He’s one of Caldecott Hill’s veteran actors and since his shot to fame, Ix Shen has been kept busy with his involvement in the media and entertainment scene, as well as supporting a cause, close to heart – the local Sports Council.

Definitely a friendly face that’s recognizable at a glance, we managed to catch up with Ix Shen, for a cosy chat about his work, and life in general. We did find out that our rather reserved hunk who enjoys a good workout also like his gadgets...

Hi Ix, thanks for taking time out of your ever busy schedule to join us at T3! Mind sharing with our readers what exactly keeps you on your feet these days?Well. I've been rather busy with an upcoming cop-and-robber drama, where before this, I was filming the Pride and Honor series. I've also started my own exercise studio, so it has been a rather busy period for me.

It seems...that you're not only sporty and fit, but can whip up a nice batch of cookies?
Ha...who told you that? But yes, I do enjoy spending time in the kitchen, although that hasn't happened for a while since I've moved.

 I see. As an active sportsman, you've done quite a bit for our local sports community in terms of raising awareness locally, would you care to elaborate?
Personally, I've been involved in the sporting scene long before I took on acting as a career, so it's only natural for me to do as much as I can, to support this healthy living campaign.

 Sporting events similar to the Adventure Race that commenced in June? We heard the turn-out was around 300 people strong!
That's about right. In fact, I was invited as an ambassador to bring across the message, as well as to actively participate in the event. It was of course, mostly fun, than work to me.

We've seen your involvement in reel life and on-stage, and we know you've got a packed schedule. How do you manage your time? Is there a laptop/smartphone organizing it, or...a particular lady in your life?
Yeah, it's really packed, but when you've a passion for something, it never seems too tough. In fact, just like in theatre, with a live audience where feedback is immediate, it just makes performing more enjoyable. As for managing...Currently, there isn't a lady (chuckles) but I've got my hp PDA that keeps me on track. But, I do still use the conventional pen and paper, just as a backup plan.

That's what it should be. I'm a compulsive backup-backup-backup person! Ah...And do you like games, the non-outdoor type of activities?
Eh. I would have to say no. (pauses) I quit playing games about 9 years back, especially when I got a little too busy.

So what kind of games did you play in the past?I used to play Warcraft, and yes. It was addictive. Even until today, my friends who still game, talk about their strategies and gameplay, all the time.

Ha. Been there during my WOW(World of Warcraft) days... Turning to tech – What was the very first gadget you ever owned?
My very first gadget...that would probably be my numeric pager when I was in Secondary school. Those were fun times where you had to manually key numbers in, one after another.

Pagers. Haven't seen one of those in ages. Now, for our star question! Do you like your gadgets simple or complicated? For e.g just for basic phone calls, or complete with an MP3 player and camera function?
Depends really. I like them both, basic gadgets when I'm in Singapore and more complex ones, overseas. When I'm abroad, I like to bring along my GPRS, laptop, PDA and camera.

I see. So what gadget can cause withdrawal syndromes and a “I am doomed” effect when you're without it?(Laughs) I could probably could do without my mobile for a few days, or weeks on end. But, maybe I couldn't live without my laptop.

Ah. Would that be a Mac?
Nope, a HP laptop. I do like the Mac's design, but functionality-wise, certain softwares might have compatibility issues on a Mac and that would be a big problem to me.

Finally, now that we've heard much hype about the iPhone, what are your thoughts on it? Loveable or a fluke?I actually respect the people behind the iPhone. The phone seemed to have been built with the user's experience in mind, centered around what people want.

People-centric design, eh. That's great news for the people at Apple. It was a great pleasure meeting you, and we're glad that you like your gadgets.