Huang Biren

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
(Redirected from Huang Bi Ren)
Jump to: navigation, search
Huang Biren
200px
Huang filming a television advertisement
Chinese name 黃碧仁 (traditional)
Chinese name 黄碧仁 (simplified)
Pinyin Huáng Bìrén (Mandarin)
Born (1969-03-07) 7 March 1969 (age 55)
Singapore Singapore
Other name(s) Meryl Streep of Mediacorp,
Occupation Actress
Years active 1988-2008, 2014-Present
Spouse(s) Adrian Quek
Children 1 son, 2 daughters
Influenced Jeanette Aw Felicia Chin Zhou Ying Julie Tan
Awards
  • Asian Television Awards
    Best Actress in a Leading Role nomination
    Years 1998, 2003, 2007
    Other awards
    Best Actress, Star Awards 1998, 2002, 2005
    All Time Favourite Artiste, Star Awards 2009

<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>

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.

Often dubbed the Meryl Streep of MediaCorp and the best actress of her generation, Biren returned to the entertainment industry in 2014 and continues to take on television projects on an ad hoc basis. Huang's performances in her most recent drama serials, Three Wishes and Tiger Mum, garnered largely favourable responses and proved to be hugely popular among viewers. Both dramas hold the title of Top Rated Drama for Years 2014[1] and 2015[2] respectively.

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.[3]

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.

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).[4] She, Ivy Lee and Chen Liping are the only actresses in MediaCorp to be crowned Best Actress three times at the in-house Star Awards.

In 2003, Biren 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, Biren 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. She 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.[5][6] 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.

Biren did not film any serials in Year 2006. The suspense thriller The Undisclosed, which was telecast in 2006, was filmed in 2005. Instead, she 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, Biren was chosen as one of the 10 TV mentors for the Star Search 2007 Reality Talent Show contestants.[7] In the same year, She 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 she did not manage to clinch both of the awards, she was tipped the hot favourite to win by many media, audience and industry watchers. Biren 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, Biren won the coveted My Favourite Actress Award, defeating hot favourites Zoe Tay and Fann Wong. She was the first female artiste to win this prestigious award, which was given out in commemoration of 25 Years of drama productions.[8]

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 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 Biren 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).[9][10][11][12][13][14] Paul Chan, MediaCorp's Vice-President for Branding and Promotions, answered the query by saying that the company has not decided if she 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 her on a project basis.

Biren 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 Biren would be receiving the coveted All Time Favourite Artiste Award at the Star Awards 2009.

On 1 November 2008, she 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. Biren 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)

Biren 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.[15] 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, Biren made a public appearance where she attended the gala premiere of local movie Love Matters.

Biren 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.[16] (Click on the reference link to see her receiving the coveted award at the ceremony)

Biren 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.[17]

In January 2010, she filmed a one-minute TV advertisement for L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Face Cream.[18] In the same year, She too endorsed Ginvera Grorich Anti-Dandruff Shampoo. A television commercial was filmed and advertisements were also published in numerous print media. Biren was then appointed ambassador of slimming company BeauteHub in February 2011.

Biren made a public appearance at the annual Star Awards 2011 ceremony (Show 1) as guest presenter on 17 April 2011.[19]

In June 2011, Biren 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.[20]

Biren 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.[21]

Return to Entertainment Industry

In an interview with local magazine i-Weekly in March 2013, Biren 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, she was slated to star in the TV station's 2013 mega-blockbuster year end series The Journey: A Voyage alongside Li Nanxing, Jeanette Aw and Elvin Ng. Her 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 10 cm cyst had grown in her kidney. She underwent surgery in April 2013 and required time to recuperate. She 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.[22][23] Carole Lin has since took on the role.

On 23 March 2014, Biren mentioned she has since made a full recovery from the surgery and will be making a television comeback in the second-half of the year. However, she declined to provide details as discussions with the TV station were still ongoing.[24] On 31 March 2014, MediaCorp TV Channel 8 announced on its official Facebook page that Biren will be making a comeback with two dramas in the works. Huang will star as a supportive wife of a down-and-out man opposite Thomas Ong in the serial Three Wishes which is slated to air in October 2014.[25][26] She will then play the titular character in 2015 drama Tiger Mum, a disciplinarian figure who gels the family together.[27]

Audience response to Biren's comeback has been largely favourable, with the viewership of her comeback drama Three Wishes breaking the 1 million mark on its debut episode, a phenomenon rarely seen for local dramas.[28] The captivating storyline, coupled with audience strong anticipation towards Huang's return, were cited as contributory factors towards the drama's strong showing. The finale episode attracted more than 1.1 million viewers, with ratings peaking at a record-breaking high of 1,134,000 viewers - propelling the drama to clinch Top Rated Drama for Year 2014.[29]

On 30 December 2014, it was revealed that she will star alongside Zoe Tay, Rui En, Jeanette Aw, Li Nanxing and Qi Yuwu in MediaCorp Channel 8's 2015 year-end mega blockbuster series, The Dream Makers II.[30]

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.[31][32][33][34] 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.[35]

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.[36] She gave birth to her baby girl, Janelle, on 29 April 2010.

Huang is the aunt of Singapore fencing prodigy, Jet Ng who is the 5th-ranked Cadet fencer in the world.

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 at ease while working with ex-actor Xie Shaoguang because they have very good chemistry on screen, though they seldom keep in contact in private.[37]

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, Zhou Ying and Ya Hui, among many others. Aw described Huang as her favourite local actress and admires her professionalism;[38] Chin respects Huang for her vast experience and acting skills;[39] Zhang [40] and Zhou[41] both regard her as a mentor while Ya Hui lists Huang as one of her inspirations.[42]

Filmography

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
Teams up with Li Nanxing
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
Pairs up with Tay Ping Hui
2014 Three Wishes
三个愿望
Zeng Shan Mei
曾善美
Top Rated Drama 2014 Pairs up with Thomas Ong
2015 Tiger Mum
虎妈来了
He Xue Mei
贺雪美 (虎妈)
Top Rated Drama 2015
As of June 2015
Pairs up with Yao Wenlong
The Dream Makers II
志在四方II
Guan Xie En
官谢恩
2015 Year-End Mega Blockbuster

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

Accolades

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

References

  1. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. Lianhe Zaobao: Huang Biren reveals who she has best chemistry with
  38. Knock knock Jeanette Aw: Which artiste do you admire most?
  39. Felicia Chin admires Huang Biren
  40. Zhang Yao Dong glad to ‘reunite’ with Huang Biren
  41. Zhou Ying thanks Huang Biren as she wins her first award
  42. Face of Beauty

External links

www.hbrkingdom.wix.com/onlybiren (Fanclub Web)