Local drama scores International Emmy nomination

SINGAPORE — Local drama Echoes Of Time has scored an International Emmy nod with a Best Performance By An Actor nomination for its leading man, Taiwanese actor James Wen.

Echoes Of Time, which aired on StarHub E City last year, also stars Dawn Yeoh as a history student who travels back in time to war-torn Singapore of the 1940s and meets a resistance fighter — the character played by Wen. The drama was produced by local production company Ochre Pictures, and was supported by Info-communications Media Development Authority of Singapore’s Public Service Broadcast Contestable Funds Scheme.

Wen, known for his roles in Taiwanese dramas such as My Queen and The Fierce Wife, is up against Dustin Hoffman (Roald Dahl’s Esio Trot), Brazil’s Alexandre Nero (Rules Of The Game) and Germany’s Florian Stetter (Naked Among Wolves) for the award.

“I couldn’t quite believe it, because this award, especially to us Asians, seems rather unattainable — especially when I’m nominated alongside Dustin Hoffman,” Wen said in Mandarin. “That makes it even harder to believe.” Still, he said, “I’m very happy”.

One of the challenges of the role, the 38-year-old said, was to “bring out the simplicity of the character — I think people were simpler back then — while making sure that that did not affect (the character’s) faculties”.

But the biggest challenge was none other than the tropical weather. “The most memorable thing about doing the drama was that it was very hot and there were a lot of mosquitoes when we filmed in Muar in Malaysia,” he said. “We all had to wear mosquito repellent every day. We calculated that in two months, each person probably used three bottles of repellent.”

In spite of that, Wen, who, in 2010, starred in the Channel U telemovie Lost And Found opposite Jesseca Liu, said: “I’m quite satisfied with the work as a whole because everyone in the team, from the director to my co-actors, shared a very close relationship. After we wrapped for the day, we’d go out to eat and chat. I think that’s what I’m most happy about — that everyone got along like a family.”

He added: “I am looking forward to working in Singapore again if and when there are good projects.”

As for what he thinks his chances of winning the International Emmy are, he diplomatically demurred: “Probably 25 per cent, since there are four nominees.”

The result will be known when the International Emmy awards ceremony is held on April 4 next year. May Seah