Actress Julie Tan on love, troubles with dating, and what she's looking for in a guy: 'I'm waiting for my Travis'
The actress, who is a big fan of Taylor Swift, also shared how the US megastar has inspired her in life.
Like Taylor Swift - the mega popstar who recently graced the shores of Singapore for a six-night concert - local actress Julie Tan had been in the spotlight constantly because of her love life. Then, she stopped talking about it.
Now, she’s in a movie (Good Goodbye) acting as a social worker, who is also a huge romantic and finds love while battling cancer. And yes, she did shave her head for the role.
Speaking to Yahoo Southeast Asia on Tuesday (26 March) for the film, Tan, 31, sees some similarities with her character with their passion for love.
She said, “From young, I've always been very vocal about who I'm dating and pretty much that's my journey, right? I’ve never once hid it. Towards the end, why I chose not to say so much about my dating life is because I just wanted people to focus more on the work that I'm doing.”
Tan, who experienced a breakup last year and is currently single, said she has bade goodbye “to my Joe [Alwyn]” and “I’m waiting for my Travis [Kelce]”.
For context, Swift broke up with English actor Alwyn in 2023 after a six-year relationship, and is currently dating American football tight end Kelce.
And yes, the references to Swift are intentional, as the actress is a huge fan. She attended two nights of the Eras Tour in Singapore and cited the pop icon as an inspiration.
How Julie Tan views love
When asked about her perception on love, Tan said, “One thing I learnt is no matter what happens, always give your all. It’s only when you give your all, when it ends, you’ll have no regrets.”
And even if she gets hurt, Tan said she's “so strong that I can get through anything”.
She also pointed out how Swift turned her relationship experiences into “fabulous songs” and added, “Maybe one day I'll be writing scripts, and I'll be doing my own movies. So learning from Mother (an affectionate term for Swift used by Swifties), we can always channel all this pain into power.
“I mean, it's really who we take inspiration from. Looking at Taylor, she's really one of the biggest influences in my life.”
And Tan is more open to sharing about her love life again - when she finds the right person.
What is Julie Tan looking for in a guy?
For starters, Tan is looking for guys who are ready for marriage.
“I want to have kids. I want to be in a marriage. I want a family,” she shared, adding that she and her ex grew apart but the latter “wasn’t honest with me” about that.
In a relationship, Tan is “all about open communication and honesty”. She acknowledged that no one is perfect for each other from the get go, and is willing to compromise and “work towards being the best partner for each other”.
Tan added, “The thing is, not everyone can meet you at where you are. And not everyone is prepared to have an honest conversation because you need to do a lot of work on your own to have a real conversation.”
On a lighter note, the bubbly actress is also looking for a guy who will allow her to tap more into her feminine side.
She explained, “Ever since Travis is around, [Taylor] is more feminine, she’s allowing the man to take the lead. It’s not saying I want to be owned, but it’d be nice to have a man who knows what to do.”
For now, Tan is just being open and going with the flow.
“I’ve reached this place in my life where I surrender myself to the universe, and I just go with the flow. I just trust that what’s mine is mine. Because I attract, I don’t chase.”
Good Goodbye is an anthology film about palliative care, and it stars Tosh Rock, Andie Chen, Shane Pow, Aster Yeow, Yang Shibin, and Teo Ser Lee. It is now showing in cinemas.
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