Before the Star Awards last Sunday (Apr 21), veteran actress Jin Yinji had been widely tipped to win Best Supporting Actress for her moving performance in Cash On Delivery.
So you can imagine the 76-year-old’s dismay when she went home empty-handed. The award eventually went to Aileen Tan for her villainous turn in SHERO.
When 8days.sg caught up with Jin-jie backstage at the awards, she admitted she was disappointed by the shock loss, especially since she had missed out on a Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes nom this year.
Her last win was in 2021 when she took home the Best Evergreen Artiste and Top 10 awards.
“Before the Star Awards ceremony, my daughter told me not to take winning so seriously. That I was nominated shows I’m already a winner. I said okay, but in my heart, my expectations were high,” says Jin jie.
“I appeared on the cover of a magazine and a few publications named me the hot favourite, so I was hoping for a good result. I even prepared my acceptance speech.”
The past six months have been tough for Jin jie to say the least.
Her husband of 51 years, Anthony Lee, died of a heart attack at home last October at the age of 85.
“I was crying every day after his passing. But when I heard that I was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, it cheered me up. It gave me something to look forward to,” says Jin jie as her eyes well up with tears.
“Winning the award”, she says, “would help me get over the grief of my husband’s passing quicker”.
She also wanted to show her late husband and two grandsons, her biggest supporters, that she “still has what it takes to win awards”.
Nevertheless, she’s taking the loss in her stride.
“I will continue working hard and try again next time. After all, I have already waited so many years for an award. Unlike some of the artistes who win Top 10 in a flash, I waited more than three decades before clinching my first,” says Jin jie.
“I am no longer dwelling on the unpleasant things. Life must go on.”