Huang Biren

Infobox Person
name = Huang Biren
zh-c|c=黄碧仁


imagesize = 300px
caption = Huang Biren filming a TV Advertisement
birth_name = Huang Bi Ren
birth_date = birth date and age|1969|03|07
height= height|m=1.75
birth_place =
death_date =
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residence = Singapore
nationality = Flagicon|Singapore Singapore
other_names = Pat, Pat Wee, Ticko, Acting Queen, Ling, Panjang
known_for = roles in "Beautiful Connection" (Ke Lian)
"My Lucky Charm" (Lucky)
education =
employer = -
occupation = Actress (1988-2008)
title =
salary =
networth =
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religion = Roman Catholic
spouse = Adrian Quek
partner =
children =
parents =
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website =
footnotes =

Huang Biren is a television actress in Singapore. She has since left the show business since 30 June 2008.

Career

Biren joined the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (now Mediacorp TV) in 1988 after completing its Professional Drama Performers' Training course. Since then, she has become a household name for many Singaporeans. Despite having a rocky start, she is one of the few actresses in MediaCorp with the height and figure for a modelFact|date=September 2007. In 1993, she almost left for 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)"

After being in the entertainment industry for 10 years, Biren won her first "Top 10 Most Popular Female Artiste award" in 1997. She then went on to star in the hit Chinese drama series "Stand By Me" in 1998, playing a patient and caring wife of a paraplegic, which won her the Best Actress Award at the 1998 Star Awards and a Best Actress nomination as well, but this time in the Asian Television Awards. The drama had touched many audience, and Biren admitted that this was the drama that made it a turning point in her career.

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). cite web | title = "Huang Bi Ren's Best Actress 2005 speech"| work = | publisher = Tudou.com | date = December, 2005 | url = http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/BHSurQQTZyE/ ] 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 also nominated for the "Best Actress" award in the Asian Television Awards for her role in "A Child's Hope". In the same year, Biren was one of the very few invited guest writers for Feel Singapore chapter on the arts, listed in "People at The Peak – The Who’s Who of Singapore, chapter on the arts". The book was sold globally.

Starting from 2005, Biren has had fewer drama series being shown on television. There were an average of only one show per year, compared to three serials per year between 2002 and 2004. The drop in the dramas she has filmed recently was attributed to Biren having to stay at home due to asthma. cite web | title = "被指假病推戲黃碧仁喊冤" | work = | publisher = ChinaPress.com | date = 7 November, 2006 | url = http://www.chinapress.com.my/content.asp?dt=2006-11-08&sec=entertainment&art=1108en10.txt ] cite web | title = "新傳媒資深花旦黃碧仁在熒幕上已經消失了整整一年" | work = | publisher = e.nettv | date = 24 March, 2006 | url = http://e.netandtv.com/newclub/ReadNews.aspx?bbsid=525&id=103066 ]

Biren did not film any drama in Year 2006. The drama serial, The Undisclosed, was filmed in Year 2005 but telecast in Year 2006. 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 the "Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes" at the Star Awards.

Biren was being 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 win 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 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. This is the first time the award is given out in commemoration of 25 years of drama productions, and Biren was the first female artiste to win this prestigious award. (Click on reference link to watch video of her speech.) cite web | title = "Huang Bi Ren's Favourite Actress speech"| work = | publisher = Xin.sg (Channel News Asia) | date = 9 December, 2007 | url = http://video2.channelnewsasia.com/cnavideos/chineseplayer.asp?skin=Player1.swf&player=chineseplayer.swf&filename=xin_121107_starhuangbiren.flv ]

Also, an article in "I-weekly" magazine stated that Biren had been the lead actress in seven of the eleven dramas with the annual highest viewership since 1997.

In June 2007, Biren was chosen as one of the 10 TV mentors for the Star Search 2007 Reality Talent Show contestants. [ cite web| title = Huang Biren as Mentor in Star Search 2007| url = http://starsearch.mediacorptv.sg/mentors5.htm|publisher = MediaCorp TV Channel 8|date = 21 August, 2007 ]

In a major internet poll on the popularity of Asian artistes in the Chinese entertainment world in Year 2008, Biren was voted as the 27th most talented artiste in Asia and the 5th most talented Singaporean artiste, ranking behind Kelvin Tan Wei Lian, Aileen Tan, Zoe Tay and Huang Yi Da.

On 04 August 2008, MediaCorp TV released news that Biren has left MediaCorp TV. 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 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 TV 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. [ cite web| title = Actress Huang Biren quits MediaCorp over salary | url = http://www.asiaone.com/Just+Woman/News/Celebrities/Story/A1Story20080807-81142.html|publisher = AsiaOne Just Woman|date = 09 August, 2008 ] [ cite web| title = Biren has left MediaCorp!| url = http://www.mediacorptv.sg/en/buzzdetail/EDC080804-0000003|publisher = MediaCorp TV Channel 8|date = 04 August, 2008 ] [ cite web| title = 黄碧仁新约谈不拢 不当“超级红星”离开新传媒| url = http://www.zaobao.com/fk/fk080804_518.shtml |publisher = Lian He Zao Bao|date = 04 August, 2008 ] [ cite web| title = 黄碧仁 电视20年| url = http://www.zaobao.com/fk/fk080805_501.shtml|publisher = Lian He Zao Bao|date = 05 August, 2008 ] [ cite web| title = Huang Biren quits MediaCorp over pay| url = http://www.asiaone.com/Just%2BWoman/News/Celebrities/Story/A1Story20080807-81212.html|publisher = AsiaOne|date = 07 August, 2008 ] [ cite web| title = 黄碧仁离开新传媒 观众反应强烈 网上批走宝| url = http://www.zaobao.com/fk/fk080808_515.shtml |publisher = Lian He Zao Bao|date = 08 August, 2008 ] 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 2008 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 blockbuster drama series, Little Nonya. But as she decided not to renew her contract, the role was given to Xiang Yun instead.

An article in I weekly stated "不日复出", which resulted in some speculating if Biren would be making a comeback soon. Biren has made several public appearances in MediaCorp organised events even after she has left the TV station.

Personal

Often nicknamed "Panjang" by some friends and colleagues, Biren has one older sister and one younger brother. 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. [cite web| title = Huang Biren pregnant with second child | url = http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainment/view/291139/1/.html|publisher = Channel News Asia|date = 30 July, 2007 ] [ cite web| title = 黄碧仁怀第二胎 这次是“日本制造” | url = http://www.zaobao.com/fk/fk070730_511.html|publisher = Zaobao.com|date = 30 July, 2007] [ cite web| title = Pregnant Biren: My Hubby did not believe me! (Videos included) | url = http://ch8.mediacorptv.com/around8/interviews/view/942/1/.html|publisher = MediaCorp TV Channel 8|date = 31 July, 2007] [cite web| title = 黃碧仁有喜！ | url = http://www.chinapress.com.my/content_new.asp?dt=2007-07-31&sec=entertainment&art=0731en12.txt |publisher = ChinaPress.com|date = 30 July, 2007] 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. [ cite web| title = 黄碧仁今早产女婴 宝宝4公斤重 | url = http://www.xin.sg/article.php?article=15708 |publisher = xin.sg |date = 06 March, 2008]

Her friends include Zoe Tay, Chen Hanwei, Aileen Tan, Pan Ling Ling and Zheng Ge Ping.

Television appearances

Dramas

Drama Serials

Awards won by drama serials that Biren participated in as the main cast have been listed here.

References

ee also

* Best Actor & Best Actress Nominations In Star Awards
* MediaCorp TV Channel 8

External links

* [http://www.mediacorptv.com/celeb/huangbiren/index.htm Celeb Bio on Mediacorp site] (Not updated in terms of Awards and Appearances)
* [http://huangbirenfans.blogspot.com Huang Biren's Fanclub Blog]