Chen Ya-Lan is making history at the Golden Bell Awards by becoming the first actress to compete in the Best Actor award category.
As reported on CNA, the 56-year-old actress is nominated for her portrayal as Emperor Jiaqing in “Lord Jiaqing and the Journey to Taiwan”, and will be competing alongside actors James Wen, Kuo Tze-cheng, Berant Zhu and Tony Yang.
As to why the actress was considered for the category instead of Best Actress, the judging committee stated that Chen’s depiction was truly convincing as she portrayed the character from a young age to old, setting a precedent for the said awards.
It is noted that the Ministry of Culture confirmed that actresses are eligible for the Best Actor award as it considers the characters’ gender rather than the actor’s.
Responding through her agent, Chen said that she was elated to hear of the nomination, as she thought there was no way that she would be shortlisted in the category.
“I am happy and I hope I can win,” she said.
(Photo Source: Chen Ya-Lan FB)