Li Nanxing celebrates 40 years in showbiz with star-studded party at Raffles Sentosa

Local veteran actor Li Nanxing recently commemorated his four decades in showbiz with a star-studded celebration held at Raffles Sentosa Singapore.

According to multiple Instagram posts and Stories, the local actors who turned up to celebrate with the 60-year-old, affectionately known as Ah Ge, include Hong Huifang, Zheng Geping, Pan Lingling, Huang Biren, Chen Xiuhuan, Phyllis Quek, Vivian Lai, Cavin Soh, Desmond Tan, Brandon Wong, Constance Song, Julie Tan, Zhai Siming, Edwin Goh and Shane Pow.

When contacted, Nanxing told AsiaOne today (Aug 28): "When celebrating with showbiz friends, we don't remember days but we remember moments. We had a blast and it was a fun and energetic night. Their energy, creativity and our shared experiences created unforgettable moments. It's always great to connect and celebrate our achievements together."

In one of Ah Ge's Instagram posts yesterday, he is seen in the luxury resort's restaurant Royal China, where he was presented with a cake by Biren and all the guests sang the birthday song to him in English and Mandarin.

Just before he blows out the candle, he said: "I hope everyone will have a successful career and good health, that's most important."

Nanxing debuted in showbiz in 1986 after attending an actor training course by Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (now Mediacorp). He rose to stardom in the 1990s, playing iconic roles such as Yan Fei in local drama trilogy The Unbeatables (1993, 1996 and 2002), Lu Liding in The Return of the Condor Heroes (1998), Sakagami Ichiro in In Pursuit of Peace (2001) and Lin Tao in The Dream Makers 2 (2015).

Biren, 56, congratulated him in an Instagram post yesterday where she uploaded photos from the happy occasion.

Lingling also gave her best wishes to Ah Ge in an Instagram post yesterday.

The 55-year-old wrote: "From being a fan during my secondary school days, to being able to rub shoulders with my idol while acting as partners, this is really a dream come true!

"Forty years is almost equivalent to half a person's life. To be able to persist in a career for 40 years and become the best among them, your passion, persistence and professionalism is something all of us respect."

Vivian, 48, also wrote in her post: "How many 40 years can there be in a lifetime? Nanxing contributed his precious years to the camera and audiences. Every project is a footprint, linking together 40 dazzling years. Wishing Ah Ge a happy 40th anniversary in showbiz."

"It's truly amazing to see how far he has come — dedicating four decades to his craft and becoming the one and only icon of Singapore's film industry. From young to old, generations of audiences have loved and adored him," 50-year-old Constance said.

"To me, he will always be our Ah Ge — our number one actor, so talented yet so kind-hearted, and one of the nicest people I've ever had the privilege to work with."

During an event in July, Nanxing, who is starring in Mediacorp's first dystopian-crime series The Leftovers, told AsiaOne that he is happy about his time in the industry.

He shared: "To many actors, 40 years is neither a long nor short time. In Western countries, there could be actors who only understood what acting is after 40 years. There are also actors who acted for 60, 80 years and even continue when they are over 100 years old.

"As an actor who is able to continue acting after 40 years, I have learnt in many aspects, such as conducting myself and dealing with people, and I grew up on this stage."

Nanxing will be celebrating in Shanghai on Nov 29 with his supporters, as part of SA Tours' eight-day Jiangnan Gourmet Autumn Tour, which will be led by Vivian. He is expected to spend time with his fans on a cruise along Huangpu River in the evening and personally cook dishes for them.

[[nid:721842]]

yeo.shuhui@asiaone.com

No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.