, I don’t really think I’m ‘feng liu’ (Chinese for flirtatious),” he said nonchalantly.
“I mean, I go out with girls one at a time. I don’t two-time.”
At this juncture, his manager interjects: “Kai’s just 21, you can’t expect him not to date, right?”
For Ko, there’s hardly a chance that he will find himself misbehaving after a night of intoxication, as his family members will be watching his back closely.
“My family is a little weird in that we always chill out together,” he revealed.
“When we drink, very often, it’s my dad who is the most drunk at the end of the night.”
Fans might be wondering why he chose to veer off into music instead of immediately following up his cinematic success with another film.
“Singing has always been a passion of mine, so when I was offered a contract, I decided to give it ashot,” said Ko, who idolises Hong Kong balladeer Eason Chan.
“There is still lots of room for improvement and I hope to hone my live performing skills,” he admitted.
And he is staying true to the spirit of his album’s title track – Be Yourself.
“After stepping into show business, I’ve learnt to speak more tactfully, but ultimately, I still want to be myself,” said the physical education undergraduate at Chinese Culture University.
“Everyone has been telling me how dark the industry is, and how there are so many bad influences…It hasn’t turned out to be like that at all. On the contrary, I find many celebrities to be very nice people.”
You Are The Apple of My Eye not only won Ko critical acclaim and a host of awards (including his Golden Horse accolade), it has also made him Prince Charming in many a teenage girl’s eyes.
The Taiwanese romantic-comedy became the highest-grossing Chinese film in Singapore last year, beating Andy Lau’s Shaolin and Donnie Yen’s Lost Bladesman.
Will audiences get to see him and his onscreen sweetheart Chen reunite for a sequel? Ko said there are no sequels planned.
“I don’t think a sequel would work for this film…they’ve (referring to the characters he and Chen play) moved on with their lives.”
But he looks forward to collaborating with Chen again, on different projects.
“I would love to. Hopefully a movie script will come along that calls for both of us to be involved.”
This article was first published in The New Paper.
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