After being nominated more than once, actor Mark Lee has won his first international acting award.
The 55-year-old picked up the Best Actor gong at the Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival (HIFF).
Source: Mark Lee on Instagram
He earned the accolade for his performance in local movie “Wonderland”.
Lee referenced his Best Actor HIFF win in an Instagram post on Saturday (13 April) night, sharing a video of the moment his name was called during the awards ceremony.
Though he couldn’t make it to the event, director Yee-Wei Chai received the award on his behalf.
Source: HIFF – Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival on Facebook
He thanked the judges, as well as the director, producer, screenwriter, cast and crew of the movie “Wonderland” for the win, which is his first international award.
“Wonderland”, which is set in 1980s Singapore, stars Lee and fellow veteran Peter Yu as two fathers.
Source: Mark Lee on Instagram
The movie depicts Lee’s character, who is illiterate, making sacrifices to send his daughter abroad for studies.
Yu’s character helps him write letters to his daughter when she goes overseas.
Source: Mark Lee on Instagram
However, when tragedy strikes one of them must construct an ever-more-elaborate lie.
The movie comes to Singapore cinemas on 8 Aug.
“Wonderland” has been well-received by audiences so far.
In January, it clinched the Local Jury Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, reported The Straits Times (ST).
It was then selected to compete at the HIFF against films from around the region.
Lee’s win wasn’t the only award it received at the festival — Yu won Best Supporting Actor on the same night, completing a duo of male acting awards for the movie.
Source: HIFF – Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival on Facebook
Speaking to 8world News, Lee said he heard that he had “inexplicably” won Best Actor in the middle of dinner and was “very happy and excited”.
As his role in the movie was very different from his previous roles, he put a lot of thought into it, he added.
Yu, 56, told the broadcaster that he was “very surprised” to have won Best Supporting Actor and was still digesting the news.
His initial reaction was disbelief, but now he’s so excited his “soul” is dancing, he added.
The win was a historic moment, he also said, and he was very satisfied that the name of a local actor could be read out at an international film festival.
Source: @zaobaosg.entertainment on Instagram
Director Chai said the wins show that Singaporean actors can be recognised by audiences and judges from all over the world.
He added that it’s incredible that he had “two of Singapore’s best actors” who have been able to stand out in the international scene.
While Lee came to be known among Singaporeans as a comedic actor, he’s been increasingly displaying his dramatic chops in recent years.
International recognition first came in 2020, when he was nominated for Best Leading Actor at the Golden Horse Awards for the movie “Number 1”.
Last year, he was nominated for Best Asian Actor at the Septimius Awards, the Netherlands’ equivalent of the Academy Awards. He received the nod for his leading role as a pimp in the 2022 film “Geylang”.
While he lost out both times, Lee has finally taken home an international award to show for his efforts.
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Featured image adapted from Mark Lee on Instagram and HIFF – Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival on Facebook.
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