Exclusive: The real Wu Chun and Calvin Chen revealed

For two days, the ABS-CBN compound was swarmed by a multitude of fans who were hoping to catch a glimpse of Asian heartthrobs Wu Chun and Calvin Chen. In fact, some of them even flew in from Singapore and Hong Kong to catch the Taiwanese idols—who were in town for a promo tour of Romantic Princess—in Manila. The two made appearances on Entertainment Live!, ASAP ’08, The Buzz, and Pinoy Dream Academy 4th Gala Night where they performed their group Fahrenheit’s hit song New Home, the theme to Romantic Princess.

In an exclusive interview, ABS-CBN.com talked with Chun and Calvin about families, staying true to themselves, and about performing in the Philippines for the first time. “It was very exciting but we were very nervous as well because this is our first time to perform here in the Philippines. But of course, we are very happy that we have the chance to sing our song here. And the audience was great! I think they're so into it. We are very lucky that we’ve got so much support from so many people from around the world. Because we are working very hard and the good feedback is a very great motivation for us,” said Chun.

Being able to visit different countries is definitely one of the perks of celebrities like them. But for Chun whose family is based in Brunei, he feels that he misses out on a lot of family bonding experiences. “I was born in Brunei and my family is there. At first, every time I go home [to Taiwan], I feel lonely. And until now I still miss home. I think this is the biggest adjustment that I needed to do. What I miss most I think is the air. You know the feeling that everyday you wake up you are in your house, surrounded by your family. That’s very different.”

Calvin also agreed with Chun. “That's true you know—losing time to spend with my family—even though I live with them in Taiwan. I can see them most of the time but whenever I go home, they are already sleeping. And when I wake up in the afternoon, they already left for work.” He further described his life off cam. “Most actors are worried about going out in public. But for me, I don’t want to change too much. I still go out with my friends—even female friends—and have dinner. If I care too much, [then] I would lose many, many things. So I still want to be me.”

Fortunately for Calvin, he’ll be going to Canada where he took up his college studies and masters degree in Economics. “I’m going there by the end of August for the Sunshine Boyz contest—the male pageant where I was discovered before. I am going to be their special guest with Aaron (Yan), another member of Fahrenheit. The good thing is I can go back to look around and breathe the fresh air there, enjoy the sunshine and the beach,” Calvin excitedly shared.

Hanging out with family, friends—and girlfriends?
Their schedules are often so filled with tours, TV projects, and various public appearances that they seldom have free time for themselves. But when they do catch a break, they usually spend quality time with family and friends doing simple things like hanging out, watching movies, or eating at their favorite restaurants.

Their tight schedules are also the reason why they can’t seem to find that one special girl. There were rumors, however, that Chun was dating his Hana Kimi co-star Ella Chen. But Chun denied this, saying that among his leading ladies, he’s closest to Ella because they’re both managed by the same company, Comic International Productions. “From the very start, even before we filmed Hana Kimi, we were already close and we had a lot of projects together,” Chun clarified.

Finding “The One”
Since these Taiwanese superstars are still single, ABS-CBN.com asked what would it take to win them over and discovered that their thoughts on love and romance are somewhat old-fashioned and very family-oriented. “The appearance or looks don’t have to be a certain type. For me, the more important thing is the feeling. Like she cannot be just a girlfriend, she can also be family or a close friend to me, to share everything with me. I can even express my fears and my worries in front of her and I won’t feel embarrassed,” was Calvin’s description of his ideal girl.
Chun answered similarly. “I think feeling is important if you want to have a long-term relationship. Both of you can trust each other and are willing to share everything.” Calvin added, “And you have the same values, the same life goal to work hard together.”

Fan adoration and obsession
Judging from the number of fans seen in and around the ABS-CBN compound throughout the duration of Chun and Calvin’s promo tour, it wouldn’t come as a shock if they attract a lot of stalkers. But instead of freaking out like other celebrities, they are more concerned with the welfare of overeager fans.

“The thing that troubles me sometimes is that they wait downstairs at my place late at night. One night when I finished work and I’m on my way home at about 2 am, she's still waiting there all by herself and worse, it was raining then. So I ask her, ‘Why are you still here? It’s already late.’ And she says, ‘It’s okay. My family will come pick me up later.’ I think it's not good because she makes her family and even myself worried,” Calvin exclaimed.

So what does he do whenever this happens? “If there are people downstairs waiting for me, I just tell them to go home and say, ‘I won’t do anything for you. I won’t take pictures with you. I won’t do autographs.’ Because if I keep doing that [signing autographs and taking photos], they'll think that it's okay for them to come to my place,” said Calvin. As for Chun, he advised their supporters to keep their own safety in mind, “We hope that they would be very careful when they follow us, when they go to our activities. We do not want them to do something that will put them in danger and make their families worry.”

Source: abs-cbn.com