The only reason I left the salon was really to chase these dreams of either being an MTV host or a travel host. I loved the idea of doing something fun and interesting for a living, and that is what got me over to Malaysia.

Everybody's had problems with their family. Everybody's had the pressures of finding the right love or not loving the right person because other people say so.

I've lived 16, 17 years of my life in Asia, and that's most of my life. I was born in Asia - I've lived cultures that are synonymous with Asian culture - but it's still not Asian enough for some people.

The fact is, I'm half-British, half-Malaysian. For an Asian who's grown up in America to be commenting on how Asian I am when they've never left America... does that make them more or less Asian than me?

Travel opens eyes and perspectives.

You can try to justify how Asian you are, but you're never going to make everybody happy.

Jon Chu is an absolute genius with his story-weaving.

I don't want to get stuck in romantic comedy.

You can have Asians being leading men that are sex symbols. You can have leading women powering through.

I was born in the jungles of Borneo.

You need to take pride in where you're from.

I'm neither half white nor half Asian. I'm full both.

Bali is the sort of place where you can walk down the street and find something picturesque.

We've all been that young love, trying to impress the in-laws or having these crazy cousins that we're related to by blood - we can't choose them as sort of friends, but they're there.

No one knows the three-dimensional story of who I am. Or anyone is.

You can hit the proverbial roof at certain areas in the industry unless you venture out. And I never really set out in my career to stay in one place. I wanted to go out and try new things. Luckily, I've had that opportunity.

Bali is one of those places you can just keep going back to, and everything is there: the infrastructure, the culture, the art, the beautiful villas. My wife Liv and I go there quite often because we know that when we do arrive, it's like an instant holiday.

The joy of tasting different cultures is it gives you a broad perspective, and you don't judge people from stereotypical characters you see in films.

I feel it's tough to make friend when you're always thinking about work.

When you have friends in the industry, you're always expected to talk about work. Seldom do you talk about stuff outside work with friends in the industry. Therefore, I don't have many actor friends, but I find lot of brotherly warmth from a few.

Whenever I meet my friends, we talk about our teachers.

I know how to play the acoustic guitar, but I'm learning to play the electric guitar now. I'm sure it will be a wonderful experience.

A rock star, according to my definition, is someone who inspires people around him with something he is best at. In my case, it's music, but I wanted audiences to realise there is a rock star waiting to be unleashed within them as well.

As an actor, I want to do something I will be remembered for. I think 'Maaya' is that kind of film.