Li Nanxing on reuniting with Chow Yun Fat at Star Awards: ‘I consider him more a friend than an idol'
But the most memorable reunion came in the form of the 30th anniversary edition's special guest, Hong Kong superstar Chow Yun Fat, who was on hand to present awards – just like how he did at the inaugural ceremony in 1994.
Back then, Chow famously remarked that Li resembled him, adding: 'Please don't come to Hong Kong, or else I will not be able to make movies any more.'
At Star Awards 2025, Chow, 70, called out 60-year-old Li's name twice while onstage, when he rallied the local actors in the audience from the 1994 batch to go onstage for a wefie. Li was also the first artiste to receive a hug from Chow.
Li said it was the pair's first reunion since 1994, but they did not get to chat offstage as Chow was 'very busy'.
Hong Kong actor Chow Yun Fat (left) giving Singaporean actor Li Nanxing a hug during the Star Awards on July 6.
PHOTO: ENTERTAINMENT – MEDIACORP/YOUTUBE
Li recalled: 'So many people wanted to take a photo with him, and I felt so lucky to have been called.
'I have always looked up to Chow and have seen so many of his movies. In some ways, I did try to learn from him. So for him to remember me three decades later, it meant a lot to me. I consider him more a friend than an idol.'
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw acts against 4 law firms, 1 lawyer over seized properties
Business 'Some cannot source outside China': S'pore firms' challenges and support needed amid US tariffs
Multimedia From local to global: What made top news in Singapore over the last 180 years?
World Trump arms Ukraine and threatens sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil
Singapore Turning tragedy into advocacy: Woman finds new purpose after paralysis
Opinion Sumiko at 61: Everything goes south when you age, changing your face from a triangle to a rectangle
Sport World Aquatics C'ship women's 10km open water swimming event delayed by a day due to water quality
Singapore HSA intensifies crackdown on vapes; young suspected Kpod peddlers nabbed in Bishan, Yishun
Hong Kong actor Chow Yun Fat (in white suit, in foreground) during the Star Awards on July 6, taking a wefie with stars who attended the first edition of Star Awards in 1994.
PHOTO: MEDIACORP
Li was speaking to The Straits Times on July 14 at the new Jurong Point outlet of home-grown restaurant brand Nan Yang Dao, which official opens on July 25.
At the event, he unveiled two limited-time collaborative dishes that feature his LNX Dried Scallop Hae Bee Hiam – Hae Bee Hiam XO Penang Char Kway Teow With Double Egg ($12.80) and Ah Ge Fried Bee Hoon With Tiger Prawns ($12.80).
Li launched his hae bee hiam (spicy dried shrimp sambal) brand in 2021, and it was improved in 2024 with richer shrimp and scallop flavours.
Ah Ge Fried Bee Hoon With Tiger Prawns.
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
Li also revealed more about how he plans to celebrate his 40 years in showbiz, after debuting in the 1986 Chinese-language drama Crossroads.
On Nov 29, he will hold a 40th anniversary event in Shanghai, China, with an estimated 800 fan s, including those from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. He also plans to join a Huangpu River Cruise to admire the nighttime scenery together with attendees of an eight-day Jiangnan Gourmet Autumn Tour, departing from Singapore on Nov 23 and organised by local tour agency SA Tours.
During the event, he might shake fans' hands, sign autographs and even belt out a number or two.
'It all depends on what requests they have. Maybe it is to sing some theme songs or act out certain roles? I just want to thank my fans for their support all these years.
'Did you know many fans in China like Mediacorp dramas?' he shared, namedropping his period drama The Great Conspiracy (1993), which was partly filmed in the Chinese province of Shanxi and in which he played Shen Chong, a killer skilled in martial arts.
Li added: 'In China, old television s series are often replayed. I was once welcomed by Chinese fans with banners saying 'Shen Chong is back', and they told me they had seen the show on television just a few years ago.'
'Other fans in China who watched it when it first aired are now aunties. But they bring their children and grandchildren – three generations – to see me, and it is great. They give me lots of local products, such as tea and peanuts, and I have to book a van to take all of it back to my hotel.'
Reflecting on his four-decade career, Li shared that there were lows, like when viewers made 'hurtful' comments about him portraying villains in dramas such as Coup De Scorpion (1999).
In any case, acting has taught him much about life, while allowing him space to play and experiment.
He recently played a cash-strapped single father in the family drama Uniquely Ours (2024), and will return to the small screen as a disgraced doctor in dystopian thriller series The Leftovers, set to premiere in October 2026.
Outside of the entertainment industry, Li remains passionate about his other businesses.
He established artiste management company LNX Global in 2003, which manages actresses Constance Song and Vivian Lai, actor Shane Pow, UFM100.3 DJ Luo Kemin and actress-influencer Julie Tan.
In 2021, he opened dessert shop Tian Wang, now located in Keong Saik Road, where he has been spotted playing cashier and waiter. In addition, he has collaborated with other F&B businesses over the years, such as Chinese hotpot chain Chamoon Hot Pot on a bak kut teh broth in 2024, and casual restaurant chain Yun Nans on a number of spring menu dishes in 2021.
He said: 'I love cooking. And food is something I feel very strongly for, especially Nanyang cuisine, which has a distinctive Singaporean flavour. I love going to other countries to spread awareness about our food. And whether it is in food, acting or life, there is still a lot more to learn, experience and enjoy.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Italy minister warns concert with pro-Putin conductor risks turning into propaganda coup
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) awards Mariinsky Theatre's Artistic Director Valery Gergiev during a ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, September 22, 2016. REUTERS/Ivan Sekretarev/Pool/File Photo ROME - A concert in Italy by a top Russian conductor shunned in the West since the invasion of Ukraine could send the wrong message, the Italian culture minister said on Tuesday, stopping short of asking organisers to cancel it. Valery Gergiev - regarded as close to Russian President Vladimir Putin - is expected to lead a local orchestra and soloists from St Petersburg's Mariinsky Orchestra on July 27 at the Reggia di Caserta palace near Naples. The event has drawn protests from Italian politicians and international activists, including the wife of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who have all urged Italy to cancel it. "There is a big problem" with the festival, Yulia Navalnaya wrote in an op-ed on Tuesday's la Repubblica newspaper, calling Gergiev a "conscious and active accomplice of Putin's regime". Gergiev, 72, did not immediately comment. Italy's Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli said in a statement: "Art is free and cannot be censored. Propaganda, however, even if done with talent, is something else." The minister said that the concert could "turn a high-level but objectively controversial and divisive musical event into a sounding board for Russian propaganda". Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Las Vegas Sands' new development part of S'pore's broader, more ambitious transformation: PM Wong Singapore Current economic headwinds do not dampen outlook for new MBS building: Las Vegas Sands president Business MAS records net profit of $19.7 billion, fuelled by investment gains Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw acts against 4 law firms and 1 lawyer over seized properties Singapore Man charged with attempted murder of woman at Kallang Wave Mall Singapore Ex-cleaner jailed over safety lapses linked to guard's death near 1-Altitude rooftop bar Singapore Singapore CDL's long-time director Phillip Yeo to depart after boardroom feud Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years Giuli added that the centre-left regional authority of Campania, which organised and paid for the "Un'Estate da RE" festival, was free to choose which events to host. The president of Campania, Vincenzo De Luca, rejected criticism, telling reporters that blocking cultural exchanges "does not help peace, but only serves to fuel the rivers of hatred". De Luca, a critic of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, said last week Gergiev had been invited, along with Israeli conductor Daniel Oren, to keep "channels of communication open even with those who do not think like us". Italy's right-wing government has supported Ukraine and international sanctions against Moscow. In 2022, several Western cultural institutions, including Milan's La Scala, the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and New York's Carnegie Hall, severed ties with Gergiev over his failure to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A year after, he was made director of Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre, despite being banished from many international concert halls. Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation wrote last week to the Italian interior minister, urging him to deny entry to Gergiev, and to the culture minister and the director of the Reggia di Caserta asking them to cancel the concert. REUTERS
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Hatsune Miku Expo to debut in Singapore in November
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Hatsune Miku Expo, popularly known as Miku Expo, is a concert tour series featuring the virtual idol. SINGAPORE - Popular virtual idol Hatsune Miku will perform in Singapore in November, as part of her multi-city Asia tour for the Hatsune Miku Expo 2025. The one-day event is set to take place at The Star Theatre on Nov 19, with ticket sales to start at 12pm on July 22 on the Ticketmaster website. Hatsune Miku, bearing the official codename CV01, is a computer-simulated pop star created by Japanese music technology company Crypton Future Media in Sapporo, Japan. She evolved into a singing sensation, after starting out as a music software that enabled people to make their computer sing by entering lyrics and melodies. She boasts a following of 2.4 million on Facebook and over 3.8 million on YouTube. Hatsune Miku Expo, popularly known as Miku Expo, is a concert tour series featuring the virtual idol. Concerts have been held across Europe, North America, and Asia. The upcoming tour will also travel to nearby destinations such as Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila and Kuala Lumpur. She is typically projected as a 3D hologram onto a mega screen, singing and dancing while accompanied by a live band. It is accompanied by sub-events such as exhibitions, workshops and club events to allow fans to mingle and share the various aspects of the sub-culture, according to the expo's website. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business MAS records net profit of $19.7 billion, fuelled by investment gains Business Singapore financial sector growth doubles in 2024, assets managed cross $6 trillion in a first: MAS Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw acts against 4 law firms and 1 lawyer over seized properties Singapore Man charged with attempted murder of woman at Kallang Wave Mall Singapore Ex-cleaner jailed over safety lapses linked to guard's death near 1-Altitude rooftop bar Singapore SJI International resumes overseas trips amid ongoing probe into student's death in Maldives in 2024 Singapore Sengkang-Punggol LRT gets 15.8 per cent capacity boost with new trains Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years A 4-minute clip of her performance in Vancouver from the North America Hatsune Miku Expo 2024 has garnered over 2.9 million views on YouTube. The Straits Times has reached out to AEG Presents Asia and Ticketmaster for more information.
Straits Times
9 hours ago
- Straits Times
Asian Rom-Com Producers Reject Hollywood Pressure to Cast White Actors
Find out what's new on ST website and app. In Worth The Wait, Lana Condor and Ross Butler play a couple in a long-distance relationship. SINGAPORE – Producers on the US-Canada romantic comedy-drama Worth The Wait wanted their movie to showcase Asians falling in love, navigating awkward encounters with former lovers and coping with loss. But they faced pressure from Hollywood financiers, who suggested a change they thought was minor, but was anything but to Rachel Tan. The Malaysia-born, Los Angeles-based producer says they wanted to add a white male to the cast rather than letting the film be an all-Asian ensemble. 'They gave me a list of white guys we could cast. If we could give one of the roles to them, we could get funded. It was so tempting,' the 43-year-old recalls. She was in town with her producing partner and husband, Chinese-American Dan Mark, for a screening of their film – which the couple also co-wrote – at Tanglin Club on July 10. The investors held the belief that, except for genres such as martial arts, Asian male characters are not bankable, with little appeal for Western audiences, she says. Tan and her team ignored the suggestion, completing Worth The Wait without watering down their goal of an all-Asian cast in stereotype-breaking stories. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw acts against 4 law firms, 1 lawyer over seized properties Singapore Air India crash: SIA, Scoot find no issues with Boeing 787 fuel switches after precautionary checks Opinion What we can do to fight the insidious threat of 'zombie vapes' Singapore $230,000 in fines issued after MOM checks safety at over 500 workplaces from April to June Business 'Some cannot source outside China': S'pore firms' challenges and support needed amid US tariffs Opinion Sumiko at 61: Everything goes south when you age, changing your face from a triangle to a rectangle Multimedia From local to global: What made top news in Singapore over the last 180 years? Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years For years, Asian Americans have been viewed by the majority as the 'model minority', the ethnic group to be the most well educated, well adjusted and upwardly mobile, but the film seeks to show a more complete picture, she says. Slated to open in Singapore cinemas in August, Worth The Wait is directed by Taiwanese film-maker Tom Shu-Yu Lin, known for his Golden Horse-nominated drama The Garden Of Evening Mists (2019), adapted from the 2011 Booker Prize-shortlisted novel of the same name by Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng. Set in Seattle and Kuala Lumpur, it revolves around a group of singles and couples of different ages, and features actors of Asian or mixed descent from North America and Europe, including Ross Butler, Lana Condor, Andrew Koji, Sung Kang and Elodie Yung, as well as Singapore actors Tan Kheng Hua and Lim Yu-Beng. (From left) Lim Yu-Beng, Ross Butler, Tan Kheng Hua and Osric Chau at the red carpet event for Worth The Wait on July 10 at Tanglin Club. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO Producer Mark, 43, says audiences will see that Butler (Shazam!, 2019: 13 Reasons Why, 2017 to 2020) fits the profile of the romantic lead, while also being Asian. 'He's a masculine Asian man. He's stereotype-breaking, and we love that – we need to have that in our culture,' he says. Singapore-born American actor Butler plays Kai, the son of a corporate bigwig (Lim). On why on-screen white male-Asian female couples are the more common representation, Butler feels it has to do with Asian men being seen as not desirable. 'It's a deep topic to talk about. In the West, for a hundred years, the Asian man has been emasculated,' the 35-year-old tells The Straits Times at the same event. Butler drew on his personal experience to play Kai, who is under pressure to live up to his father's goals for him. The performer took chemical and biomolecular engineering at Ohio State University, but left his studies to pursue acting as a career. 'A lot of this was generational legacy pressure from my mum. She is from Malaysia, and she took me to the US for the opportunities. We all know about the immigrants' dream,' he adds. (From left) Osric Chau and Karena Lam play a couple dealing with the trauma of a miscarriage in Worth The Wait. PHOTO: WORTH THE WAIT MOVIE LLC In another of the film's intertwining story threads, a couple played by Chinese-Canadian actors Osric Chau and Karena Lam find their marriage becoming strained after a miscarriage, while a young man, Blake (Chinese-Canadian actor Ricky He), has priorities other than school. Tan says: 'Osric's character is vulnerable and Blake failed maths. There are so many layers to the characters. We are so much more than what's usually shown.' Worth The Wait opens in Singapore cinemas in August.
