Brothers Frederick Lee (left) and Christopher Lee plan to attend the awards ceremony at the Taipei Music Center, and will likely sit in the same row. Photo: Frederick Lee/Instagram
Sibling rivalry will not rear its ugly head on Oct 19, when brothers Christopher Lee and Frederick Lee vie for the same prize at the 59th Golden Bell Awards.
No matter who wins the Best Leading Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film category accolade, there will be smiles all around.
The actors told The Straits Times over a Zoom interview on Sept 24 that they have never competed against each other for anything.
Frederick, 48, who dialled in from Kuala Lumpur, said: “The only thing we ever fought over was who doesn’t have to wash the dishes or sweep the floor.”
He is up for his role as a monument conservator suffering from night blindness in the television series Night Blindness (2023).
Christopher, 53, is nominated for playing a public defender in the legal drama Port Of Lies (2023).
He has previously won three Golden Bell Awards – Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series in 2022 for playing a police captain in crime thriller Danger Zone (2021); Best Leading Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film in 2021 for portraying a construction worker in Taiwanese drama Workers (2020); and Best Leading Actor in 2014 for his turn as a workaholic husband in family drama A Good Wife (2013).
Born in a village district in Melaka, the siblings have another sister and brother. Their father and mother died in 2009 and 2018 respectively.
When asked which sibling is more likely to win, both said even-handedly that all the nominees stood a chance.
Christopher said, “You know this is how we will reply”, adding that “(the family) is just happy that both of us are nominated.”
Each brother lavishly praised the other’s performance.
Christopher felt Frederick did well in playing an older character, and presenting this character’s state of mind.
“His Taiwanese dialect was also good,” added Christopher.
Frederick, who refers to Christopher as “dua hia” or “oldest brother” in Teochew, said: “I have always looked upon (Christopher) as a senior in the acting industry. And while watching his performance, I kept saying to myself, ‘Wow, the seniors are always improving.’”
The other nominees in their category are Taiwanese actors Hsia Ching-ting (Shape Of Love), Yao Chang (Hotel Saltwater) and Mike He (Imperfect Us).
Christopher lauded He’s performance as “high-quality”, adding: “He presented a totally different persona from his real self, and made this shift very well.”
Both siblings plan to attend the awards ceremony at the Taipei Music Center, and will likely sit in the same row. But they will not coordinate their outfits or arrange to appear on the red carpet together.
Christopher, who is married to Singaporean actress Fann Wong and has a 10-year-old son, said: “I would feel happier if my son does well in his PSLE (in two years time), compared to winning (the Golden Bell Award).”
Frederick on Sept 20 announced his marriage to a woman known only as Jess, who reportedly works in the information technology industry. In a recent interview, he said he hopes to have children.
Any advice from his older brother?
Frederick said: “I have not asked specifically. But just by observing (Christopher) and his life, I can discern a few of his attitudes towards marriage and parenthood.”
Christopher added, diplomatic as ever: “Everyone has his own lifestyle. Just like our personalities are different, our children’s characters might also not be the same.” – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
