The trademark cadet-cut hair was boyishly dishevelled, but in keeping with his casual pullover and rubbersoled shoes look. Chen Hanwei in real life is not much different from the boy-next-door character he plays in Secret Operations, now on SBC 8. 

     He doesn't want to be stereotyped into the decent, clean-cut category, but so far those are the roles he's been given. And he's getting used to it. In Tian Ci  Qi Cai, a 25-episode serial set in the '20s that's now being filmed, he plays yet another good guy. Hanwei wishes he'd get to portray a rebel - "the type with a mind of his own, the firm sort", he says. "I really think I'm at that awkward stage where I look too old to be playing a student and too young starring as a matured man. But I'm happy as long as SBC gives me roles to play. I'm willing to accept all sorts of challenges and certainly won't reject intimate scenes."

     Having had a taste of acting in period serials however, such as Strange Encounters 11 and The Village Hero, Hanwei would rather not star in another one if he can help it. "It's very hot work wearing those thick period costumes. And our scorching hot weather makes things even worse!"

     The born-in-Malaysia Hanwei still commutes from his home in Johor Bahru. It was an inconvenience in the beginning, but that was solved when he bought a car with his parents' help. "Being single, I don't relish the idea of living on my own in a rented flat in Singapore," he says. "I'm used to the long travelling already."

     This lifestyle is probably also easier to maintain because he does not have a steady girlfriend. But when asked about his criteria for his future wife, Hanwei shows he's obviously thought about marriage; "She must be family-oriented and at the same time be able to socialise," he says readily.

     During his leisure, the actor enjoys much of the same pastimes of many 22-year-olds like himself. He often goes to the movies, discos, or out for tea or dinner with his trio of "very close friends" within SBC - Zoe Tay, Huihui and Wang Yuqing. Sometimes they even drive up to Johor for seafood.

     He laughs that his colleagues are envious that he can indulge his good appetite. "They say I should count myself lucky that I don't have weight problems with the hearty appetite that I have. Four meals are a must for me every day, and I eat a lot during each meal. For breakfast, I normally have eggs, bread with butter and milk. And supper is also a heavy affair.

     "If you ask me if I'm happy with my looks, I am. The only grouse perhaps is that I find myself too thin."

      He "hated" Zoe when he first met her during Star Search '88, Hanwei laughs. "I just couldn't stand her. I thought she was very proud but the funny thing was, she also didn't like my face then. When we were paired up for our drama skit during lessons, we were surprised when we eventually got along. Now, what I admire most about Zoe is her independent character and her guts. She's one who gets her problems sorted out very fast."

     Despite his rising career, acting was not Hanwei's first love. After his "A" levels, he had wanted to be a designer. But after taking part in Star Search '88, he signed on instead with SBC. "I believe I would have gone into designing if I hadn't taken up acting. Right now, I'm saving up for the time when I can probably fulfil my original wish to be a designer when I quit acting," he says. But his fans can rest assured - that day is still a long time away.