Changing his tune

It may be this kind of genuineness that makes director Deng An-ning (鄧安寧) wonder why Nieh did so well as a first-time actor. "It comes very natural for him to act," says Deng, who directed "Internet Beauty Live Show," a miniseries on Super TV. "Maybe it's because he's a California kid?"

Or, perhaps, it's as Liu Chih-chi (劉智琦), the program producer for "Taiwan Tonight," says: "Dennis works very hard, does not complain and really appreciates the opportunities that were given to him."

Despite his new success and his brushes with fame, Nieh still revels in memories rooted in ordinary family experiences. Like when the whole family would treat grocery shopping and cooking Chinese cabbage as a big deal. These are days he left behind on the other side of the Pacific. "The best thing that can ever happen in life is to be an ordinary person and lead an ordinary life," he says.

But ordinary seems a relatively abstract concept nowadays for Nieh. For the curtain is coming up and he's taking the stage again, this time as a comedian. Bounding off into the bright lights, he whispers: "Stay and watch."For your information: "Taiwan Tonight" airs on ICRT FM100.7 every weekday evening from 6PM to 9pm.