Taiwan's Golden Bell crowns its first Vietnamese best male lead

Taipei, Oct. 19 (CNA) Actor Liên Bỉnh Phát became the first Vietnamese to win Taiwan's Golden Bell Award for Best Male Lead in a Television Series on Saturday, and also the first from the Southeast Asian nation ever nominated since the awards -- Taiwan's equivalent of the Emmys -- were established in 1965.

In his acceptance speech on Saturday night, Liên, wearing the traditional Vietnamese men's tunic Áo dài, said he was grateful for the opportunity to act in Taiwan.

"Oh my God!" Liên first said in English. "This moment seems so unreal to me now. I can't believe that now I can stand on the Golden Bell Awards stage."

The 34-year-old then said that he hoped to have the opportunity to return to Taiwan for future projects.

"I love Taiwan," Liên said in Vietnamese. "Thank you for the kindness and gentleness shown to us."

Liên won the top male acting honor for his portrayal of Dr. Fan Wen-ning (范文寧) in the multilingual medical drama "The Outlaw Doctor" (化外之醫).

In the series, Fan is a licensed cosmetic surgeon in Vietnam who turns to working illegally as an underground doctor in Taiwan, performing unlicensed procedures for migrant workers to earn enough money to cover his injured mother's mounting medical bills.

Coincidentally, Liên said in his post-victory interview that his mother has been unwell recently.

"I hope that my award could encourage my mom, get her some positive energy to let her feel better both emotionally and physically," Liên said.

Liên began his onscreen career in Vietnam in 2017 as a contestant on a reality TV show.

His first acting role came soon after, in 2018, when he was cast as Dũng in the Vietnamese musical drama "Song Lang."

On Sunday, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) released a statement to celebrate what he said was the diversity observed in Taiwan's entertainment industry.

Cho personally congratulated Liên for his win, stating that the Vietnamese actor's performance skillfully captured the struggles of a person keeping his dignity while fighting to survive in a foreign land.

Speaking about Liên's performance, Angie Chai (柴智屏), chair of the judging panel for the 60th Golden Bell Awards for Drama Series, said the Vietnamese actor stood out for his portrayal of a migrant worker's relentless determination in the face of hardship.

Throughout the series, Fan's secret work brings him into contact with Weber Yang's (楊一展) character, Liu Tien-cheng (劉天誠), a migrant workers' agent, and Ning Chang's (張鈞甯) character, Dr. Cheng Wan-ping (鄭琬平), a neurosurgeon.

Both Yang and Chang were nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Best Leading Actress, respectively, for their performances in the series, with Yang taking home the award on Saturday night.