PUBLISHED ONFebruary 15, 2023 9:29 AMByKhoo Yi-HangKwok Kar PengHis was probably the greatest underdog story in local showbiz.
Last year, when Brandon Wong scored his first-ever win at Star Awards — the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes award — after acting for 27 years, colleagues and local viewers cheered hard for him.
In a backstage interview with AsiaOne last year, he said: "I've been nominated for Best Supporting Actor and even Best Actor many times, but I was always lacking something. So I always encourage myself with an ancient poem, that before heaven places a great responsibility on a great man, it always frustrates his spirit and exhausts his body."
It seems the heavens have decided the 51-year-old is ready.
The nominee list for Star Awards 2023 was released today (Feb 15) and Brandon is nominated in both the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor categories for his roles in Dark Angel and Leave No Soul Behind respectively.
This is his first time he's nominated for both acting honours in the same year.
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AsiaOne caught him for a chat immediately after the announcement and he told us that this is a "new beginning" for him and his "double nominations mean double happiness".
"In my 28 years in this industry, my contributions have gradually left their footprints — and they're finally being recognised in the effort that I put into every minor and major role I play."
He explained that his manager was the first to break the news to him and he was initially very surprised.
Brandon also jokingly said that his win last year for Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes secured his position as an 'idol' in the industry, and these nominations now prove that he doesn't fall short in the "finesse" category, either.
And even though he knows that his win depends on both the role that he played and the judges' opinions, he's confident that he has portrayed his characters in ways that can touch the hearts of viewers.
Speaking of his role in Leave No Soul Behind, he said: "My character doesn't go through a lot of very dramatic events, but the story and his experiences are very true to life — and this can touch the hearts of people and let Leave No Soul Behind be a show that people enjoy."
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Brandon plays Tian Long in Leave No Soul Behind, a deceased props-man who has unfulfilled wishes in the realm of the living relating to the family members that he's left behind.
He then becomes a ghost that haunts actress Gu Xin (Felicia Chin), who is the only one capable of helping him clear his regrets and reincarnate.
As for his supporting role in Dark Angel, where he played a parent wanting justice for their child who committed suicide after being bullied, he feels that the motivations of this character is something parents can understand.
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"After I finished acting, I was elated to finally put down the burdening pain I felt when portraying the character — so I'm very happy that many people could see this performance.
"I also received some encouraging messages acknowledging my performance, saying that I should get an award… So I felt that I was finally worthy of these two roles that I played and the two very different backgrounds that they have."
Since his win last year, Brandon has noted that he's been getting more roles and more interview requests from the media.
Chalking it up to people being taken by his emotional speech at last year's Star Awards and people paying closer attention to his performances, Brandon said that this has all culminated in his nominations announced today.
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And despite his nominations now and his win last year, Brandon's held firm that these awards aren't really what matters to him.
He asserted: "From the first day I joined this industry, I've always been motivated by my passion for acting — I've never really thought about aiming for awards.
"To me, when a good actor receives a role, they'll think about how to understand, create and present it as best and as closely to the script as possible, and give a really, really good performance that the audience can appreciate.
"Whether or not I win prizes is just icing on the cake… that's beyond our control. What I can control is that when I receive this role, I do my homework, do my job and give my best."
Brandon also added that these nominations, to him, are proof that as long as he keeps his passion for acting as his priority and puts his all into acting each and every role, there will be a day where his skills are recognised.
"I've continued to persist in my passion for acting, even till this day where I've reached a new milestone in my 28-year-long career… I'm really appreciative of it all."
Some changes have been made to this year's edition of Star Awards, including the addition of the new category Most Popular Rising Stars, awarded to three talents with five years or less experience who gathered the greatest number of fan votes.
Talents who win this award will be one step closer to the All-Time Favourite Artiste Award, which is given to celebrities who have won the Top 10 Most Popular Artistes awards 10 times.
Furthermore, there won't be a preliminary shortlist of the Top 40 Most Popular Artistes. Instead, all eligible nominees will proceed straight to public voting.
The Best Newcomer award has also been renamed Best Rising Star.
Mediacorp promises superstars will perform live in person at the award ceremony and details will be released later.
Star Awards 2023 will be held at Marina Bay Sands on April 9 with a live backstage telecast starting at 3.30pm, the Walk of Fame at 5pm, and the awards ceremony at 7pm. Viewers can catch the shows on Channel 8, Channel U, meWATCH and Mediacorp Entertainment YouTube channel.
ALSO READ: 'I was always lacking something': After 27 years, Brandon Wong finally snags first Star Awards win
khooyihang@asiaone.com
kwokkarpeng@asiaone.com
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