It's not uncommon for celebrities to want to keep unglam shots of themselves out of the public eye — Rami Malek, anyone?

But for local actor Romeo Tan, he openly shared on Instagram a throwback shot of himself as a chubby kid and used the attention it got to spread some positivity.

On his post, the 35-year-old wrote: "I suddenly missed the carefree life I led when I was younger. I'll turn 36 in a few days and I want to tell myself, 'Ah boy, you are amazing already. No matter how complicated the world gets, you just need to find a pure version of yourself in your own world.'

"Everyone should bear in mind that as long as you live an exciting life, you won't be letting yourself down. Because, you are unique."

Netizens were full of encouragement and praise for Romeo. While some pointed out the brand of his shirt (who didn't wear Bodymaster back in the day?), others said he looked cute and urged him to be himself.

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bryanlim@asiaone.com

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