The most snubbed man in showbiz? Well, Andie Chen doesn’t need your trophy anymore

At 40, Andie Chen is still waiting for that one big moment. After nearly two decades in the industry and four nominations for Best Actor, the trophy still hasn’t come. “It definitely stung,” he admitted in a recent phone interview with The Straits Times, but only for a week, at most. “I was never devastated,” he added. “It doesn’t affect my quality of life.”

Instead of letting the disappointment define him, Andie is moving differently these days. He’s done with chasing approval, be it from directors, producers or audiences, and now focuses on one thing: doing the work well. “Now, I ask myself if I have done the role and the story justice. Is the representation fair? Is this the deepest I can go?”

While he jokes about being “unlucky,” Andie isn’t stuck. He’s evolving as a father, a freelancer, and an artist. Whether he’s taking on a mentally complex character in his new drama Fixing Fate, or cycling from Kunming to Singapore with nothing but park-level biking experience, the man’s not slowing down.

Here are five things we can learn from how Andie Chen is taking it all in stride:

You don’t need to win to feel proud of what you’ve done

Andie’s performance in Fixing Fate, where he plays a stubborn but layered police inspector, pushed him in new ways. “The producers gave me a lot of space to venture, and I thought that made this character quite, dare I say, exciting to watch,” he shared.

Despite the lack of awards, he stands by his choices: “If that means I have to be unlucky for the rest of my life, I’m okay with that.”

It’s okay to admit you’re disappointed, just don’t unpack and stay there

Was it painful to lose again? Of course. But Andie gave himself a few days to feel it, then moved on. “I felt disappointed for maybe three, four days, a week at most. But I was never devastated,” he told The Straits Times.

Here, he teaches that we’re allowed to feel bad, but it’s also important that we move forward.

Prioritise your well-being

Andie opened up about seeking support earlier this year when his wife noticed that he’d become more easily triggered by small things. He saw a psychologist and was prescribed anti-anxiety medication.

“You must understand it was a very stressful time,” he explained, referencing the pandemic years when he relocated to Taipei and work dried up. The takeaway? You don’t need to be in crisis to check in with your mental health.

Do something new might surprise you more than you think

Joining a celebrity cycling expedition from Kunming to Singapore wasn’t exactly in Andie’s wheelhouse... until it was. “Before the show, my only cycling experience was riding in the park with my kids,” he said. “But right now, for the first time in my life, I feel like I can push myself athletically, and it is very exciting.”

Here, we learn that there’s growth waiting on the other side of fear, only if you’re willing to try.

Always be grateful  

Through it all, Andie remains content. “If that means I have to be unlucky for the rest of my life, I’m okay with that,” he shared in The Straits Times. “Whatever the future holds still feels very exciting.”