Being in the limelight might not be second nature for everyone, but for our second September 2024 cover star Shawn Thia, the privilege of having an audience was the key to uncovering the many vivid colours he never knew he could have.

When someone is being compared to a ray of light, the intention is often to highlight a sense of liveliness and brightness. There is sometimes the association of hope and then a fair share of innocence or endearing sprightliness. But light is more than meets the eye; just as light is the natural agent for visibility, it is in itself a complex composition of many colours — a phenomenon in constant motion, glowing just as much as it illuminates the world it is borne into.

Pictured above: Sweater, Diesel; Watch, necklace, rings, all Bvlgari

Shawn Thia — homegrown actor, content creator, Friend of Bvlgari and the unofficial double of Singapore’s current Prime Minister — is both that approachable friend of a friend and a sizzling firecracker waiting to fire up the dead of the night. At least to the public, he has two crystal clear personas: the golden retriever husband-to-be with a sense of humour, and a budding thespian who has only just begun to roll up his sleeves. But the rare alignment of stars has allowed Men’s Folio to meet the 29-year-old over a written interview, two photoshoots and a phone call.

Here is a record of our prismatic encounter with Shawn Thia, the fullest spectrum of this ray of light in a slightly more nuanced moment of glory — in his own words.

Vest, tie (worn around the neck), all Polo Ralph Lauren; Watch, Bvlgari

How are you with meeting new people?
Well, it depends if it’s someone I can see as a potential new friend or an “important person” I need to be more proper with. But in general, I think the words some have used to describe me when meeting strangers are “nonchalant” or “aloof”.

What do you mean?
Maybe a better description is lighthearted or easygoing. For instance, if someone approaches me and says, “Hey, Lawrence Wong,” I won’t run and hide. I’ll probably be like, “Good day, good day, GST voucher for you!” I want to make the people around me feel comfortable. I hate awkward silences.

That’s very kind of you. So, is being a public figure why you have learned how to navigate these kinds of touch-and-go interactions better? Talking to strangers is an inevitable part of being a public figure after all.
Yeah, for sure. If I weren’t in this line of work, my circle of friends would definitely be a lot smaller than it already is. The reason I find it a bit hard to socialise is not the act itself but the motivation to do it. I can be friends with everyone, but I will definitely need some time to warm up to them. That’s why [my manager] will also describe me as “慢热“, which is Mandarin for exactly that description — introvert.

T-shirt, Martine Rose via CHAMBER; Shorts, Rhude via CHAMBER; Socks, adidas; Shoes, Prada; Watch, Bvlgari

For some reason, that does not come as a big surprise to me, which is a good thing because most actors can be completely different to meet in person compared to who they play in films or shows. I guess it is also because you create content so much that I feel like more people know you for that funny-guy-online person versus, for instance, Ah Zai in TiTouDao. Has this ever concerned you?
In an ideal world, I wish to be seen as I am, even though I’m not super comfortable showing that. In fact, I struggle a lot when posting content. I’ll always ask myself, “Is this what I want people to know me for?” I still want to be seen as a professional actor, but I also want to be the guy who has the chops while still being relatable.

So this is why, if you noticed, my Lawrence Wong act has taken a backseat. As much as I’m happy it’s being well-received, I realised that I have to regulate and balance myself better, especially because of the brands I’m working with now.

Would one of these brands be Bvlgari?
Yes! Even though the brands I choose to work with have to understand from the get-go that I’m not someone who will change my image for them. Bvlgari is a daring brand, so working with them and wearing their exquisite pieces in the same experimental sense inspires me to be bold and authentic with who I am.

Speaking of — your trip to Switzerland and Rome with the maison. How was that? 
I’m so blessed to represent Singapore on this Bvlgari trip. I truly enjoyed learning about the history and technical aspects of the watches. This trip was a great learning experience for my team and me. It was just…amazing.

I also got to meet Mile [Phakphum] on the trip, and he was so friendly and sweet. While on the Switzerland leg of the trip, I really missed Asian food, so Mile and his team offered their secret stash of Thai seafood sauce for me to add some Asian flavour to Swiss food. It was life-changing.

I’m still looking for that brand of sauce to this day.

T-shirt, Martine Rose via CHAMBER; Shorts, Rhude via CHAMBER; Socks, adidas; Shoes, Prada; Watch, Bvlgari

That doesn’t exactly sound like something out of the life of an introvert. Of course, Mile could have just been an angel and you are a celebrity. Were you perhaps less of an introvert as a kid? 
I would say I was a rather sensitive kid who almost always was able to read the room and react accordingly. That meant I could get away with a lot of things. The people around me always said I could never “sit still” and was a“naughty” kid. But looking back I think it’s just the ADHD.

And look where you are now. Dropped out of secondary school at 15 — something your mom endorsed — enlisted in the army at 16, then tried your hand at various odd jobs — including running offshore operations in the marine industry — before landing your breakout project TiTouDao. That is some admirable mettle right there.
All I can say is — everyone is different. Some might excel academically in a safe system or structure, and some have to carve out their own paths and learn from hard knocks or experiences. Somehow my brain is always wired to think out of the box. So I guess being in a structured organisation (e.g. school, military) is just not something I could excel in.

What was one lesson you took away from that period of your life that still stays with you today?
If there is a problem, there must be a solution.

What about working on TiTouDao?
It might sound funny, but I had quite a bad episode of food poisoning while I was shooting Titoudao. So, health is wealth.

Sweater, leggings, all Prada; Bracelet, ring, all Bvlgari

That’s a good one. [Laughs] But you have said in other interviews that TiTouDao was not your first rodeo onscreen. You have done some commercials and student films here and there before that. How did you know to try acting? Was it something you always had in the back of your mind, or did you watch something that particularly pushed you to try it?
I always imagined myself in the shoes of the character of a show that I’m watching. I’ll get so invested in the show that I’ll feel this overwhelming feeling of emptiness when that series ends. I don’t know if it’s a me thing or if other people feel this withdrawal, too. I also don’t particularly love that feeling. But it is powerful to be able to build a connection with your audience through a screen. That’s why acting is something that has always fascinated me. This feeling hit particularly hard after I finished the Korean drama Reply 1988. Have you heard of it?

Yes, I have!
What did you think of it?

Loved it! I think it is a family drama definitely worth watching more than once. The slapstick jokes still hit every time I come across a clip of it online, yet the lingering nostalgia from remembering the plot and my first time watching it always makes me feel so warm inside.
I agree! I like the idea of reminiscing, so works that feel vintage, timeless or classic with their plots and characters really appeal to me.

Watching that show made me curious about how someone like my mom would react to it because it was set in the 1980s, and both my mom and the main characters were all teens then. In the show, there were scenes of them being fans of certain singers, so it just made me curious to know who the famous singers or the BTS of that time were for my mom.

Watch, Bvlgari

I am sure watching it with her would make for a pretty fun bonding session if she were up for it.
Yes, and I think I relate to it well because it touched on relationships that spanned all ages — that’s real life. I hope I get to be a part of something like this too, to be able to make my audience feel that same powerful feeling I felt.

Good things take time, and I am sure you eventually will when the right project comes along. All the characters are unique and quirky but real, and I cannot help but see you in the drama too, if there is ever a chance of a reboot. If there was, which character would you play?
You’d think I’d say Park Bogum, right? If I can play any character without restrictions, I will choose Mrs Cheetah — the one played by actress La Miran.

That is definitely not who I was expecting. [Laughs]
She’s hilarious. So, so funny. And I think it’s because of her character that the family dynamic so endearing in its unfiltered rawness. That’s one of the main reasons why I love the show. She could be cooking for her kids and calling them nicely to eat one moment, then shouting for her husband in a totally different tone the next. [Laughs] I just really love her comedic timing.

I guess I would also rather play characters that come with a shock factor. I like that kind of thrill.

Sweater, shirt, shorts, boots, all Givenchy; Watch, Bvlgari

Actually, that reminds me of why you first embraced Lawrence Wong so much in the beginning.
Now that you say it… [Laughs]

There is nothing wrong, of course! It is becoming increasingly apparent that you are — for some reason — pretty good at turning what can be an occasional daydream into concrete plans that actually deliver.
My manager would beg to differ. I’m more impulsive than most might think. Just ask her about tattoos. I think 60-70% of them were done on impulse. Now I have to pitch all my designs to [his manager] before I can get any new ones.

Wait, I feel like you have never talked about your tattoos before. How many tattoos do you have as of now?
[Proceeds to count] I think I have nine.

What led you to get your first one?
When I was 13 years old, my mom became interested in eyebrow embroidery and started learning how to do it herself. I asked her if she could use that to tattoo me, just for fun. She said yes.

So my first tattoo — though already lasered off — was a “cross” on my right index finger. There was no meaning behind it. It was purely for the experience and for me to feel the pain. But I felt super cool with it. Other kids were showing off their iPhone 3s and what, then there was with me a tattoo.

Watch, Bvlgari

Kids that age like to one-up each other and I just know I would have been so envious if I were your classmate.
I definitely enjoyed that more than I would like to admit. Back then, people liked catching fighting spiders and watching them fight after class. They would keep them in those boxes for the staple bullets. But I could never catch a single one for the life of me. So I decided to change tactic. I caught a cockroach. [Laughs]

Oh, my goodness.
My guy was definitely the biggest fighter among everyone. [Laughs]

But I digress. I say impulse as the tattoos I got were all done because I felt like getting one that day. I knew after the “cross” that I wanted more in the future, so I kept a draft of potential tattoo designs with me for days when I felt like adding one more to the collection. I’d go for two full tattoo sleeves if I had no job restrictions.

Now, that is a surprise to me, especially coming from someone who has been pretty careful with where they step in terms of their career trajectory. 
This may be the side that people tend to know less about. I often tread the thin line between bravery and stupidity. If you asked me to skydive for a role, I’d happily do it. But it’s mostly for things I know I feel for, and that’s why I left my stable job and committed to the four months in Malaysia for my first big acting gig.

Jacket, Dolce&Gabbana; Hat, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy via CHAMBER; Watch, Bvlgari

So when can we catch you on the big screen next?
When we think of Singaporean films, we always think of one man. Yes, his success is pivotal to our market, but there are so many more talented directors and writers who are always overshadowed. I hope to contribute to this new wave whenever it starts to swell. I’m very keen on working on some shorts or feature films, and I’m just waiting for the right project to come along.

And lastly — what are you most looking forward to about married life?
Xenia actually moved in with me three years ago. After all this time, my revelation is that we need to get a dishwasher in our marital home. This is non-negotiable and it’s probably the key to maintaining a harmonious marriage. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Photography Zantz Han
Creative Direction & Styling Izwan Abdullah
Interview Charmaine Tan
Grooming & Hair Wu Yiqing
Set Design Arendayen Abegail Loreno
Styling Assistants Manfred Lu, Vanessa Grace Ng
Photography Assistant Dennis Er, Michelle Yap

Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with our September 2024 issue.