KUALA LUMPUR: Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian 35 (ABPBH 35) Most Popular Artiste Ngasrizal Ngasri or Bell said that his father veteran Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) host Ngasri Sain was the man "truly deserving of his title".
Bell, 43, said in a news report yesterday that Ngasri, 73, was his number one mentor in show business.
"Without my father's encouragement I would not be where I am today. I have learnt a lot from him, even though I ended up as an actor while he is a TV host and radio announcer," said Bell who has been acting for 37 years.
Bell added that his father taught him how to communicate effectively with viewers, because the best of actors had to engage with audiences to get them interested in a drama or film.
"Acting is like hosting. Both require effective communication skills. The best actors are the ones most capable of getting their viewers' attention throughout the duration of their film or drama."
Bell said that when he first became an actor almost everyone he worked with identified him as Ngasri's son.
"That is how famous my father is. And after 37 years of hard work I guess I have finally become my own man. But all of this would not have happened without his blessings."
Ngasri has been a popular radio announcer of RTM since the 1980s and he also co-hosted the long-running morning talk show Selamat Pagi Malaysia (SPM).
Bell is the third of six children of Ngasri and his wife Habibah Jaafar. His two younger sisters Ngasreen "Darling" Ngasri and Datin Ngasriah "Anne" Ngasri are popular actresses who also began their acting careers in the late 1980s.