Home-grown actor Wang Weiliang says he truly feels like he is living up to his titular role in the new movie, Lucky Boy.

As the romantic lead, he gets to romance and kiss his pretty co-star, Hong Kong actress Venus Wong.

Wang, 29, confesses to The Straits Times that he was "so nervous" when he first met her.

"I knew the kind of scenes that we would be doing together later on, so I felt really nervous. I felt a little embarrassed too," the bachelor says in Mandarin.

"She is so beautiful and bubbly, and I really had a good time filming with her. I felt really lucky to be cast opposite her."

In Lucky Boy, which opens in cinemas tomorrow, he plays Lin Yu, a boy who has been pining for his childhood crush, Qing Qing (Wong), his entire life.

The two leads eventually share a passionate kiss in a scene that Wang, who is not in a serious relationship, says was not as awkward to shoot as he had expected.

"Actually, that scene was supposed to be one of the first scenes to be shot, but director Boris Boo wanted us to build some chemistry first. So he moved it to the very last day of filming.

"By that time, Venus and I had already gotten to know each other quite well, so it was quite easy to shoot. Venus is a complete professional, so you feel comfortable around her."

Besides having an attractive co-star, the actor says he feels fortunate just to be given the chance to lead a movie for the first time.

Wang, who is best known for being part of the ensemble cast of director Jack Neo's hit Ah Boys To Men army films, says he never imagined that this day would come for him.

"Of course, I have wished and dreamt for this kind of thing to happen ever since I joined the entertainment industry. Now that it has actually happened, I can only say that I am so grateful and lucky."

Mr Lim Teck, managing director of Clover Films, which produced the movie, had said: "We wanted to find a lead that the audience could sympathise with. That is Weiliang's strength."

Wang is nothing if not an everyman.

He dropped out of secondary school when he was 14, was once part of a street gang and spent most of his teenage years and early 20s in odd jobs, such as peddling mobile phone accessories at coffee shops.

He reportedly had to sing at a gigolo bar to make ends meet, before getting more regular gigs as a getai host later.

His big break came when Neo cast him in the first Ah Boys To Men film (2012), in which he played the witty Ah Beng nicknamed Lobang.

He has since starred in other films by Neo, such as The Lion Men (2014) and also snagged other television-hosting gigs, including travel shows Mission S-Change (2015) and Bengpire (2016).

He says: "Not everything has been smooth in my life, but the heavens gave me a strong will.

"I've always tried my best at everything I do and I've never stopped striving for more. When you reach the end of a bumpy journey, it's smooth-sailing."

•Lucky Boy opens in cinemas tomorrow.