Wong Jinglun needs a “motherly” girlfriend

Photos: Tammi Tan, Instagram/Wong Jinglun

During our 20-minute chat with Wong Jinglun outside the Mediacorp imaging studio last Friday (Jan 4), we could see first-hand just how the Singapore-born, Taiwan-based multi-hyphenate managed to make a name for himself as a beloved - and award-winning - host: he deadpans like a pro. Witty remarks come to him naturally, and he delivers them with such ease and a straight face that it almost makes you wonder if you were supposed to laugh or not.

However, being good at something doesn’t always mean you find it easy. Out of the three areas of entertainment he’s dabbled in (hosting, singing and acting), the 35-year-old admitted that he still finds hosting the most challenging of them all simply because it can be the most unpredictable.

“No amount of training or practice can prepare you for some of the situations that could arise; the only thing that might help is a lot of experience,” he said, adding that charity programmes are especially difficult (because you can’t afford to say wrong or inappropriate things), as is getting complicated official terms right (like the titles of ministers).

For the next three months at least, Jinglun will be able to take a break from these anxieties of emceeing as he focuses on his appearance in long-form drama Jalan Jalan, in which he will play a Taiwanese travel show producer. This marks his very first Channel 8 role, as well as his acting comeback since 2012’s Channel U programme Jump!.

“When the producer [of Jalan Jalan] contacted me asking if I wanted to be in the show, I said yes immediately,” he told us, explaining that he also viewed it as a good opportunity to come home to be with his family. Then, for some strange reason, several more proposals began pouring in like an avalanche after that.

“I waited six years for people to approach me with acting offers and they never came, then all of a sudden, I got calls from three different places - Taiwan, China and Singapore - asking if I wanted to work with them! It’s so weird! I wondered, when did I suddenly become so popular?” he quipped. However, he had to turn them down due to his commitment to Jalan Jalan and his other ongoing project, Musical TARU, which ends its run this Sunday (Jan 13).

In fact, Jinglun told us that he will remain in the Lion City the entire time to focus 100 percent on Jalan Jalan, which will mean giving up on Taiwanese gigs from now until March. “Usually, I will stay in one place for work the whole time unless I really have very little scenes, but a good number of episodes revolve around my character,” he explained. “And besides, they aren’t covering the cost of my flight tickets. (Laughs)”

Read on as Jinglun tells us more about his role in Jalan Jalan, what sort of character he hopes to play in the future, and whether he sees himself settling down with a Singaporean or Taiwanese girl.