Huang Biren
| Huang Biren | |
|---|---|
 Huang filming a television advertisement | |
| Chinese name | 黃碧仁 (traditional) |
| Chinese name | 黄碧仁 (simplified) |
| Pinyin | Huáng Bìrén (Mandarin) |
| Birth name | Wee Pat Ling |
| Ancestry | Fujian, China |
| Born |
7 March 1969 Singapore |
| Other name(s) | Pat, Pat Wee, Ticko, Acting Queen, Ling, Panjang |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1988-2008 |
| Spouse(s) | Adrian Quek |
Wee Pat Ling (born 7 March 1969), better known as Huang Biren, is a Singaporean actress best known for appearing in many Chinese-language television dramas produced by MediaCorp's Channel 8. She left MediaCorp on 30 June 2008, but continues to take on television projects on an ad hoc basis.
Career
Huang joined the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (now MediaCorp) in 1988 after completing its Professional Drama Performers' Training course. She was due to study at Hawaii Pacific University in the United States but chose to go into acting when SBC offered her a contract, much to the initial disappointment of her parents.[1]
Having been in the industry for 10 years, Huang won her first Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes award in Star Awards 1997. In 1998, Huang went on to star in the hit Chinese drama series Stand By Me, which recorded rocketing viewership ratings (defeating the high-profile series Return of the Condor Heroes), despite very little promotion done prior to the drama's telecast. She played a patient and caring wife of a paraplegic (played by Xie Shaoguang), which won her the Best Actress Award at the 1998 Star Awards. She was also the first Singaporean actress ever to receive a Best Actress nomination in the 1998 Asian Television Awards for Stand By Me. Her performance in this drama had touched the hearts of many audience - since then, she has become a household name for numerous Singaporeans.
Huang has been consistently named as one of the "Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes" at MediaCorp since 1997. Having acted in more than 45 drama series, her roles have ranged from contemporary to period drama to comedy. She is frequently lauded as the best actress of her generation, and is sometimes dupped as the Meryl Streep of MediaCorp by several industry watchers and publications. (Reference: 8days)
Other award-winning lead roles other than the one in Stand By Me includes Kelian, where she played an old-fashioned and cowardly woman who was always being abused by her mother in Beautiful Connection (2002), and Lucky, where she played a gambling addict in My Lucky Charm (2005).[2] She and Ivy Lee are the only actresses in MediaCorp to be crowned Best Actress three times at the in-house Star Awards.
In 2003, Huang was nominated for the Best Drama Performance by an Actress award in the Asian Television Awards for her role in A Child's Hope. In the same year, Huang was listed in People at The Peak – The Who's Who of Singapore. Her name was once again listed in the second edition of the book, which was published in 2006. The books were sold globally.
Since 2005, Huang filmed an average of only one serial per year, compared to three drama series per year between 2002 and 2004. Rumours circulated that Huang feigned illness so that she need not take up roles that did not cast her in good light. Huang came out strongly against these rumours and attributed the drop in drama serials filmed to an asthma attack she suffered after filming The Undisclosed, granting her medical leave for a period of a year.[3][4] Another reason cited by the local media was the media merger which took place in December 2004, which led to less dramas produced as competition from SPH MediaWorks ceased to exist.
Huang did not film any serials in Year 2006. The suspense thriller The Undisclosed, which was telecast in 2006, was filmed in 2005. Instead, Huang ventured into hosting or appeared as a guest in various variety shows. Though her drama serials reduced significantly, Huang was still able to maintain her popularity levels, as attested by her popularity award wins at the Star Awards ceremonies.
In June 2007, Huang was chosen as one of the 10 TV mentors for the Star Search 2007 Reality Talent Show contestants.[5] In the same year, Huang was once again nominated for the Best Actress award in the Asian Television Awards (ATA) and Star Awards 2007 for her role as a fat, naggy and fierce housewife in Mars VS Venus. Though Huang did not manage to clinch both of the awards, she was tipped the hot favourite to win by many media, audience and industry watchers. Huang was cited as saying the following to reporters after she lost the ATA Best Actress award to Filipino actress Gina Pareno:
A nomination out of so many countries - you're talking about the whole of Asia - is already something to be proud of. So, I think it's already something that I feel is a great achievement. (Reference: Channel News Asia)
In the Star Awards 25th Anniversary Show, Huang won the coveted My Favourite Actress Award, defeating hot favourites Zoe Tay and Fann Wong. Huang was the first female artiste to win this prestigious award, which was given out in commemoration of 25 Years of drama productions.[6]
An interview conducted by 8 Days magazine in November 2007 stated that Huang had been the lead actress in seven of the eleven dramas with the annual highest viewership since 1997. (8 Days reference: Nov 07)
Departure from MediaCorp
On 4 August 2008, MediaCorp released news that Huang has left the TV station since 30 June 2008. The main reasons for her leaving were disagreements with MediaCorp over the new contract terms (such as salary package) offered to her; and she also wanted to spend more time with her family, especially her 5 month old infant girl. She was last seen on television as a MediaCorp artiste on 11 July 2008, when she co-hosted an episode of Glamour Mum and the Dude alongside Bryan Wong. Huang was quoted as saying this to reporters,
I thought about it (whether to renew her contract) even when I was (about to sleep) in bed... But when the time came to make the decision, I had to be firm. (Reference: The New Paper)
Her decision to leave this industry was seen as a huge loss to MediaCorp Channel 8 by both the audience and the TV station, as her drama serials have consistently achieved high viewership ratings and her acting skills were recognised by many. After the news was released, forums were abuzz with numerous discussions about this issue, and many questioned if Huang would still be able to receive the coveted All Time Favourite Award (an award given out in accumulation for winning the Top 10 award 10 times).[7][8][9][10][11][12] Paul Chan, MediaCorp's Vice-President for Branding and Promotions, answered the query by saying that the company has not decided if Huang will get the award as meetings with the Star Awards 2009 Committee have not been held yet. MediaCorp does not rule out future collaborations with Huang on a project basis.
Huang was initially offered a role in the 2008 MediaCorp mega-blockbuster drama series, The Little Nyonya. As she decided not to renew her contract, the role was offered to Xiang Yun instead.
On 31 October 2008, MediaCorp confirmed Huang would be receiving the coveted All Time Favourite Artiste Award at the Star Awards 2009.
On 1 November 2008, Huang answered the queries of the audience if she would come back, through telling reporters she has rejected some invitations from the TV Station to film dramas on a project basis. Huang was quoted as saying,
If I were to come back, the most important conditions are (quality of) the script, role, how much time is needed for filming, and my husband's support. Money isn't a problem. (Source: Shin Min News)
Huang was featured in the Straits Times Monday Interview in the Life! Section published on 3 November 2008. In the interview, she talked about her life in the younger days, career, family and chances of making a comeback.[13] In the interview, she mentioned that she is "already fielding offers from production houses as well as theatre companies, though she has not accepted any yet", as she has to take care of her two children.
On 20 January 2009, Huang made a public appearance where she attended the gala premiere of local movie Love Matters.
Huang was awarded the All Time Favourite Artiste Award at the Star Awards 2009 ceremony held on 26 April 2009. The award was presented to her by Singapore's President, Sellapan Ramanathan.[14] (Click on the reference link to see her receiving the coveted award at the ceremony)
Huang is currently one of the spokespersons for OCBC Bank's SmartSenior Programme. She filmed a TV advertisement for the bank, which also featured her mother.[15]
In January 2010, Huang filmed a one-minute TV advertisement for L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Face Cream.[16] In the same year, Huang endorsed Ginvera Grorich Anti-Dandruff Shampoo. A television commercial was filmed and advertisements were also published in numerous print media. Huang was then appointed ambassador of slimming company BeauteHub in February 2011.
Huang made a public appearance at the annual Star Awards 2011 ceremony (Show 1) as guest presenter on 17 April 2011. [17]
In June 2011, Huang was interviewed by LiveWell magazine. She said it was her dream to film a movie and she has plans to do so in the future if there is a chance.[18]
Huang announced plans to return to television when she attended the Star Awards 2012 award ceremony as award presenter alongside Member of Parliament Baey Yam Keng. She revealed that discussions with MediaCorp are underway and she might star in a drama in 2013.[19]
Return to MediaCorp
In an interview with local magazine i-Weekly in March 2013, Huang revealed that MediaCorp will continue to represent her in terms of artiste management and sourcing for ad hoc jobs which are of a more flexible nature.
After a six year hiatus, Huang was slated to star in the TV station's 2013 mega-blockbuster year end series A Journey: The Voyage alongside Li Nanxing, Jeanette Aw and Elvin Ng. Huang's return to drama was much anticipated by the audience, but she had to turn down the lead role just weeks before filming commenced because a painful 10cm cyst had grown in her kidney. She underwent surgery in April 2013 and required time to recuperate. Huang described her decision to pull out of the series as "regrettable" but she felt her state of health was most important, and filming in Malaysia and Tangshan, China might affect her scheduled medical follow-ups. [20] [21] Carole Lin has since took on the role.
Personal
Family
Often nicknamed Ling by relatives, Huang has one older sister and one younger brother. She was educated at Mayflower Primary School and Mayflower Secondary School, where she developed a keen interest in oratorical and storytelling contests. She then completed her GCE Advanced Level examinations at Ang Mo Kio Secondary School (Pre-U Centre).
She married Adrian Quek, a police superintendent in 1996 after dating him for two years. The couple have a son named Justin, born on 10 March 2000. On 30 July 2007, Huang announced that she was two months pregnant with her second child, a girl due in March 2008.[22][23][24][25] On 6 March 2008 10:08 am, Huang gave birth to her second child, one day before her own birthday at Thomson Medical Centre. The birth of her newborn, Janessa, was described by Huang as extremely smooth.[26]
On 9 February 2009, which was also the 15th day of the Lunar New Year（元宵节）, Huang's father died at the age of 67. Her father's departure was described by Huang as extremely sudden as he had been healthy all along. His cause of death was cited as a viral infection.
On 29 September 2009, Huang was interviewed by reporters at the wedding ceremony of MediaCorp artistes Fann Wong and Christopher Lee where she was one of the invited guests at Shangri-La Hotel. She admitted she was two-and-a-half months pregnant with her third child. The pregnancy was unplanned and the newborn would be a girl. The baby is expected to be born in April 2010.
In February 2010, Huang commented that her third pregnancy was a tough one when she was interviewed by The New Paper. She had an extreme case of severe morning sickness where she had to take medication to prevent herself from throwing up in the first trimester. Huang also feels more tired compared to her second pregnancy mainly because taking care of Janessa (her second child) takes up a lot of her energy.[27] She gave birth to her baby girl, Janelle, on 29 April 2010.
Colleagues
Huang lists Chen Hanwei, Zoe Tay, Pan Lingling and ex-actress Magdeline Chu as her closest friends in the industry. She also revealed she feels most as ease while working with ex-actor Xie Shaoguang because they have very good chemistry on screen, though they seldom keep in contact in private.[28]
Addressed affectionately as ‘’Biren-jie’’ (碧仁姐) by numerous artistes of the younger generation, Huang is also widely seen as a role model to artistes such as Jeanette Aw, Felicia Chin, Zhang Yao Dong and Ya Hui, among many others. Aw described Huang as her favourite local actress and admires her professionalism;[29] Chin respects Huang for her vast experience and acting skills;[30] Zhang [31] and Zhou[32] both regard her as a mentor while Ya Hui lists Huang as one of her inspirations.[33]
Television appearances
Dramas
| Year | Title | Role | Star Awards | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Return Of The Prince 丝路迷城 | Zi Yi 紫依 | ||
| My Sweet Rival 摩登俏冤家 | ||||
| Patrol 铁警雄风 | May | |||
| 1990 | Wishing Well 幻海奇遇 | |||
| The Village Hero 大吉传奇 | ||||
| 1991 | Home Sweet Home 宜家宜乐 | Long-running drama 110 episodes | ||
| Friends Next Door 我爱芳邻 | ||||
| 1992 | Mystery II 迷离夜II | |||
| The Breaking Point 暴风边缘 | Ding Chu Bing 丁楚冰 | |||
| 1993 | Happy Reunion 年年有鱼 | Zhu Bao Bao 朱宝宝 | ||
| The Invincible Warriors 皇朝铁将金粉情 | ||||
| Angel of Vengeance 暴雨狂花 | ||||
| 1994 | Silk And Romance 情丝万缕 | Zhong Qi 钟琪 | China-Singapore Co-production 新中合资电视剧 | |
| 1995 | Legend of the White Hair Brides 塞外奇侠 | Lian Nichang 练霓裳/白发魔女 | China-Singapore Co-production 新中合资电视剧 | |
| Project 'B' B计划 | Qin Lei 秦雷 | |||
| Morning Express 阳光列车 | Teacher Han 韩老师 | |||
| Strange Encounters II 奇缘III之门神 | ||||
| Strange Encounters III 奇缘III之救姻缘 | ||||
| The Ranger 铁血雄心 | Telemovie 电视电影 | |||
| 1996 | Courting Trouble 婚姻法庭 | Wan Qing 宛清 | Best Supporting Actress nomination (Top 5) | |
| Living By Night 都是夜归人 | Gu Xian Fang 顾显芳 | |||
| Money, Dollars and Sense 5C老公 | Song Xue Qin 宋學琴 | |||
| 1997 | My Wife, Your Wife, Their Wives 101老婆之老婆柠檬茶 | Kitty 何慧欣 | Appeared in only two episodes | |
| Tales Of The City 都市奇情 | ||||
| 1998 | Man at the Crossroads 四个好涩的男人 | Li Mei Yi 李美儀 | ||
| Stand By Me 家人有约 | Lin Wen Yu 林文玉 | Best Actress Award Best Actress nomination, Asian TV Awards 1998 Top Viewership Drama 1998 Best Drama Serial | ||
| 1999 | From The Courtroom 法庭故事 | Yang Zhan Yi 楊展儀 | Best Actress nomination (Top 5) | |
| Are you my Brother? 错体双宝 | Fang Ting 方婷 | |||
| 爱情乱码 | Taiwan-Singapore Co-production 新台合资电视剧 | |||
| 2000 | Angel's Dream 真相 | Ye Ning 叶宁 | Best Supporting Actress nomination (Top 5) | |
| 2001 | The Hotel 大酒店 | Huang Yi Ren 黄伊仁 | Guest appearance | |
| Three Women and A Half 三个半女人 | Cheng Pei Yi Monica 程佩仪 | Best Actress nomination (Top 5) Top Viewership Drama 2001 Best Drama Serial | ||
| 2002 | Viva Le Famille 好儿好女 | Sun Yu Min 孙欲敏 | ||
| The Vagrant 豹子胆 | Gan Shushu 甘椒椒 | |||
| Beautiful Connection 九层糕 | Fan Kelian 范可怜 | Best Actress Award Top Viewership Drama 2002 Best Drama Serial | ||
| 2003 | Viva Le Famille II 好儿好女II | Sun Yu Min 孙欲敏 | ||
| Holland V 荷兰村 | Huang Biren | Guest appearance | ||
| Home In Toa Payoh 家在大巴窑 | Zheng Hui Ming 郑惠明 | |||
| A Child's Hope 孩有明天 | Ding Sao 丁嫂 | Best Actress nomination, Asian TV Awards 2003 | ||
| Popiah and Me | Su-Lin | English Drama 英语电视剧 | ||
| 2004 | Timeless Gift 遗情未了 | Guo Yue Li 郭月丽 | ||
| Beautiful Trio 大女人小女人 | Christina | |||
| Double Happiness II 喜临门II | Huang Biren | Guest appearance | ||
| An Ode To Life 三十风雨路 | Wang Su Zhi 汪素枝 | Best Actress nomination (Top 5) Top Viewership Drama 2004 | ||
| Chronicles of Life 我爱我家之真情实录《谁可相依》 | Liu Bao Yu 柳保妤 | |||
| 2005 | My Lucky Charm 情来运转 | Lucky Zhang Qiu Yue 张秋月 | Best Actress Award | |
| 2006 | The Undisclosed 迷云二十天 | Yan Ke Xin 严可欣 | ||
| 2007 | Mars VS Venus 幸福双人床 | Xie Wen Jing 谢文静 | Best Actress nomination (Top 5) Best Actress nomination, Asian TV Awards 2007 |
Variety shows
| Year | Name of Variety Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Variety Tonight 开心五重奏 | Host |
| 1992 | Variety Tonight 开心五重奏 | Host |
| Sunday in Singapore 美丽星期天 | Host | |
| 1993 | Lunar New Year Special '93 迎新年1993 | Host |
| Star Speak 星星问 | Host | |
| Variety Tonight 开心五重奏 | Host | |
| Countdown '93 1993年到数活动！ | Host | |
| 1994 | Afternoon Leisure Hour 午后闲情 | Host |
| 2001 | President Star Charity 2001 总统星光慈善2001 | Team Leader cum participant |
| 2002 | President Star Charity 2002 总统星光慈善2002 | Team Leader cum participant |
| NKF Charity Show 2002 | Participant | |
| Truehearts Charity Show 公益大联盟慈善活动 | Charity Leader | |
| 2003 | NKF Charity Show 2003 | Participant |
| 2006 | Nightwalk 步夜城 | Host |
| Glamour Licious 2 请你吃好料2 | Co-host | |
| Never Say Die Talent Contest 永不言败 | Judge | |
| Hey Baby! Hey Baby!幸福密码 | Judge | |
| President Star Charity 2006 总统星光慈善2006 | Dancing Segment (Participant) | |
| Chinese New Year Celebrations 2006 | MediaCorp Artiste participant | |
| 2007 | 才华横溢出新秀 Star Search Singapore | Mentor |
| Mission 4 创业无敌手IV Episode 1 and 2 第一、二集 | Co-host | |
| Bioskin Dreams Come True Beauty Contest | Judge | |
| 2008 | Glamour Mum and The Dude (Episode 5) 辣妈好时尚：第五集 | Co-host |
| 2011 | Star Awards 2011 Show 1 红星大奖2011 第一场 | Award Presenter |
| 2012 | Star Awards 2012 Show 1 红星大奖2012 第一场 | Award Presenter |
| S.N.A.P. 熠熠星光总动员 Last Episode 最后一集 | Judge | |
| 2013 | The Joy Truck 快乐速递 | Artiste Ambassador |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Organisation | Award | Nominated Work Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Star Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Courting Trouble | Nominated |
| 1997 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes | N/A | Won |
| 1998 | Star Awards | Best Actress | Stand By Me | Won |
| 1998 | Asian Television Awards | Best Drama Performance by an Actress | Stand By Me | Nominated |
| 1999 | Star Awards | Best Actress | From the Courtroom | Nominated |
| 1999 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes | N/A | Won |
| 2000 | Star Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Angel's Dream | Nominated |
| 2000 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes | N/A | Won |
| 2000 | Star Awards | Most Popular Actress in Malaysia | N/A | Nominated |
| 2001 | Star Awards | Best Actress | Three Women And A Half | Nominated |
| 2001 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes | N/A | Won |
| 2001 | Star Awards | Most Popular Actress in Malaysia | N/A | Nominated |
| 2002 | Star Awards | Best Actress | Beautiful Connection | Won |
| 2002 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes | N/A | Won |
| 2002 | Lianhe Zaobao | 风云人物 | N/A | Won |
| 2003 | Asian Television Awards | Best Drama Performance by an Actress | A Child's Hope | Nominated [Highly Commended] |
| 2003 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes | N/A | Won |
| 2003 | Star Awards | Most Popular Actress in Malaysia | N/A | Nominated |
| 2003 | Star Awards | Best Onscreen Partners (with Xie Shaoguang) |
N/A | Nominated |
| 2004 | Star Awards | Best Actress | An Ode To Life | Nominated |
| 2004 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes | N/A | Won |
| 2005 | Star Awards | Best Actress | My Lucky Charm | Won |
| 2005 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes | N/A | Won |
| 2006 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes | N/A | Won |
| 2007 | Asian Television Awards | Best Drama Performance by an Actress | Mars vs Venus | Nominated |
| 2007 | Star Awards 25th Anniversary Show | Favourite Actress | N/A | Won |
| 2007 | Star Awards 25th Anniversary Show | Favourite Onscreen Partners (with Xie Shaoguang) |
Stand By Me | Won |
| 2007 | Star Awards | Best Actress | Mars vs Venus | Nominated |
| 2007 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes | N/A | Won |
| 2009 | Star Awards | All Time Favourite Artiste Award | N/A | Won |
Note: There is no Star Awards 2008 being held.
See also
- Best Actor & Best Actress Nominations In Star Awards
- MediaCorp Channel 8
References
- ↑ "Glamour grad". AsiaOne. 3 November 2008.
- ↑ "Huang Bi Ren's Best Actress 2005 speech". Tudou.com. December 2005.
- ↑ "被指假病推戲黃碧仁喊冤". ChinaPress.com. 7 November 2006.
- ↑ "新傳媒資深花旦黃碧仁在熒幕上已經消失了整整一年". e.nettv. 24 March 2006.
- ↑ "Huang Biren as Mentor in Star Search 2007". MediaCorp Channel 8. 21 August 2007.
- ↑ "Huang Bi Ren's Favourite Actress speech". Xin.sg (Channel News Asia). 9 December 2007.
- ↑ "Actress Huang Biren quits MediaCorp over salary". AsiaOne Just Woman. 9 August 2008.
- ↑ "Biren has left MediaCorp!". MediaCorp Channel 8. 4 August 2008.
- ↑ "黄碧仁新约谈不拢 不当"超级红星"离开新传媒". Lian He Zao Bao. 4 August 2008.
- ↑ "黄碧仁 电视20年". Lian He Zao Bao. 5 August 2008.
- ↑ "Huang Biren quits MediaCorp over pay". AsiaOne. 7 August 2008.
- ↑ "黄碧仁离开新传媒 观众反应强烈 网上批走宝". Lian He Zao Bao. 8 August 2008.
- ↑ "Huang Biren: Glamour Grad". AsiaOne Just Women. 3 November 2008.
- ↑ "Huang Bi Ren's speech on receiving All Time Favourite Artiste award". 26 April 2009.
- ↑ "Jan 2010: MediaCorp Artistes, Pierre Png and Huang Biren share their childhood memories and important lessons they have learnt from their parents". OCBC Bank. January 2010.
- ↑ "Year 2010 Huang Biren advertisement [sic] L'OREAL Revitalift". Youtube.com. 29 January 2010.
- ↑ "Who’s Coming To Star Awards 2011 红星大奖 Show 1?". Paul Chan. 6 April 2011.
- ↑ "The Best of Biren". 29 June 2011.
- ↑ "Huang Biren may well be returning to television". 24 April 2012.
- ↑ "黄碧仁患病辞演重头大剧". 20 May 2013.
- ↑ "2 more MediaCorp stars hit by health problems". 20 May 2013.
- ↑ "Huang Biren pregnant with second child". Channel News Asia. 30 July 2007.
- ↑ "黄碧仁怀第二胎 这次是"日本制造"". Zaobao.com. 30 July 2007.
- ↑ "Pregnant Biren: My Hubby did not believe me! (Videos included)". MediaCorp Channel 8. 31 July 2007.
- ↑ "黃碧仁有喜！". ChinaPress.com. 30 July 2007.
- ↑ "黄碧仁今早产女婴 宝宝4公斤重". xin.sg. 6 March 2008.
- ↑ "Former actress & now stay-at-home mum Huang Biren". DivaAsia/NewPaper. 25 February 2010.
- ↑ Lianhe Zaobao: Huang Biren reveals who she has best chemistry with
- ↑ Knock knock Jeanette Aw: Which artiste do you admire most?
- ↑ Felicia Chin admires Huang Biren
- ↑ Zhang Yao Dong glad to ‘reunite’ with Huang Biren
- ↑ Zhou Ying thanks Huang Biren as she wins her first award
- ↑ Face of Beauty
External links
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