With the current buzz over Malaysia’s Henry Golding, from Crazy Rich Asians, I thought it would be a good idea to compile a list of some of the hottest South East Asian male actors/entertainers currently in the business.
Why? So we can all appreciate the beauty of men from this region
and dispel the notion that men from this side of the world aren’t sexy/attractive.
This is NOT an exhaustive list. And the actors featured here were either born or are based/living/working in South East Asia. I also included random facts about these men
for ONTD members who like to read.
Let's begin with...
The PhilippinesPiolo Pascual• A film and TV actor, singer, model and producer
• Age: 41
• The Manila native lived in LA for a while when he was younger and reportedly worked as an ER representative at a hospital there.
• He decided to return to the Philippines when he turned 21 to pursue an acting career
• He has one son, who was born in 1997 and is currently based in California with his mother
• You can stalk him via his instagram @piolo_pascual
Dingdong Dantes• Actor, TV presenter, model and producer
• Age: 38
• He started modelling at the age of two, appearing in a television advertisement for a dairy product
• He has won the Best Drama Actor award in 2010 for his role in the TV series Stairway To Heaven
• In 2014, he was appointed and sworn-in as commissioner-at-large of the National Youth Commission.
• You can stalk him via his instagram @dongdantes
Jericho Rosales• A film and TV actor, singer and songwriter
• Age: 38
• He is known for starring in primetime soaps such as Dahil May Isang Ikaw, which has reportedly attracted audiences from as far as the Middle East and Africa
• He was actively involved in a campaign to free a lone elephant that had been held in a small enclosure in the Manila Zoo for more than 35 years
• You can stalk him via his instagram account @jerichorosalesofficial
IndonesiaAfgansyah Reza • A singer/songwriter and occasional actor
• Goes by ‘Afgan’
• Age: 29
• He has four albums under his belt
• He is pursuing a degree in Economics from MONASH University’s Sunway campus in Malaysia
• You can stalk him via his instagram (@afghansyah.reza) and Twitter (@afgansyan_reza) accounts, and check out his music on Youtube
Boy William• An actor, VJ and rapper
• His real name is William Hartanto
• Age: 26
• He was first known as a VJ for a kids’ show
• He left Indonesia for New Zealand at the young age of 4 with his parents and attended a high school in the US
• You can stalk him via his instagram @boywilliam17 or check out his YouTube channel
Reza Rahadian• An actor and a model and director
• He rose to prominence after his role in the Indonesian film Woman with a Turban in 2009
• He started his career as a model
• He has starred in a variety of films, ranging from comedies and romance to dramas and biopics
• You can stalk him via his instagram @officialpilarez
MalaysiaFattah Amin• Actor
• Age: 27
• One of the most high-profile actors working in Malaysia currently
• Most famously known for his role in the series, Suri Hati Mr Pilot. The drama’s first episode reportedly attracted around 5.5 million viewers – apparently the highest record in the history of Malaysian dramas?
• His dedicated fanclub on instagram was shut down, although the reason is unclear. This came amid accusations by netizens that members of the fanclub were invading the privacy of his new wife, Fazura, by allegedly releasing personal details about their relationship (yikes)
• You can stalk him via his instagram @fattahaminz
Zul Ariffin• Actor and model
• Age: 31
• He was spotted by a talent scout and started his career by appearing in TV ads
• He was reportedly romantically linked with an actress who, at the time, was in the middle of a divorce
• He had ambitions of joining the Malaysian navy but couldn’t because of a shoulder injury
• You can stalk him via his instagram @zul_ariffin
Remy Ishak• Actor, host and model
• Age: 36
• During one of his first auditions in early 2000s, he was rejected and told that he didn’t have ‘the look’
• He is also one of Malaysia’s top actors and once won the award for Most Popular Actor in 2010
• He came from a family of limited means and has been working since he was 15, from washing plates at an eatery to selling fish at a market.
SingaporeAaron Aziz• Actor and director
• Age: 42
• Plies his trade in both Singapore and Malaysia
• He proposed to his wife from the stage of a Singapore award ceremony in which he won the awards for both Most Popular Male Actor and Supporting Actor.
• Not going to lie, he has a bit of a dad bod now
Pierre Png• An actor and a comedian of Peranakan descent
• Age: 44
• Appeared in Crazy Rich Asians as Astrid’s husband
• He donated part of his liver to his wife in 2002, after she suffered liver failure as a result of consuming slimming pills
• You can follow him on Facebook @pierrepng
Taufik Batisah• Singer and actor
• Age: 36
• He has released four albums
• He won the local spin-off of American Idol, Singapore Idol, in 2004
• He recently opened a halal-friendly Nashville-style fried chicken eatery
• You can stalk him via his instagram @taufikbatisah
ThailandMario Maurer• Model and actor
• Age: 29
• He is of Chinese and German descent
• He rose to fame after starring in The Love of Siam, where he played a gay character
• He played the lead role in Thailand’s highest-grossing film currently, Pee Mak
• He became a model at the age of 16
• You can stalk him via his instagram @mario_mm38
VietnamJohnny Tri Nguyen
• Actor, stuntman and martial arts choreographer
• Age: 44
• He left Vietnam at the age of 8, but is now mainly active in the Vietnamese film industry
• According to IMDb, his breakthrough role was in ‘Cradle 2 the Grave’, a film starring Jet Li and DMX
• He has more than 18 years of experience in Kung Fu, Tai Chi and Japanese Aikido
• He was a member of the US Wushu Team
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25More suggestions welcome, ONTD!