Get to know Chen Han Wei, the most decorated local actor

Like many famous stars in local media, Chen Han Wei was born in the crucible of the Star Awards talent search competition. He crossed the causeway and participated in its inaugural edition in 1988 organised by then-Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (now Mediacorp). He was one of the finalists but didn't make the top three, with the champion of that year being Zoe Tay. Nevertheless, it set Chen Han Wei down the path of acting and stardom.

Chen Han Wei's big break came in 1995 when his portrayal of Fang Lao Shi in Morning Express cemented him as a household name and his first Most Popular Male Artiste Award (the predecessor to the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes).

This could perhaps sound conceited when it comes from the mouths of other celebrities. But Chen Han Wei wants to stop winning the top acting prize as he wants a rookie to win instead.

Chen Han Wei shared his thoughts on a television show aired prior to the 2022 Star Awards. "I really hope Best Actor this year goes to a rookie. I think there are a lot of rookies that have done really well and these four [referring to the other actors who are nominated alongside him for Best Actor] are the ones who are always nominated. So I hope they get the chance to get up there and enjoy the applause and encouragement."

"I feel that I maintained my standard [of acting] in this show, but the other four nominees surpassed their previous standards, so I think they should be the ones winning."

In the end, Chen Han Wei ended up winning his seventh Best Actor trophy for Recipe Of Life in the 2022 Star Awards.

Outside of his acting commendations, Chen Han Wei also received the All-Time Favourite Artiste title in 2014 after winning the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes trophy 10 times.

Not every industry veteran is willing to share their tips and advice with the younger generation. Perhaps this stems from a fear of being replaced and becoming obsolete. Yet, younger stars have openly praised Chen Han Wei for his willingness to give them guidance.

Here are what they have said:

Sheila Sim: "He’s a hero because he’s very willing to share and he has taught the younger generation of actors a lot. Every time a newbie or younger actor has a problem, whether it’s emotional or political stuff, they always go to him."

Desmond Ng: "He invited Charles Lee and I to his house, and gave us suggestions on how we could approach acting. In just one short talk, he helped me understand how, for example, one line of dialogue can be delivered in so many different ways. After that, whenever he saw me, he’d ask after me and ask how I was taking to acting."

Nick Teo: "Han Wei told me that acting cannot be taught. It is all about life experiences. Now I understand what he meant. Being an actor is not about you. We should never isolate ourselves thinking we are different from others and we should live our life like any other people so that we can have the life experience to portray any character."

After his initial popularity peak following the success of Morning Express (1995), a series of bad moves professionally made Chen Han Wei reevaluate his career prospects as an actor. He missed the live recording of Good Morning Singapore that all winners must attend, which made people think he was being arrogant. He also insisted on keeping his hair long to play roles such as a policeman and doctor, further gaining him the disapproval from the public.

"Since people didn’t like me, I decided that I wouldn’t [act] anymore. I went to the boss and said I wanted to work behind the scenes. I told him that I could be a stylist because I like arty-farty stuff and design in general. The most ridiculous thing was that I asked for my pay to be cut in half. This request made [my boss] so happy, he agreed to my request on the spot."

Chen Han Wei's journey as a stylist wasn't smooth sailing either. "As an actor, you just need to be professional and do your job well. As a crew member, you have to deal with artistes, your boss, your colleagues, sponsors, these sponsors’ bosses, advertisers, directors, assistant directors and so on. It’s then when I realised how much effort it took just to get one artiste styled."

The experience nevertheless made Chen Han Wei grow up and just in time too as he managed to get back in the public's good graces with Love Me, Love Me Not (2001), which scored him his first Best Actor win.

Fun fact: Chen Han Wei's good luck charm is a black rose brooch, which often makes an appearance at the award shows.

Chen Han Wei's love for "arty-farty stuff" extends beyond fashion though. Those who frequently watch variety shows on the national broadcaster would know that the actor has also been involved in interior design-related programs. The most recent of them is House Everything? 2 (2022), where he co-hosts with Jernelle Oh to help people tidy and organise their messy, cluttered homes.

Chen Han Wei has also flexed his creative muscles while hosting similar programs such as Home Décor Survivor V (2013), House Everything (2019) and  My Space (2022).

The 2022 Star Awards departed from past years as there was only one host to anchor the entire night of celebrations. That host was Chen Han Wei.

Chen Han Wei revealed that the production team had snuck up on him and spent almost two hours persuading him to do it. "In the end, I said yes, but I felt very conflicted because I wasn’t confident about how I was going to pull it off."

They even made him sign a contract so he couldn't renege. "They felt it would be like a big family party. They said they liked my style because it was quite real. And maybe they felt that, with my 30 years in the industry, I would be able to energise the other artistes."

Besides the difficulty of memorising the entire show's worth of lines, Chen Han Wei's main stress prior to the ceremony was to not contract Covid-19. "Since I got the hosting assignment three or four months ago, I have been worrying so much about it. I thought to myself, I cannot fall ill. So I have been wearing all kinds of protective shields — face masks, face shields. I was wrapped up like a dumpling!"

Hosting wasn't all that Chen Han Wei did for the award show though. He also designed his own outfit as well as the outfits of Zheng Geping, Hong Hui Fang and Dennis Chew.

For Chen Han Wei, splashing out $30k to bring his parents on a vacation each time is well worth the sum. To him, "being filial isn’t something to brag about. It’s how every child should be. After all, the greatest thing my mum has ever done for me is to bring me up. She gave me this life." His parents live in Johor Bahru and regularly come to visit him in Singapore.

In 2023, Chen Han Wei shared that he didn't want any inheritance from his parents. "I actually don't care about it. I have told my parents since I was young that they should spend all their money on themselves and not leave any for me."

"I will still work hard to make my own money and take care of my family and let my parents have a good life. We don't have to live a life of luxury, but we are sufficient and don't have to worry about it."

The close friendship between Chen Han Wei and Zoe Tay has been public knowledge for some time, but we aren't sure when they became best friends. It could be when they were both contestants in the 1988 Star Search (see point #1) or the numerous times they have worked together on dramas such as By My Side (2008), Devotion (2011) and The Dream Makers (2013).

Interestingly, the two didn't see eye to eye when they first knew each other. Zoe Tay thought Chen Han Wei was arrogant while he felt she exuded supermodel energy.

In an Instagram caption, Zoe Tay reflected on the friendship, "We have known each other for 29 years. We didn’t see eye to eye initially, but with time I saw the real you (Hanwei). I feel like you grew on me. You are like an angel sent from heaven. I am so blessed to have you as a friend."

During an Instagram livestream in 2021 with Shaun Chen, Zhang Yaodong and Christopher Lee, Chen Han Wei shared moments when his English proficiency fell short.

One instance happened when he was with celebrity hairstylist David Gan where he thought that a limousine was someone's name, or Lim Ou Sine. Another instance was with Fann Wong where he mixed up the word "renovation" with "reservation", which tickled the actress to no end.

The third happened after Zoe Tay had introduced Chen Han Wei to the luggage Samsonite. He had forgotten the name and instead asked for "Samonet" at the store. Zoe Tay loves the story so much that "now, some 30 years later, every single celeb in Singapore has heard the story at least once."

Chen Han Wei ended the storytelling by stating that his English has since improved. "At least I can communicate in English when watching movies or chatting with my friends now."

In 2013, Chen Han Wei starred in the local horror film Ghost Child. At the press conference, he recounted his own brush with the supernatural.  "I have a bit of the sixth sense since I was young, and had seen a ‘Ghost Child’ before. I thank the priest for helping me understand certain things. My mum had a miscarriage back then and the priest says that its ‘spirit’ has been living in the house ever since. Now ‘it’ is about 40+ years old. So, in the way, I actually have some experience prior to this role."