SINGAPORE, April 17 — Okay, we know the Star Awards — that glitzy, yearly excuse for a red carpet to get out of the house —is not exactly a war. In fact, it’s about as non-violent and politically correct as you can get. But hey, let’s tell it like it is: In any race, there can only be winners and losers.
From now until April 26, it’s a not-so-bitter fight to the finish amongst the nominees in the categories of Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. And in the game of Stars, you win or you — well, you don’t die; at most you take MC to get out of going to work the next day — but you probably will feel like winter is coming.
Like the rabble-rousers that we are, we sounded the clarion call and assembled 13 of this year’s nominees (the others were out of the country or had scheduling conflicts), and had them identify their strengths and weaknesses, going into the competition.
Many of our stalwart gladiators were quick to point out that sometimes, the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but time and chance happeneth to them all. We’ll accept that, but this year, we have no patience for diplomatic niceties such as, ‘Just being nominated is good enough’. No, sir — if you’ve been nominated, you have a fighting chance, so, slap on your war paint, gird your loins and get your gameface on. Let’s go broadside and broadside; mano a mano. No one wants to go home with the ‘Thank you for playing’ scratch card. Instead, cry ‘Havoc!’ and let slip the dogs of war.
Contender: REBECCA LIM
Gunning for: Best Actress, Yes We Can
Tactical advantage: “Hopefully, what I’m going to wear for battle? (Laughs) The character’s imaging helped to make it a different Rebecca. After the second day, I was like, ‘I’m just going to heck it and go all the way. If I look ugly or frumpy or ridiculous, it doesn’t matter, as long as I have fun.’ That showed on screen. Other than that, I don’t see how it’s possible (that I’d win). (If I did) I would attribute it to divine intervention — or maybe the judges were looking for something REALLY different.” (Laughs)
Achilles’ heel: “I think I haven’t really earned my right to win Best Actress yet. I wouldn’t like to think that this is the best performance I can give, because if it is, that would be the end of my acting career. I want to be someone who’s extremely convincing in every role. Also, acting is really about experience. The veterans always deserve it more.”
How much does she want to win?
“I really want to win. (Laughs) I won’t say, ‘Being nominated is good enough.’ Awards do mean something for your career; even for your own confidence. An award also means indirect appreciation for the people who have helped you along the way — the ones who believe in you when you don’t even believe in yourself.”
Contender: YVONNE LIM
Gunning for: Best Actress, World At Your Feet
Tactical advantage: “My experience – I’ve been in this industry the longest. And I think I did justice to my role in the sense that there was depth and people could really relate to it.”
Achilles’ heel: “As much as this role was rich and real, I think it could have been given more scenes or more focus. World At Your Feet was a really big drama and there were many different characters in it, so the scenes were quite spread out.”
How much does she want to win?
“I haven’t thought too much into it because my focus now is my baby. I’ll just see how it goes, because it seems like when I’m not planning for anything and not making decisions, things just happen in a more positive way.”
Contender: SHAUN CHEN
Gunning for: Best Actor, The Journey: Tumultuous Times
Tactical advantage: “My strength is that I am a good loser. (Laughs) I’ve lost many times – not just acting awards, but in other aspects of life, including my career. My strength is that I don’t have much to lose.”
Achilles’ heel: “I don’t have awards luck. As a kid, I entered many school competitions, such as badminton matches. I’ve never won an award in my life. Buy Toto – no luck. Buy 4D – no luck!”
How much does he want to win?
“Of course I want to win it, but my competitors are too strong. I’m the youngest and the others are more experienced and skilled than I am. But I did my best and feel I portrayed what I needed to.”
Contender: THOMAS ONG
Gunning for: Best Actor, Three Wishes
Tactical advantage: “What was I nominated for? Best Actor? Okay. (Laughs) A lot of the performance was spontaneous. It’s exhausting and also very fulfilling. I think that showed on screen.”
Achilles’ heel: “My age? No, Hanwei is older. (Smiles) I don’t know how to analyse this. I liked my performance in this show. I enjoyed this project tremendously. I think that’s more important.”
How much does he want to win?
(Long pause) “Oh, yeah, of course I hope to win. (Laughs) As I said, I enjoy the moment of working on a good script more than I think about whether I will win something.”
Contender: CHEN HANWEI
Gunning for: Best Actor, Blessings; and Best Supporting Actor, The Journey: Tumultuous Times
Tactical advantage: “I am always doing homework. For example, for the mentally unstable baddie I played in Tumultuous Times, I did my research not by watching other people play it crazy, but by watching real-life documentaries and absorbing the mannerisms. It’s all in how you prepare for a role. For instance, I love watching lovers quarrel on the streets. Once, I saw a couple arguing outside an MRT station. I stopped my car on a double yellow line and got out to watch them, hiding in a corner and pretending to be absorbed.”
Achilles’ heel: “I think as long as you’re one of the five people nominated, you’re pretty much okay. It just depends on how the clips are edited for the judges’ viewing.”
How much does he want to win?
“Frankly speaking, I hope Shaun will take Best Actor, because I saw how hard he worked on Tumultuous Times. That’s not to say that the others didn’t work hard – it’s just that I’ve seen Shaun grow from not having much to show for, to delivering really good results in the past two years.”
Contender: ZHANG ZHEN HUAN
Gunning for: Best Supporting Actor, Against The Tide
Tactical advantage: “It’s too clichéd to say that being nominated is a form of affirmation, so I’ll say that being nominated two years in a row is a form of affirmation. It’s probably not just pure luck. If you really want me to pick a strength, I think it’s that my performance did surprise even myself. I tried to approach this role differently: He’s a baddie but I didn’t try to play that up; instead I tried to give him character and attitude. It was a little more inward-looking, and the way he talked was different. So, to me, there was a breakthrough, compared to some of the characters I’ve played in the past.”
Achilles’ heel: “Perhaps if I had a little more life experience, the character might have had more depth. And my competitors are just too strong.”
How much does he want to win?
“Actually, I really want to win – especially since I’m not nominated for Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes this year. So, all my hopes are pinned on this award.”
Contender: ALOYSIUS PANG
Gunning for: Best Supporting Actor, Against The Tide
Tactical advantage: “It’s probably just the ‘fresh new face’ effect. It’s always nice to look at someone new. People haven’t seen me play a role like this, whereas the veterans have played similar roles time and time again.”
Achilles’ heel: “I’m new, I’m inexperienced, I’m still exploring. Nobody actually knows who I am. The veterans know how to do proper character creation. That’s something I didn’t do well and am still not doing well. So, in terms of performance, I’m lacking; experience, I’m lacking; popularity, I’m lacking. It’s more than an Achilles’ heel – it’s more like a calf or thigh.”
How much does he want to win?
“Being nominated at this point in time is already a huge stepping-stone for my career – which is why I’ve never considered the fact that I might win. Okay, maybe in the shower, I hold up a bottle of shampoo and imagine that I have a thank-you speech prepared, but it’s just for fun. I want it, but I think that I already have enough. I used to think that people who said these things were kind of bullshitty, but now that I’m in their shoes, I actually believe what they’re saying.”
Contender: CHEN SHU CHENG
Gunning for: Best Supporting Actor, Blessings
Tactical advantage: “I never thought this role would be so well received. It was not an easy one to grasp. I won the award in 2012 for playing a character that also had dementia, so I had to take pains to play this one differently. Experimenting with new styles is better than marching on the spot.”
Achilles’ heel: “I’m best at retreating – charging halfway and then running away. (Laughs) Singapore actors are all quite hardworking and our skills are around the same level. If you were lucky and got a good role, then you’ll have a better shot at an award. Oldies like me just want to do our job well. I’m nominated every year but usually go home empty handed. Comparing an awards ceremony to a battle is apt but at my age, I’d rather do what I do for my own enjoyment and not to be decorated by others.”
How much does he want to win?
“No one is so humble as to say they don’t want to win. The desire to win is motivation – if you don’t have it, you’ll never improve. Being nominated is affirmation, but if you have that trophy sitting in your house, that’s even greater affirmation. Plus, the one who wins gets on go on stage and say what’s in his heart. The other four can only sit there and smile foolishly. At that moment, you might inadvertently give away your disappointment – so all of us just clap furiously and give silly smiles.”
Contender: ZHU HOU REN
Gunning for: Best Supporting Actor, In The Name Of Love
Tactical advantage: “I really can’t think of anything that might have endeared my performance to the audience. I am this year’s biggest underdog. It’d be impossible for me to win. Don’t you know how this game is played? Don’t ask me any more!” (Laughs)
Achilles’ heel: “I think I was nominated because there were already two young guys nominated, so they just added in three old guys for variety. And these days, belting out high notes is in fashion. Do you understand? In reality singing competition shows, you don’t get chosen unless you scream at the top of your lungs. It’s the same with acting – it’s difficult to win an award with a subtle performance. To repeat myself: This year, the fashion is high notes, and I am a baritone.”
How much does he want to win?
“I don’t. Because I don’t even have the faintest recollection of playing this role. I feel guilty because that means I wasn’t into it. I thought I’d be nominated for Three Wishes, which did leave an impression on me. So, it’d be best not to give me the award. It’d be letting people down.”
Contender: PAIGE CHUA
Gunning for: Best Supporting Actress, Against The Tide
Tactical advantage: “The character was outstanding. Her lines showed her personality already, so I didn’t really have to do much to add to it. I’ve thought about my thank-you speech, just in case. It would be something along the lines of my character getting to live forever – I’m just helping her leave a legacy while I move on to something else.”
Achilles’ heel: “We were supposed to choose one episode to send for judgment. In that episode, there are some moments I really love, but there are some I think I didn’t nail. I hope they don’t catch those!”
How much does she want to win?
“As much as I don’t want to lose! I guess winning will allow other people, especially executive producers, to trust me even more, so that as Paige Chua, I’ll be able to do a much wider variety of roles in the future.”
Contender: JULIE TAN
Gunning for: Best Supporting Actress, Three Wishes
Tactical advantage: “I’ve been in this industry for six years. I think my acting skills have matured over time. I believe that being nominated shows that people have seen improvement and feel that maybe it’s time for me to be on the next level. (In Three Wishes) I only had three episodes to showcase my talent … Other than that, the story revolves around Biren and Thomas. So, it was quite a surprise to be nominated.”
Achilles’ heel: “My competitors are strong. That’s my weakness. I’ve seen Joanne’s performance and it’s good. She was also nominated based on only a few episodes! She’s someone I look up to. I mean, she’s bilingual — I’m still working on that.”
How much does she want to win?
“I want that trophy. I really, really want it. I mean, who doesn’t? Of course I hope to be able to bring it home.”
Contender: XIANG YUN
Gunning for: Best Supporting Actress, The Caregivers
Tactical advantage: “My character was an unorthodox one – a rich tai tai who would experience bouts of mental instability when stressed. She was also slightly comedic. I had a lot of fun doing scenes in which my frustration would build to boiling point.”
Achilles’ heel: “If you’re going to be in a fight, you have to be prepared to win or lose. I’ve been nominated many times and lost many times. This show aired a long time ago and people might not remember the character. And I’ve heard the new actresses who are nominated did outstanding jobs – they can’t be underestimated and I’m happy for them.”
How much does she want to win?
“Actors like me who have been on the job for many years really hope for breakthroughs. Whenever you excitedly take on a role, and the audience receives it well, you really hope to be affirmed.”
Contender: CARRIE WONG
Gunning for: Best Supporting Actress, The Journey: Tumultuous Times
Tactical advantage: “My language skills. I didn’t learn English until I started primary school, so that built a very strong Chinese foundation and it’s a great advantage now. People ask, ‘How is it that you act so naturally?’ If you are fluent in Chinese, you don’t even have to memorise the script. You just read it and you can phrase it in your own words. You don’t have to act. It just flows.”
Achilles’ heel: “The other nominees have been in the industry a long time and, unlike me, it’s not their first or second drama they’re being nominated for. That means they outdid themselves. I think I was lucky, but they did it based on their strength, not by luck. I don’t have the confidence that I will get nominated again for my next drama.”
How much does she want to win?
“I’ve only been in the industry for one year and everything has gone so smoothly and well that I’m a bit scared. I mean, I expected to be nominated for Best Newcomer, but Best Supporting and Top 10… I don’t even know how to react. So, if I don’t win, I’ll know it’s normal. Things never go that smoothly — there are bound to be some obstacles in life!”
Catch the Star Awards Show 1 on April 19 at 7pm and Show 2 on April 26 at 7pm (Walk Of Fame at 5pm) ‘live’ on MediaCorp TV Channel 8. — TODAY
