KUALA LUMPUR: Michael Ang is best known as a director, the man behind Malay dramas as Sweet Dreams, Suri Hati Mr Pilot and Penanggal.
But the 43-year-old can also act, and for the first time, he is in the running for Best Drama Actor at the coming Anugerah Skrin 2019 (ASK 2019).
The role which earned him a Best Drama Actor nomination in ASK 2019 was that of "Malaysian Forrest Gump" Cheong Ai Ling in the Chinese New Year 2019 telemovie Titi Kayu.
In the poignant, yet inspiring tale of multi-racial friendship in a village, Ang's character Cheong was a simpleton with a heart of gold, who "befriended everybody and hated nobody".
His best friend was a boy named Umar, played by Syed Ali Murthada, who lived just opposite his house across a small stream.
Cheong and Umar always dreamt of building a small bridge across it to connect their houses, and they eventually succeeded despite the odds.
"It's not my first acting role, I've actually appeared in cameos a couple of times in the past, such as in the drama Sweet Dreams and the film Ophilia," said Ang at the launch of ASK 2019 in De.Wan 1958 By Chef Wan Restaurant, Jalan Tun Razak here yesterday.
"But this is my heaviest and most challenging role, besides, it’s the first time I'm playing the protagonist. Cheong is a lot different from me, I'm rather talkative while he is timid and shy."
“I just loved his honesty and innocence, and I told myself that I had to play this endearing young man. He is like Forrest Gump, but on a small scale," he said.
Ang thanked Titi Kayu's producer Sharifah Shahora and director Raja Mukhriz Raja Ahmad Kamaruddin for encouraging him to play Cheong.
"Titi Kayu is a celebration of Bangsa Malaysia, I can never turn down roles in such beautiful stories," he said.
“It would be great to win, but getting nominated is itself a moment of joy for me."
Titi Kayu was filmed in October last year and also starred Riz Amin and Iqram Dinzly. Ang learnt theatre acting while pursuing a film degree at University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia two decades ago.
ASK 2020 will be held at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) at 8.30pm on Nov 1. Co-hosted by Zizan Razak, Nabila Huda Suhaimi, Rozita Che Wan, Zain Saidin, Siti Sarah Raissuddin, Shuib, Shaheizy Sam, Syatila Melvin, Eira Syazira, Azad Jasmin, Elly Mazlein and Shuk Sahar, it will have 23 award categories for dramas, telemovies and films.