Call Van Ness Wu Mr. Nice Judge.
That’s because the Taiwanese-American pop idol, best known for his stint with the Taiwanese boy band F4 and his role in the phenomenal telenovela “Meteor Garden,” remembers how it was like in the early days of his career.
Related to contestants
“That’s how I started, you know, just pursuing each part of my career slowly, bit by bit, piece by piece and so I just sympathize with them,” he said.
He related especially to the younger talents, seeing them try their best and do something they love.
It was also a stint he really prepared for.
Took his sweet time
But first he had to decide whether he really wanted to join the reality competition or not.
“I took my sweet time,” he confessed, trying to figure out how to squeeze the show into a packed schedule that included shooting two movies.
He was also curious to know who would join him in the judging panel.
Foster sealed the deal
When he learned producer-songwriter David Foster was joining AGT, it became easy for his to say yes.
“That was one of the big one for me,” he confessed.
“I’m a huge fan of him its been so amazing to have been worked with him, and with Melanie and I feel really blessed to have this opportunity.”
Doing their homework
Just like the acts of the show, the four judges also did prep work.
Van Ness said he watched all the “Got Talent” shows on YouTube to see how it went.
“In the very beginning it was quite nerve wracking because you don’t know what you’re supposed to (look for). It took a couple of auditions for us to get comfortable with the buzzers and go down on it,” he said.
Advice
And for making it in the cutthroat entertainment industry, Van Ness cites talent, hard work and having an open mind as necessary qualities.
“Be humble and grateful at the right time and the right place and don’t give up,” he added.
When things begin to get hectic, just remember to “breathe, relax and just enjoy the moment.”
"Asia’s Got Talent" starts on March 12 at 8.05 pm, with subsequent episodes airing Thursdays, 8:30 pm on AXN.
By Pamela Moon | Yahoo Southeast Asia Newsroom
