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MUCH fuss has been made of rising TV starlets Jesseca Liu, Felicia Chin, Fiona Xie, Joanne Peh, Jeanette Aw, Dawn Yeoh and Rui En. Dubbed the Seven Princesses by the Chinese press about a year ago, they are tipped to succeed Caldecott Hill queens Zoe Tay and Fann Wong.
But if you don't quite buy the hype about the anointed super seven, LifeStyle has crowned our own Fab Four. This bevy of ingenues may not be your conventional sweetie pies, but they show just as much - if not more - promise.
For a start, they are nominated at tonight's Star Awards, an annual event which honours the best and most popular in the local Chinese TV scene.
First-time Best Supporting Actress nominees Eelyn Kok, 29, and Ezann Lee, 25, turned in well-regarded performances as a scheming mistress and a mentally disabled girl in dramas Kinship and Making Miracles respectively.
Best Newcomer hopefuls Jacqueline Sue, also nominated for Best Supporting Actress, and Tang Ling Yi, both 20, took part in talent shows Star Idol and Project Superstar respectively.
While neither won their respective competitions, both caught the eye of producers and have been doing well so far.
Ms Kok Len Shoong, MediaCorp Studios' senior vice-president for Chinese drama, says when it comes to casting, 'we first consider who will be most suitable for the role' and not how much press someone has generated. She also notes that the newer faces in this year's Best Supporting Actress category nominees show a lot of promise.
Tougher for guys
Being a TV actor can be a tough gig in Singapore, where top dog status usually goes to the girls. Just look at the star power of Zoe Tay, Fann Wong and the Seven Princesses.
'Favouring female celebrities over male stars is an anomaly in the entertainment world you find only in Singapore and China,' says Mr Daniel Yun, 49, managing director of MediaCorp Raintree Pictures.
His explanation? 'They may be too conscious of their looks for their acting to be relaxed and convincing enough.'
While there are many good-looking actors here who also get many breaks, they 'somehow fizzle out after a while', he notes.
But things may be looking up for local leading men.
With Qi Yuwu, once touted as the closest thing to Li Nanxing's successor, signing on as a full-time actor with MediaCorp Raintree Pictures, the TV field has become wide open once again.
Promising stars include Shaun Chen, 29. Once seen as a problematic actor, he has been making slow but steady progress with his small-screen presence since rejoining MediaCorp in 2005.
Star Search 1999 champ Nick Shen, 32, has shied away from pretty boy roles and has instead carved out a niche as a solid character actor. This year marks his fourth nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category.
And the future may well be bright for newbies Nat Ho and Kang Cheng Xi, both 23.
Shen believes actors have a longer shelf-life than actresses. 'There is a longer runway for actors, who have the advantage of being perceived as having more character as they grow more mature.'
Hair guru to the stars David Gan advises leading men wannabes to take a leaf from Christopher Lee and show some pizzazz in their fashion sense.
'Don't wear everything sponsors give you, like a puppet. You must have your own character in order to be a trend-setter.'
The Star Awards will be shown live on Channel 8 tonight at 7pm.
hxinyi@sph.com.sg
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