After six long years, Xu Bin finally snagged a Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes trophy at this evening’s (Apr 24) Star Awards shindig. While the 33-year-old actor picked up Top 10 trophies in 2014, 2015 and 2016, it’s an entirely different story this time round.

“It sort of feels like I’m making a comeback,” he tells 8days.sg when we catch up with him after the awards show.

“In the past, I may have thought that getting into the Top 10 was not that big of a deal. But after not getting in during [the past six years], I then realised that it’s actually not easy (laughs). I’m very grateful, especially to My Star Bride — the role really helped me,” he says.

While he’s finally bagged that long-awaited Top 10 award, Xu Bin missed out on the Best Actor nod, which ultimately went to Chen Hanwei (for the seventh time too, might we add).

“Of course there’s some disappointment on my part. But it’s right that I lost to Hanwei da-ge. If I beat him, it’d feel like it’s not right!” he muses.

It's all good

Xu Bin may be gracious in defeat, but he does let in that he felt the pressure mounting prior to the awards show.

“I was actually quite nervous and I didn’t eat much before I came here. And when I got here, I only had a little bit of food,” he confesses.

In fact, he hadn’t spoken to or messaged his wife, Evelyn, for most of the ceremony. “She probably doesn’t want to give me added pressure, plus, she knows that I’m busy.

“The only things she did send are photos and videos of what the kids are doing, like drawing and things like that,” shares the father of two.

“I think she knows that once everything is over and I’m at home, then we can chat about it.”

“So I’m probably not going out to celebrate — it’s already so late! I’m just going home to chill,” he says with a laugh. [Ed: It was just after 10pm.]

Congrats, Xu Bin!