Jack Gohr and Zhen Ning belong to the generation that witnessed the internet’s awkward adolescence — growing up during the early 2010s, when everyone was still shifting from MySpace and Friendster to Facebook. Back then, social media was then a place people visit on occasions instead of where people lived on.

“My sisters introduced me to the internet when I was young. I honestly don’t remember the exact first thing I did, but I do remember spending hours trying to figure out how to use MSN, playing the OG pinball game, and just exploring whatever caught my attention,” Ning recalls. “To think that social media is what gives me opportunities today… is crazy.”

Being from a generation that grew up alongside the rise of digital culture, the internet is a playground of endless possibilities. It democratised creativity, gave birth to online communities built around the most specific obsessions, and allowed people from opposite ends of the world to find each other. The distance between fan and celebrity collapsed; access became a new form of intimacy. “Being able to connect with anyone is such a privilege that many people overlook. What do you mean you can comment on Justin Bieber’s Instagram post and there’s a chance he might actually reply?” says Jack Gohr.

The same digital archive that introduced opportunities also gave the boys a documented past they can never fully escape from. The internet remembers everything, including the versions of yourself you never thought would matter. Your aegyo TikTok dances from 2020, the awkward phases of experimenting with a new style, the random attempts at creating content; people can either use them as proof that you were never serious enough, or look back at them as the earliest chapters of the journey that brought you here.

Now stepping into the spotlight as actors making their debut in Love Algorithm, Jack Gohr and Zhen Ning enter a new era of visibility. Before audiences meet the characters they portray on screen, they first encounter the versions of themselves that already exist online. Together as Jack Ning, the two friends revisit their own digital histories — telling their story before the internet gets to tell it for them.

TAKE US BACK. WHAT’S YOUR FIRST MEMORY OF THE INTERNET?

JACK GOHR  Creating an e-mail account so I could have my own gaming profile. I was so addicted to gaming and even sneaked out in the middle of the night just to visit a cyber cafe. The biggest challenge was to make sure my grandma stayed asleep. 

WHAT WAS THE FIRST THING THE INTERNET HAD YOU OBSESSED WITH?

JG Dota. I thought it was the coolest thing ever to play with my brother and his friends when I was 15. It’s been a decade and I’m still playing it today.

GROWING UP, WHAT TYPE OF INTERNET USER ARE YOU? 

ZHEN NING I was definitely the curious type. I played a lot of games, watched too much prank videos on YouTube, and spent way too much time learning about things I was interested in.

COMPLETE THE MEMORY: THE GAME THAT DEFINED YOUR CHILDHOOD WAS…

ZN FPS games. Counter-Strike, Sudden Attack, BlackShot, Call of Duty — those were the games I grew up on. I loved the competitive side of them and was always trying to improve. I’d occasionally jump into Gran Turismo when I wanted a change of pace, but I always found my way back to shooters.

WHICH PART OF YOUTUBE WERE YOU ON?

ZN I went through a bit of everything. There were prank videos, gaming content, and all those challenge videos that were huge back then, but gaming was definitely where I spent most of my time. I loved watching PewDiePie because he was entertaining no matter what he was doing. He used to do both gaming and funny content. Back then, YouTube really felt like a rabbit hole. You’d open one video and the you’d realise you’ve been watching for hours.

THE INTERNET FOUND YOU BEFORE THE INDUSTRY DID. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

JG I was approached by Astro through Instagram. They wanted me to join a reality show. A few months later, my profile was shared with the agency I’m with now, and they offered me a contract. Posting online really does create unexpected opportunities and connects you with people you probably would’ve never met otherwise.

HOW DID BOTH OF YOU FIRST MEET EACH OTHER?

ZN The first time we met was after a YSL Beauty event. I remember Jack being really shy and we barely interacted. He left me with the impression that he was very introverted. We reconnected when I joined the agency in 2022.

YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION OF ZHEN NING?

JG I don’t remember much about our first meeting, except that I think he was wearing a sleeveless top… or maybe I’m remembering it wrong. But I do remember thinking, Damn, he’s hot. We barely spoke. It was probably just a quick, “Hi, how are you?” and “I’m your new colleague,” before we went our separate ways. [Laughs]

BACK THEN, DID YOU EVER IMAGINE THE TWO OF YOU WOULD  BECOME AS CLOSE AS YOU ARE TODAY?

ZN Not at all. I think that’s what makes it special. We met through work, and I honestly thought we’d just be two people in the same industry who crossed paths every now and then. But we kept showing up for each other, and somewhere along the way, that turned into a real friendship. It wasn’t something we forced or planned — it just happened.

AT WHAT POINT DID YOU REALISE THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN YOU BOTH COULD WORK ON SCREEN?

ZN I don’t think there was ever a specific moment when we thought, “Wow, this is really working on screen.” We were simply given the opportunity to work together, the audience seemed to enjoy our chemistry, and we thought, “Why not?” So we started creating more content together, and eventually there was the Love Algorithm.

WHAT HAVE YOU PICKED UP SINCE WORKING ON THIS PROJECT?

ZN I’ve learned to trust the process more. Watching how the team approached scenes and handled challenges reminded me that good performances come from listening and reacting, not just memorising lines.

WHAT’S YOUR MOST TOXIC ONLINE HABIT?

JG Sharing too much of my life. Sometimes I overshare when I don’t need to. Even though I choose what I post, there are moments where I stop and ask myself, “Do I really want everyone to see this?” These days, I think twice before posting. I still love what I do, but being a public figure comes with a lot of self-reflection.

ZN Refreshing my notifications and checking Instagram analytics way more often than I should. It’s part of the job, but sometimes I catch myself opening the app first thing in the morning without even thinking. It’s muscle memory. I don’t think that’s healthy.

AS PUBLIC FIGURES TODAY, WHAT RESPONSIBILITY DO YOU THINK COMES WITH HAVING A PLATFORM?

ZN People, especially younger audiences, are always watching. You don’t have to be perfect, but you should be responsible with what you share and use your platform to spread positivity.

LOVE ALGORITHM EXPLORES THE IDEA OF DESTINY. IN A WORLD WHERE ALGORITHMS INFLUENCE WHO WE CONNECT TO AND WHAT WE DISCOVER, DO YOU STILL BELIEVE IN FATE?

JG I still believe in fate. As Cole says, “人平均每天遇到一千人，一辈子便会遇到两千九百二十万人。两个人相遇的概率，是十万分之四。” (On average, a person meets about 1,000 people a day and around 29.2 million people in a lifetime. The probability of two people meeting is only four in a hundred thousand.) I think if our paths cross, it’s meant to happen. That’s destiny.

DID ACTING EVER FEEL MORE TERRIFYING THAN GOING VIRAL?

ZN Every new project comes with pressure because you want to do it justice. I wanted audiences to believe in the character and connect with the story.

JG Not really. I was more excited than nervous because I finally had the chance to work with Ning on a series.

HOW HAS THE AUDIENCE’S RESPONSE BEEN SO FAR? WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT SURPRISED YOU?

JG The response has been amazing, even though only the first few episodes have been released. If you search Love Algorithm on TikTok, you’ll find fan edits, reactions, and videos people have made about us. Seeing all of that makes me feel like everything has been worth it.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE AUDIENCES TAKE AWAY FROM LOVE ALGORITHM — AND FROM JACK NING AS A DUO?

JG From Cole, I hope people learn to express how they feel while they still have the chance. If you miss that opportunity, you might never get to say what matters most. From Jack, I hope people trust themselves, believe in who they are, and have the courage to chase the dreams they’ve always had.

ZN I hope people leave with the reminder that genuine connections still matter, even in a world driven by technology and algorithms. And as for me, I hope they see someone who’s always willing to try new things, stay authentic, and keep growing — as a creator, an actor, and simply as a person.

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