Amanda FooThe Star Awards this year belongs to veterans whose work haven’t been recognised for more than a decade.
For Dennis Chew, best known for his gender-bending role as ‘Auntie Lucy’ in the variety show Paris & Milan, it has been a wait that has spanned 24 years. You do a double take, of course, since he’s nowhere as old as his middle-aged alter ego, but the guy says he started as a teenager.
“I can’t believe that I’ve won, that’s why I’m holding on so tightly to the award,” said Chew, who was all smiles during the interview backstage immediately after his acceptance speech.
He added that he’s not disappointed losing the Best Variety Show Host award to Mark Lee as Chew didn’t dare to hope for the award in the first place.
Constance Song, who won Best Supporting Actress for her role as the scheming Jiang Ruolin in the blockbuster The Ultimatum, has been yearning for this award for 12 years.
The actress was overwhelmed with emotion as she went up on stage to collect her award, tearing up immediately. Even backstage post-win, Song was still choked up, adding that she’d waited very long for this award and that before the winner was announced, she was terrified of the disappointment if she didn’t win.
“I was thinking, if my manager and production team believed so much in me, why is that I’ve not gotten the nod of approval or support from the audience yet? So I guess with today’s win, I’ve finally gotten that approval,” gushes Song.
For Zhu Houren, it has been 16-year journey for him to get his hands on that Best Supporting Actor award for his work as a senile old man deluded into thinking that he is a police officer in Reunion Dinner.
“As an actor, to be able to not only take on a role you enjoy immensely, but also to win an award for it, it’s an amazing feeling,” says Zhu, expressing his great love for his role.
He added that no matter what, this role will always be the best supporting role of all time.
The winners of the Best Actor and Best Actress awards were familiar with the accolade though.
Another cast member from Reunion Dinner, Chen Liping, picked up the Best Actress award for her role as Ah Ping, the “Iron Lady” who had to support her husband as he lost his job and take care of her father-in-law, who has been struck by dementia. This is her second Best Actress award.
“It was a very normal character, so all I could do was to move the audience with my performance, thankfully, it spoke to all the hardworking housewives,” said Chen, when asked how she worked with such a nondescript role.
Chen Hanwei won the Best Actor award for his role in Daddy At Home as Ye Zhengkang, a “house-husband” who stays home to look after the household.
“All my fellow nominees had the potential to win, I guess I just was a bit luckier than they were, however, I put in a lot of work into this role,” said Chen.
He added that while he was very happy with his second consecutive Best Actor award, he hopes that others will win the award next time lest the entertainment scene gets stagnant with the same winners.
He won Best Actor last year for By My Side for his role as an AIDS stricken man. It’s his fourth award thus far.
Mark Lee and Christopher Lee both won the All-Time Favourite Artiste award for being in the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes list for 10 years.
On no longer being able to appear in the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes list, Christopher Lee, who starred in the Kelvin Tong movie Kidnapper, which opened last month in Singapore, said he felt that it was only proper, lest the newcomers not have the chance of being shortlisted.
The 2 also hope to work on a movie together next time, as both wish for Singaporean movies to make a bigger impact in Asia.
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WINNERS
Best Drama: Together
Best Variety Programme: It’s A Small World
Best Variety Special: Chinese Challenge Grand Final
Best Newscaster: Zhao Wen Bei
Best Current Affairs Presenter: Chun Guek Lay
Best Supporting Actor: Zhu Houren
Best Supporting Actress: Constance Song
Best Info-ed Programme Host: Bryan Wong
Best Variety Host: Mark Lee
Best Actor: Chen Hanwei
Best Actress: Chen Liping
Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes
- Dai Yang Tian
- Elvin Ng
- Bryan Wong
- Qi Yuwu
- Chen Hanwei
- Tay Ping Hui
- Zhang Yaodong
- Zheng Ge Ping
- Dennis Chew
- Guo Liang
Top 10 Most Popular Female Artisites
- Quan Yi Fong
- Xiang Yun
- Rui En
- Vivian Lai
- Michelle Chia
- Jesseca Liu
- Yvonne Lim
- Felicia Chin
- Jeanette Aw
- Joanne Peh