Possible contenders for TVB King and Queen awards listed
HONG KONG: It’s only a few months more now to Hong Kong’s TVB King and Queen annual awards ceremony, but many netizens already have their picks. This year sees a mix of actors from different generations as likely contenders for the TV thrones. Below are some of the favourite picks.
Actors • Ruco Chan and Shaun Tam are nominated for ‘Succession War’. It is the only 2018 drama for Ruco Chan, who had previously won TV King in 2016. Ruco’s casting was met with mixed responses at first, with netizens saying Ruco is too good-looking for the role, very much unlike Wang Gang’s sneaky portrayal of the character. With only one drama in his hands for 2018, alongside a controversial portrayal, it’s going to be hard for Ruco to win Hong Kong’s TV King for a second time this year.
A TV King win also seems unlikely for Ruco’s costar Shaun Tam, who portrays the Jiaqing Emperor on the show. ‘Succession War’ is only Shaun’s first drama with TVB, and the show’s unimpressive ratings won’t be enough to garner Shaun a win.
• Lai Lok-yi (‘Who Wants a Baby?’) It’s not easy for Lai Lok-yi to win Best Actor in a drama made for housewives. All the buzz seems to be falling on the show’s leading lady instead.
• Benjamin Yuen (‘Stealing Seconds’ and ‘Threesome’). The breakout star of 2016, Benjamin Yuen is TVB’s new rising actor. He’s led two dramas this year, and while both dramas have performed well in ratings and reviews, they failed to reach the same influence as his character Ngah Lo in 2016’s ‘A Fist Within Four Walls’. Benjamin himself also can’t seem to escape the typecast of being a rogue, hoodlum type character. If ‘Another Era’ manages to snag a time slot this year, Benjamin may be able to turn his fate around.
• Raymond Wong (‘The Forgotten Valley’) and (‘Apple-colada’) Both dramas became cult favorites of 2018. Unfortunately for the actor, both dramas are female-focused stories, and Raymond carries only a supporting influence in both dramas.
• Carlos Chan, Wayne Lai, and David Chiang (‘Daddy Cool’) Arguably the most popular drama in the first half of 2018, ‘Daddy Cool’ was also the drama that revived Carlos’ career. However, Carlos is not a TVB managed actor, thus he has a higher chance of losing the award. Wayne Lai is a threetime TVB King, and while his performances have been steady, he was not the show’s most publicised star. As a veteran actor with a highly prolific and respected career, it is unlikely that David Chiang would vie for the TV King award.
• Steven Ma, Edwin Siu, and Kenneth Ma (‘Deep in the Realm of Conscience’) As the official sister production of the 2009 hit palace drama, ‘Deep in the Realm of Conscience’ consistently showed its strength in viewership ratings. Out of the three male leads, Steven Ma has the highest chance to win. His portrayal of Li Longji is widely praised. Despite his many years of experience on television, he has never won Hong Kong’s TV King. This year is his biggest chance.
Actress • Alice Chan (‘Deep in the Realm of Conscience’)
Alice is getting Best Actress buzz for portraying the villainous Princess Taiping in the Tang Dynasty drama. Although the role itself has been criticised for being poorly written, Alice’s performance as the heartbroken yet power hungry politician is rounding up netizens to be on her side for TV Queen.
• Ali Lee (‘Who Wants a Baby’) The rising TVB actress is not unfamiliar to the TV Queen race. In 2017, Ali won TV Queen in Singapore’s StarHub TVB Awards and was a hot contender for TV Queen in TVB Star Awards Malaysia, but ultimately lost that award to Jessica Hsuan. Her performance as a struggling first mother in ‘Who Wants a Baby?’ has been widely praised, with critics calling Ali a “strong competitor.”
• Mandy Wong (‘Threesome’)
Hyped as TVB’s “Sunday Queen”, Mandy is a strong dark horse contender. Mandy is a solid actress, but none of her past performances came even close to being a TV Queen contender until ‘Threesome’ came alone. On the show, Mandy portrays a lawyer suffering from dissociative identity disorder. Mandy had to balance three different personalities on the show, and at one point, all three in one scene. It’s a performance worthy of praise.