TAIPEI – Veteran Taiwanese actor Chang Chen edged out four other contenders, including Singapore’s Richie Koh, to take home the Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actor on Nov 22.
The 49-year-old won the prestigious award for the film Lucky Lu, in which he plays a food delivery rider in New York who discovers that his e-bike has been stolen.
Accepting the award onstage, Chang thanked his actor father Chang Kuo-chu, whom he credited for introducing him to the world of cinema.
“He made me believe in films and love films since I made my acting debut at the age of 13. So I would like to dedicate (this award) to all of you who love films… I hope we can keep going and keep loving films together,” he said.
The win marks Chang’s second Golden Horse in the same category, after he previously took home the trophy for playing a cancer-stricken prosecutor in the mystery crime drama The Soul (2021).
But while home-grown actor Koh, 32, ended up going home empty-handed, the rising star told The Straits Times after the ceremony at Taipei Music Center: “Of course I had hoped to go onstage, and bring some of this great honour back home. But even though we didn’t manage to do it this time, I believe we’ll be able to do so the next time with persistent efforts.
“Also, even though I didn’t win an award, I gained something else. I managed to take a photo with (Taiwanese) director Lee Ang.”
Koh had been nominated for his
moving performance as a drag queen
in the film A Good Child, which is based on the life of Singaporean full-time drag queen Sammi Zhen. Koh reportedly took lessons from an acting coach to master the feminine mannerisms required of the role.
