Teejay back after Indonesian ‘conquest’

Unlike other celebrities who get complacent and rest on their laurels after scoring a major feat, former Kapuso tween star Teejay Marquez

(photo) would rather hit the ground running again after having successfully conquered Indonesia since 2016.

Showbiz watchers will remember that Teejay became a big hit in Indonesia when one of his dubsmash videos went viral, earning him followers in the neighboring Southeast Asian country.

It was soon followed by offers to star in a movie (Dubsmash The

Movie), a TV series, as well as media interviews where he was hailed as one of the Philippines’ most promising young talents.

Last year, while taking a short hiatus from his busy showbiz itinerary in Jakarta, he flew back to Manila for a much-needed rest. In August 2017, he signed up with Arnold Vegafria’s management outfit, ALV Talent Circuit, and at the same time, signed up with Regal Entertainment.

It was late last year when Teejay flew back to Indonesia to start filming for a TV soap dubbed Siapa Takut Katij Cinta (Who’s Afraid to Fall In Love?), a local adaptation of the 2001 Taiwanese drama series Meteor Garden, which was a big hit in the Philippines and the Asian region.

Because of his hectic taping schedule back then (Monday to Sunday), Teejay had not time to take on other Manila-based projects.

Thankfully, Teejay’s calendar is much freer these days that he’s back in Manila.

Asked to recap his last Indonesia trip, he said, “I also flew to Malaysia for some documents, to Hong Kong for some social media jobs, and also to Manila.”

While there, Teejay also launched his eponymous mobile phone app.

“It’s all about me — photos, videos, updates and even games. Users can win prizes. When we launched in Indonesia, we had a game and the winner flew to Manila to have a date with me, all-expenses paid. We will be launching that very soon here in Manila,” he proudly shared.

He also disclosed a collaboration with telecom companies.

In the meantime, Teejay is very excited about his new project. He will soon star in a movie directed by Adolf Alix Jr.

While in the country, he also hopes to sign up with a major network, to star in a drama serye and/or movie and maybe also sign up some endorsements and business ventures.

His manager Arnold feels proud of his ward’s latest accomplishments.

He said, “With what he’s done in Indonesia, Teejay could rightfully be called our ambassador of goodwill. It’s rare to have someone so young and talented waving the Philippine flag proudly in foreign shores. But more than that, what’s admirable is that he’s managed to do all this while maintaining a very clean and wholesome image, making him a perfect role model for our Pinoy youth.”

Now that he’s gone past his tween years, Teejay feels ready for more acting challenges.

He said, “Yes, I think I’m ready to do some daring roles and some challenging roles to show what I can do. Change is good!”