10 things to know about Tyler Ten - the hot bad boy from Emerald Hill

Isn’t it strange (yet exhilarating), how we so often root for the bad boy? How we want him to succeed in life or win in the game of love? Tyler Ten’s breakout role as the gangster Bai A-Li in Mediacorp’s Emerald Hill featuring a star-studded cast which includes Zoe Tay, Chantalle Ng, Tasha Low and Jesseca Liu, has got us doing just that.

Even though his love rival is the more affluent and dashing Huang Zuye played by Zhang Zetong, Tyler’s cheeky charisma, emotional aloofness (but deep inside we know he’s a softie), that devil-may-care buzz-cut, coupled with his toned and muscular body and towering height of 1.9m, is the perfect definition of a rebel heartthrob.

He may have lost the love of his life on-screen but he is definitely winning in life off-screen. Here’s 10 things every Tyler fan should know.

1. You better believe it! He’s an introvert IRL 

His on-screen character Bai A-Li is an extrovert who is not afraid to express his thoughts and feelings. But the real Tyler can’t be more of the opposite. Tyler has admitted to being awkward in social situations and a little overwhelmed during large press conferences. In fact, he’s happiest when he doesn’t “need to talk much”. However, Tyler admits that now you can see “the extroverted side of him” every time the camera is on. 

 2. He fought a fire for six hours 

He was an SCDF personnel during his National Service days and when he was halfway through his reservist, Tyler and his team mates  were activated to a big oil tank fire. He said in an 8 Days interview: “It was pretty scary ‘cos the fire was inside the oil tank and we couldn’t really see it. We fought the fire for six hours and had to stay overnight to monitor it in case it reignited. That’s definitely the most dramatic case I was involved in.”

3. What a darling - Tyler treated his fans to a lunch at Swensen’s

He doesn’t really acknowledge them as fans but more like his supporters. And to sincerely thank them for their support for him all these years (since his Star Search days in 2019), he took them out for a well deserved thank you lunch. He may have missed out on winning Most Popular Rising Star at the Star Awards 2023 and went home empty handed that night, but he is truly grateful for the support he has received from his fans. 

4. He performed a pole dance at the Bugis Street bus stop 

Well, it was more of a dare, really. Both him and fellow actor/singer Desmond Ng had to complete a challenge for The Celebrity Agency, where they were given 30 minutes to ask as many members of the public who they would rather date. As they were tied with two votes each after 30 minutes, both Desmond and Tyler had to pole dance at the bus stop. While Desmond has proclaimed that he will never go to Bugis again, Tyler was more nonchalant and cool about it saying, “If you don’t feel embarrassed, then it’ll be the ones watching who will feel awkward.”  

5. He is a Muay Thai expert

If you’re a Tyler fan, you’ll already know this. If you don’t, are you really a fan? Yes, Tyler practised Muay Thai from a young age and won his first competition at age 14. He is also trained in bodybuilding and is a martial arts instructor.

6. Awww... his grandmother is the apple of his eye

While he is pretty tight-lipped about the relationship with his grandparents,  he did reveal that he does share a close relationship with his grandmother, who “sort of brought [him] up”. And perhaps due to this tight kinship with the older generation, he would like to be more involved in charity work especially with the elderly. In an interview with 8 Days, he mentioned:  “The elderly will always get me lah ‘cos they [look] so fragile. They’re also very lonely, especially those who stay alone. It’s good to keep them company and by helping them with daily necessities.”

7. There’s a chance we may see his butt one day

Hold your horses ladies! It’s not anytime soon but in an interview about his future roles, Tyler did not rule out bedroom scenes but he said he has to read the script first before agreeing to it. And while he said no to a full-frontal nude scene, the 28-year-old actor is ok to show his butt.

8. There is a real bromance between him and Zhang Zetong  

In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Zhang Zetong shares that he and Tyler do meet up outside of production hours “to discuss ideas and methods on approaching certain scenes”. Zetong says: “It’s kind of heartwarming, and it’s been a great experience to act with this guy.” 

9. Bullies used to spit water at him

Although he was very tall in Primary 6, 1.78m to be exact, he was also very skinny and vulnerable. He got bullied a lot as he was a “nerdy”-looking and lanky boy referring to himself as a fictional internet monster who is unnaturally tall and very thin - Slenderman. “People would make fun of me and do things like spit water at me, but it stopped after I entered secondary school.”

10. From model to actor to a budding hairstylist?

Before he was an actor, he was signed to modelling agency NOW Model Management. But after he became an actor, he tried his hand at being a hairstylist… well just for fun. Tyler joined a Shunji Matsuo Salon for a day, working alongside the salon’s director Lawrence. Yes, he did get a real client and got a taste of what it’s like to be a stylist. He washed his client’s hair, attempted his first haircut which led to accidentally dropping the comb, to nervously snipping a little slower than usual - very normal for a first-timer.