Latest news with #CentralNewsAgency
The Star
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Taiwan screen icon Chin Han returns in Mandarin drama 'Forget You Not'
Chin Han, a well-known romantic hero of 1980s TV dramas, plays an old man with dementia in Netflix series 'Forget You Not'. Photo: Handout After 24 years away from Taiwanese dramas, Taiwanese screen legend Chin Han is back on the small screen. He stars in Netflix series Forget You Not , which was directed by singer-actress Rene Liu. The 79-year-old Chin is known for playing the romantic hero in hugely popular TV adaptations of famed author Chiung Yao's romantic novels in the 1980s. They include Lovers Under The Rain (1986), Deep Garden (1987) and One Side Of The Water (1988). In his latest outing, Chin sheds his romantic leading man trappings to play an old man with dementia. Golden Horse Award-winning Taiwanese actress Hsieh Ying-hsuan ( Born For The Spotlight , 2024) plays his daughter, an aspiring stand-up comedienne named Le-le. The series is now streaming on Netflix. Liu, 55, and producer Aileen Lee, 53, told Taiwanese news outlet Central News Agency in an interview published on May 24 that many people around them thought it would be 'mission impossible' to get Chin to star in the series. He has cut down on work in recent years. While he has starred in Chinese dramas such as Cambrian Period (2017), his last TV drama appearance was in 2020. And his last appearance in a Taiwanese series was in 2001, a period drama about Qing Dynasty emperor Qianlong. Liu had tailor-made the role for Chin, though when she first approached him for a casual chat about it, she thought he would turn it down. He had told Liu then that he would not like to play a bedridden or forgetful old man. Lee said: 'We were like, 'oh no', because the series will go into his character's deteriorating memory.' But Chin was eventually convinced. And once he took on the role, he was fully committed to it, Liu said. He asked for his hair to be messier and his clothes to look more crumpled, in an attempt to show the decline of his character's mind. 'People have seen how handsome and charming he was in his younger days, so they will feel pained when they see him in this role,' Liu added. In a separate e-mail interview with Singapore's Chinese tabloid Shin Min Daily News earlier in May, Chin said he did not like to play sickly characters. 'To play someone sick is quite a painful process because you have to live with that mindset for months while filming is ongoing. I don't like to be unhappy,' he said. But he agreed to do the series as Liu told him he would be playing a sea captain. 'I thought I'd have a chance to wear a suave white navy uniform, so I agreed. In the end, when we began filming, I realised the character is a chief engineer on a ship, so I didn't get to wear a uniform,' he said. Still, he was glad to have taken on the challenge. 'My character seems so ordinary, but he loves his daughter with all his heart and is always quietly supporting her. I am rarely approached for such ordinary roles,' he added. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Taiwan screen icon Chin Han returns in Netflix dementia drama Forget You Not
Taiwanese actor Chin Han, a well-known romantic hero of 1980s TV dramas, plays an old man with dementia in Netflix series Forget You Not. PHOTO: NETFLIX After 24 years away from Taiwanese dramas, Taiwanese screen legend and actor Chin Han is back on the small screen. He stars in Netflix series Forget You Not, which was directed by singer-actress Rene Liu. The 79-year-old Chin is known for playing the romantic hero in hugely popular TV adaptations of famed author Chiung Yao's romantic novels in the 1980s. They include Lovers Under The Rain (1986), Deep Garden (1987) and One Side Of The Water (1988). In his latest outing, Chin sheds his romantic leading man trappings to play an old man with dementia. Golden Horse Award-winning Taiwanese actress Hsieh Ying-hsuan (Born For The Spotlight, 2024) plays his daughter, an aspiring stand-up comedienne named Le-le. The series is now streaming on Netflix. Liu, 55, and producer Aileen Lee, 53, told Taiwanese news outlet Central News Agency in an interview published on May 24 that many people around them thought it would be 'mission impossible' to get Chin to agree to star in the series. He has cut down on acting in recent years. While he has starred in Chinese dramas such as Cambrian Period (2017), his last TV drama appearance was in 2020. And his last appearance in a Taiwanese series was in 2001, a period drama about Qing Dynasty emperor Qianlong. Liu had tailor-made the role for Chin, though when she first approached him for a casual chat about it, she thought he would turn it down. He had told Liu then that he would not like to play a bedridden or forgetful old man. Lee said: 'We were like, 'oh no', because the series will go into his character's deteriorating memory.' But Chin was eventually convinced. And once he took on the role, he was fully committed to it, Liu said. He asked for his hair to be messier and his clothes to look more crumpled, in an attempt to show the decline of his mind. 'People have seen how handsome and charming he was in his younger days, so they will feel more heartache when they see him in this role,' Liu added. Taiwanese actor Chin Han, a well-known romantic hero of 1980s TV dramas, plays an old man with dementia in Netflix series Forget You Not. PHOTO: NETFLIX In a separate e-mail interview with Singapore's Chinese tabloid Shin Min Daily News earlier in May, Chin said he did not like to play sickly characters. 'To play someone sick is quite a painful process because you have to live with that mindset for months while filming is ongoing. I don't like to be unhappy,' he said. But he agreed to do the series as Liu told him he would be playing a sea captain. 'I thought I'd have a chance to wear a suave white navy uniform, so I agreed. In the end, when we began filming, I realised the character is a chief engineer on a ship, so I didn't get to wear a uniform,' he said. Still, he was glad to have taken on the challenge. 'My character seems so ordinary, but he loves his daughter with all his heart and is always quietly supporting her. I am rarely approached for such ordinary roles,' he added. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Toronto Sun
20-05-2025
- Toronto Sun
A car runs a red light and kills 3 people in Taiwan, including two 12-year-old girls
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A stream of people in Taiwan left flowers and bags of snacks on Tuesday near the intersection where a driver plowed through pedestrians the previous day, killing three people including two 12-year-old girls. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Article content The crash, which left the 78-year-old driver in a coma, saddened many on this self-governing island of 23 million people off China's east coast. A video posted on X by Taiwan's Central News Agency showed people praying and bowing their heads in front of rows of colorful flowers and bags of snacks. Taiwanese often place snacks as offerings, sometimes those that were the favorites of the deceased. A small group of family members waved pieces of clothing — a small blouse and what appeared to be a T-shirt — in a ritual meant to help the souls of the deceased find their way home. President Lai Ching-te, who visited injured victims in the hospital on Monday night, opened a major policy speech by offering his 'deepest condolences' to the families of the deceased. He said the government would work as quickly as possible to determine the cause of the accident and assess ways to prevent such accidents in the future.
eNCA
20-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Buffeted by political chaos, Taiwan's Lai marks first year in office
TAIPEI - Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te celebrates his first year in office on Tuesday as his government grapples with Chinese military pressure, US tariff threats and domestic political turmoil. Lai, a staunch defender of Taiwan's sovereignty and detested by Beijing, is scheduled to deliver a speech and take questions from the media at 0130 GMT. Taiwan's coast guard warned Monday that China may use "cognitive warfare" to "disrupt public morale" as Lai marks the first anniversary of his inauguration. China, which claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to annex it, held large-scale military drills around the island days after Lai took office. After promising to stand up to China and defend democracy at his inauguration, Lai is expected to highlight "democratic Taiwan, resilience and unity" in his address, the semi-official Central News Agency reported. Lai has seen his first term in the top job engulfed in domestic political turmoil as opposition parties seek to stymie his agenda. While Lai was elected in January 2024 with 40 percent of the vote, his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lost its majority in parliament. -Fights in parliament - The main opposition Kuomintang party (KMT), which has friendly ties with China, has teamed up with the Taiwan People's Party to challenge the government's policies, including slashing the general budget. Tensions have escalated into physical fights inside parliament and thousands of supporters of the DPP and opposition parties holding rival street protests. The KMT has called Lai a "dictator" and accused him of pushing Taiwan closer to war with China, while the DPP suggests the KMT is a tool of Beijing and is undermining Taiwan's security. Lai has seen his approval rating fall to 45.9 percent from 58 percent nearly a year ago, according to a survey by Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation in April. His disapproval rating rose to 45.7 percent -- the highest since he took office -- which the polling group linked to the Lai government's handling of US tariffs on Taiwan and the DPP's unprecedented recall campaign targeting the opposition. DPP supporters are seeking to unseat around 30 KMT lawmakers through a legal process that allows legislators to be removed before the end of their term. While the threshold for a successful recall is high, the DPP only needs to win six seats to wrest back control of parliament. A rival campaign to unseat 15 DPP members has been embroiled in controversy after KMT staffers were accused of forging the signatures of dead people. The KMT has also threatened to recall Lai.
France 24
20-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Buffeted by political chaos, Taiwan's Lai marks first year in office
Lai, a staunch defender of Taiwan's sovereignty and detested by Beijing, is scheduled to deliver a speech and take questions from the media at 0130 GMT. Taiwan's coast guard warned Monday that China may use "cognitive warfare" to "disrupt public morale" as Lai marks the first anniversary of his inauguration. China, which claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to annex it, held large-scale military drills around the island days after Lai took office. After promising to stand up to China and defend democracy at his inauguration, Lai is expected to highlight "democratic Taiwan, resilience and unity" in his address, the semi-official Central News Agency reported. Lai has seen his first term in the top job engulfed in domestic political turmoil as opposition parties seek to stymie his agenda. While Lai was elected in January 2024 with 40 percent of the vote, his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lost its majority in parliament. -Fights in parliament - The main opposition Kuomintang party (KMT), which has friendly ties with China, has teamed up with the Taiwan People's Party to challenge the government's policies, including slashing the general budget. Tensions have escalated into physical fights inside parliament and thousands of supporters of the DPP and opposition parties holding rival street protests. The KMT has called Lai a "dictator" and accused him of pushing Taiwan closer to war with China, while the DPP suggests the KMT is a tool of Beijing and is undermining Taiwan's security. Lai has seen his approval rating fall to 45.9 percent from 58 percent nearly a year ago, according to a survey by Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation in April. His disapproval rating rose to 45.7 percent -- the highest since he took office -- which the polling group linked to the Lai government's handling of US tariffs on Taiwan and the DPP's unprecedented recall campaign targeting the opposition. DPP supporters are seeking to unseat around 30 KMT lawmakers through a legal process that allows legislators to be removed before the end of their term. While the threshold for a successful recall is high, the DPP only needs to win six seats to wrest back control of parliament. A rival campaign to unseat 15 DPP members has been embroiled in controversy after KMT staffers were accused of forging the signatures of dead people. The KMT has also threatened to recall Lai.
