Huang Biren

Huang Biren is a highly acclaimed television actress in Singapore. She has been out of show business since 30 June 2008.

She has a reputation for being a highly respected artiste and a role model to younger stars such as Zhang Yao Dong, Jeanette Aw and Felicia Chin, just to name a few.

Huang is currently pregnant with her third child.

Career

Biren joined the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (now MediaCorp) in 1988 after completing its Professional Drama Performers' Training course. Despite having a rocky start, she is known as one of the few actresses in MediaCorp with the height and figure for a model . In 1993, she almost left for Hawaii Pacific University in Hawaii to study for a business degree due to her career uncertainties. In 1994, Biren even received negative feedback on her acting in the show Silk and Romance. She almost quit the entertainment industry and wanted to join the beauty line as her mother was in it. (Reference: 8days Interview)

Having been in the industry for 10 years, Biren won her first Top 10 Most Popular Female Artiste award in Star Awards 1997. In 1998, Biren 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 many audience - since then, she has become a household name for many Singaporeans.

Biren 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 to date, 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 some industry watchers and magazines. (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). ^[1] 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, 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, Biren 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.

From 2005, Biren has had fewer drama series being telecast on television. She filmed an average of only one serial per year, compared to three serials per year between 2002 and 2004. The drop in the drama serials she has filmed recently was attributed to Biren suffering from asthma, thus having to apply for one year medical leave. ^[2][3]

Biren did not film any serials in Year 2006. The Undisclosed which was telecast in 2006, was filmed in 2005. She has instead hosted or appeared as guest in some variety shows. Though her drama serials have reduced significantly in recent years, Biren was still able to maintain her popularity levels, as attested by her recent wins of popularity awards at the Star Awards ceremonies.

In 2007, Biren 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 Biren 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, winning hot favourites Zoe Tay and Fann Wong. Biren was the first female artiste to win this prestigious award, which was given out in commemoration of 25 Years of drama productions. (Click on reference link to watch video of her speech.) ^[4]

An interview conducted by 8 Days magazine in November 2007 stated that Biren had been the lead actress in seven of the eleven dramas with the annual highest viewership since 1997. (8 Days reference: Nov 07)

In June 2007, Biren was chosen as one of the 10 TV mentors for the Star Search 2007 Reality Talent Show contestants. ^[5]

Departure from MediaCorp

On 04 August 2008, MediaCorp released news that Biren 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. Biren 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 many audience, as her drama series 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) this year. ^{[6][7][8][9][10][11]} Paul Chan, MediaCorp's Vice-President for Branding and Promotions, answered to the query by saying that the company has not decided if Biren 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 Biren 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 01 November 2008, Biren 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 03 November 2008. In the interview, she talked about her life in the younger days, career, family and chances of making a comeback. ^[12] 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. ^[13] (Click on the reference link to see her receiving the coveted award at the ceremony)

Personal

Often nicknamed Panjang by some friends and colleagues, Biren 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 A Levels at Ang Mo Kio Pre-U Centre.

She married Adrian Quek, a police superintendent in 1996. The couple have a son named Justin, born on 10 March 2000. On 30 July 2007, Biren announced that she was two months pregnant with her second child, a girl due in March 2008.^{[14][15][16][17]} On 6 March 2008 10:08 am, Biren gave birth to her second child, one day before her own birthday at Thomson Medical Centre. The newborn is named Janessa. The birth of her newborn was described by Biren as extremely smooth. ^[18]

On 9 February 2009, which was also the 15th day of the Lunar New Year（元宵节）, Biren's father passed away at the age of 67. Her father's departure was described by Biren as extremely sudden as he had been healthy all along.

On 29 September 2009, Biren 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 is currently two-and-a-half months pregnant with her third child. The pregnancy was unplanned and she hopes the newborn would be a girl. The baby is expected to be born in April 2010.

Television appearances

Dramas

Variety shows

Other than the annual Star Awards ceremony, Biren has also appeared in the following variety shows (only selected ones listed).

Events

Huang Biren has made several public appearances in MediaCorp organised seminars since June 2008, though she does not have a contract with the TV Station. They include:

• Great Parenting Forum (2008)
• Baby's Coming! (2008)
• Be $avvy with your $$ (2008)
• My Baby Be a Smart Parent (2009)

Awards and nominations

Note: There is no Star Awards 2008 being held.

References

See also

• Best Actor & Best Actress Nominations In Star Awards
• MediaCorp Channel 8

External links

• Celeb Bio on MediaCorp Website
• Huang Biren's Fanclub Blog

zh:黄碧仁