Huang Biren Has No Qualms About Being A Strict Mentor To Star Search 2019 Contestants

Unlike Sheila Sim, Star Search mentor Huang Biren has not made any of her mentees cry… yet. The 50-year-old veteran actress is among the three mentors to the Star Search 2019 Top 24 — alongside Christopher Lee and Chen Hanwei — and she could very well be the Simon Cowell among the three. Yup, she has no qualms about being blunt to the Star Search mentees.

“I’m strict only because I want them to have a good foundation before they actually start filming next time. I don't want to leave them there on set to get scolded by others,” Biren tells us.

It’s a weekday evening and we’re the fly on the wall at Biren’s training session with the contestants. The objective of the day: To be able to deliver your lines smoothly while maintaining camera awareness at the same time. The session starts at 7pm sharp, but half an hour into the class, a few more contestants saunter in late (due to school or work commitments). A few heads turn, but Biren remains focused. A few more are absent today (again, school and work commitments), and it’s bothering Biren a little.

“I wish everyone was present for the training today,” the thesp tells us when we caught up with her during a short break. “I don't think I will be repeating my lesson due to time constraints. It’s impossible to impart everything in such a short time, even if I wanted to.” Such dedication. Kids, watch and learn.

Over the next three hours, the contestants are schooled on the various aspects of filming. We’re guessing that one of Biren’s pet peeves are actors not memorising their scripts when they come on set, because she repeatedly emphasised: “You must know your lines inside out! [If you don’t] it’s unfair to everyone else who’s worked hard!”

And even though we’re observing from the side, we found ourselves nodding in agreement like eager students, kinda like the wide-eyed contestants were in the room who were taking in the wealth of knowledge that Biren was sharing. It almost felt like the first day of school — everyone’s all eyes and ears, and raring to go. Heck, someone was even taking down notes.

8DAYS: You were a mentor for Star Search 2007. How does it feel to be back?
HUANG BIREN: Great! I’m quite excited to groom this generation. It’s an opportunity for me to go in another direction besides acting.

What will you be doing differently this time round as a mentor?
I observed the contestants just now, and I feel that youngsters these days are more open and vocal about things. So instead of being a teacher who just talks, I will listen to them and their opinions more. My training will be more of a sharing session, and we’ll see if they digest the information I impart.

What lessons did you learn from mentoring back then?
I realised that different students have different learning capacities, and as a mentor, I’ve learnt to be sharp enough to identify those traits and modify my training to suit their needs.

Ever encountered any difficult contestants?
At that time I was given only two mentees, one was Zhou Ying and another guy [whose name] I forgot. (Laughs) I was really lucky not to encounter any bad ones! They were all receptive to my teachings and they have very good attitudes, especially Zhou Ying. Unfortunately, she did not win and she isn’t in the local showbiz anymore. Nevertheless, I think she has benefited from my teaching, because she’s doing well in Shanghai now, and is even getting a few roles there!

Are you guys close?
Yes, we keep in contact. She comes back to Singapore once a year and we’ll meet and catch up.

What are you most looking forward to this time round?
I look forward to helping the new talents and imparting my skills to them. It may be a short period of time trying to squeeze everything in, but I hope it can at least set their foundation and familiarise them with the set so that they don’t get lost when they actually start filming. At the end of the competition, I hope to see someone with real acting skills who can show others that they are actually “somebody”. People who can handle unforeseen circumstances well are the ones who can shine.

Unforeseen circumstances such as?
One example is when you are delivering your lines someone walks past the camera. However, the director did not say “Cut!”. What do you do? You continue. Pretend that it is part of the scene. When the director doesn’t stop you, you don’t stop either.

You are the only one out of all the mentors who is not a Star Search alumni. Why do you think they picked you?
My relationship with the company is very good, that’s why they picked me. (Laughs) No lah, I guess it’s my confidence and experience. (Laughs) It’s not important whether I’m from Star Search or not. What’s important is our common vision to contribute to our local TV industry.

What kind of mentor do you think you’ll be? Why?
I’ll be a strict one, but will make some jokes to break the ice. I won’t be too fierce because I want the contestants to look forward to lessons and to be comfortable enough to ask me questions. I’m strict only because acting is a serious thing. I don’t want them to go on set and get scolded. Don’t play a fool.

What is one mistake should contestants never make?
I think they should always memorise their script well. I don’t like people coming on set unprepared. If you don’t know your line, you are holding everyone back. It’s unfair to hardworking people who have done their homework.

Star Search 2019 semi-finals will air live on Oct 6 and 13, 8pm. Star Search 2019 grand finals will air live on Nov 3, 7.30pm. Both the semi-finals and grand finals will air simultaneously on Toggle and Ch 8.​​​​​​​
More info at the Star Search 2019 microsite. Watch the Star Search Collection on Toggle.