After a turbulent decade in showbiz, which included getting retrenched and a highly publicised divorce from local actress Michelle Chia, MediaCorp actor Shaun Chen is restless.
The Malaysia-born Singapore permanent resident, who turns 34 next month, wants to take a shot at the Hong Kong, Taiwan and China markets, following artistes like Christopher Lee and Apple Hong.
He told The New Paper in a recent interview: "People ask me why I want to go overseas to carve out a career as it's tough. I could stay here and have a stable career for a long time.
"But that's not what I want. I don't want to go without challenges. I have a goal to let the rest of Asia sit up and notice local actors.
"It won't be easy, and I would have to rely on connections and help from others."
Chen told TNP that the lowest points in his career were his retrenchment from MediaWorks and his divorce from Chia.
"Looking at the (retrenchment) letter, I thought that was the price I paid for jumping ship. I was very down and Michelle, who was my girlfriend then, supported me through it," he said.
Chen and Chia got together in 2004, married in 2008, held a live televised wedding banquet in 2009, and announced their divorce in April last year.
Chen said he's over the heartbreak, adding: "Michelle and I are still on very good terms. I'm very lucky in the sense we didn't have big quarrels. She also encouraged me to go overseas to forge my career."
Chen visits her parents and the dog he got with Chia at her family home once a month for 30 minutes.
He's now single and putting love on the backburner as he wants to focus on his career.
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