Ken Chan fulfills dream to open gas station, restaurant despite pandemic

MANILA, Philippines — Ken Chan is proving to be an actor who can play roles that require sensitivity. He was prayed for his portrayal of a trans woman in the 2015 acclaimed afternoon drama "Destiny Rose." He again rose to the challenge in 2018 when he played a man with intellectual disability on "My Special Tatay."

As he signs an exclusive contract with GMA Network anew, Ken is given another role that would display his range as an actor even more.

He is set to headline the upcoming drama series "Ang Dalawang Ikaw" where his character will tackle Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), which the Cleveland Clinic defines as "a complex psychological condition that is likely caused by many factors, including severe trauma during early childhood (usually extreme, repetitive physical, sexual, or emotional abuse)." It was also previously known as multiple personality disorder and reportedly affects at least 1% of the world's population.

“Masasabi kong isa ito sa pinakamahirap ng character o role na naibigay sa akin ng GMA 7. Sabi ko nga, napaka-blessed ko talaga dahil nabibiyayaan ako ng mga proyektong may advocacy. Sobrang challenging niyang gawin kasi hindi lang isang tao ang ginagampanan ko dito kundi dalawa at hindi natin alam dahil baka mayroon pang ibang katauhang lalabas. Sa araw-araw na ginagawa namin ang mga eksena, sobra pa rin yung kaba ko dahil talagang mabibigat at madugo ang fight scenes,” Ken shared.

Ken has come a long way since his first exposure as one of the late German Moreno's "alagas" who was seen in the latter's "Walang Tulugan With The Master Showman."

He's stayed with GMA-7 and was given roles that many actors could only dream of.

He has nothing but good words for the network that gave him his big breaks.

“'Yung matawag ka pa lang na 'Kapuso' ay sobrang sarap na sa pakiramdam. Hindi madali ang mga pinagdaanan ko para makapasok sa showbiz industry pero binigyan ako ng pagkakataon ng GMA para buuin ang mga pangarap ko bilang isang aktor. Proud akong sabihin na dahil sa GMA, nakagawa ako ng mga teleseryeng may mga kakaibang istorya at maraming tao ang sumaya at na-inspire. Talagang minahal nila yung mga proyektong ginawa ko.” he related.

Apart from churning in fine performances, Ken is also effective as a leading man. He played the rich temperamental male lead trope in the romantic-comedy "Meant To Be" opposite Barbie Forteza in 2017. It remains to be one of GMA's cult favorite rom-com series. A year later, he again proved he could pull-off a romance amid an advocacy-driven show by showing great chemistry with co-star Rita Daniela in "My Special Tatay."

Fans of the RitKen pairing can look forward to their movie “Huling Ulan Sa Tag-araw” and the fourth season of the all-original musical competition “The Clash” where they are the "journey hosts."

Besides showbiz accomplishments, Ken is also happy to have achieved one of his childhood dreams -- to own a gasoline station.

“'Yung blessings na binibigay sa akin ng Panginoon, ayaw kong sayangin dahil alam niyang marami akong mga taong matutulungan through my businesses. Naaalala ko noong mga 10 years old ako, sabi ko sa sarili ko na balang araw magkakaroon din ako ng sarili kong gasoline station. Nagdilang-anghel nga siguro talaga ako dahil I am very proud to say na naabot ko yung pangarap ko na magkaroon ng sariling gasolinahan," he recalled.

He is also set to open a restaurant called Made In Wok.

Present during the contract signing were GMA Senior Vice President for Entertainment Group Lilybeth G. Rasonable, GMA Vice President for Drama Productions Redgie Acuña-Magno, GMA Senior Assistant Vice President for Alternative Productions Gigi Santiago-Lara, GMA Artist Center Assistant Vice President and Head for Talent Imaging and Marketing Unit Simoun Ferrer, GMAAC Senior Talent Manager Tracy Garcia, and Program Manager Nini Matilac.