Everything You Wanted to Know About ‘Hanap-Hanap’ Singer-Songwriter James Reid
We're starting to think there isn't anything Filipino-Australian sensation James Reid can't do.
James got his start as a reality TV star before taking up acting, becoming a heartthrob in popular teen dramas, and eventually showcasing his musical talents as well—including in the mega-viral Tagalog-language love song, "Hanap-Hanap." He's also the CEO of his own record label, Careless Music, which he's run while continuing with both music and acting, not to mention his aspirations to be a celebrity chef someday as well. We haven't stopped listening to his latest single, "Hurt Me Too," since it dropped last month, and if you're equally obsessed, keep scrolling to discover everything he shared with us as this week's Man Crush Monday.
(Photo credit: Aya Cabauatan)
Name: Robert James Reid
Hometown: Was Sydney, Australia, now Manila, Philippines
Birthday: May 11
Fun Facts:
1. James' all-time favorite movie is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
"C.R.A.Z.Y. is also mind-bending and funny."
-James Reid
2. He'd love for Johnny Depp to play him in a movie about his life.
"I think he could show the craziness of my life really well. I also love Johnny Depp."
-James Reid
3. Cats are his favorite animals.
"I am a cat person. Something about cats. Dogs are like pets or like a child. Cats feel like a roommate. They do their own thing and come and go. They do not just follow your orders. I like that they play hard to get. Maybe that's it. You really need to learn to speak their language to get them to like you, I think."
-James Reid
4. You'd never guess it, but James always thought he was going to be a chef.
"I am doing the furthest possible thing I can do from being a chef right now, music and acting. I never thought that I was going to do any of this stuff, and to me, it is quite hilarious. I was actually actively trying to avoid it, and still somehow ended up getting deeper and deeper into it. I was just walking down the street here in Manila and someone bumped into me and they were like, 'Hey, you should audition for this reality TV show,' and I fell backwards into it. After the reality TV show, I transitioned into acting, and after that went into music. It was just crazy. Maybe someday, I will be a chef."
-James Reid
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5. Skydiving was the scariest thing he's ever done.
"There is nothing scarier than ignoring the natural instinct to avoid jumping out of a plane and I think that takes the crown. It was the most terrifying, but the most beautiful experience."
-James Reid
6. His girlfriend makes him laugh more than anyone else.
"I spend the most time with her, but she is also the funniest and not the funniest person. She has no fear in dropping the absolute worst puns you have ever heard in your life."
-James Reid
7. He's never been into sweets, and the one snack he couldn't live without is avocado.
"I eat it literally every day."
-James Reid
8. If he could only shop for clothes from one place, of course, it'd be online.
"Is that a cheap answer? If not the internet, then maybe the thrift store, because you do not know what you are going to get. I need the options."
-James Reid
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9. On pizza, he's willing to eat anything but pineapple.
"I am cool with everything but warm fruit. It does not make sense."
-James Reid
10. After a tough day, he likes to unwind and get out of his head by cooking at home with his girlfriend.
"I think it is because you really have to focus on what you are doing and I really get absorbed in it. It is really fun, so nothing distracts me like whipping up a delicious meal with my girlfriend. I should make this into a show. I do not have the courage to do that yet, though. In a few years, that would be the scariest thing I have done, which would be making my own cooking show."
-James Reid
11. Above everything else, James thinks of himself as a curious soul.
"I love knowing how things work, why things work, how people work. I am also very curious about what I can do, and I think that is also what drives me to do all these different things. Because of that curiosity, I am not really scared of the unknown or of things going wrong. I am extremely optimistic, to a fault sometimes. I am not sure if I ever said that to my fans before."
-James Reid
For more on the guys who inspire us, click HERE to learn everything you wanted to know about rising country star Cameron Whitcomb.