Xie Shaoguang in new drama after 2 decades, co-starring Chen Hanwei

The last time Singaporeans saw local actor Xie Shaoguang on their screens, it was in the 2005 drama Baby Blues.

The 63-year-old opened a personal Instagram account and signed with Mediacorp's The Celebrity Agency earlier this year, and is now set to star in his comeback drama after two decades, Last Hurrah (working title).

According to a Mediacorp release, he plays Lin Huoyan, a rich but lonely businessman, opposite veteran actor Chen Hanwei's Lan Shuimiao, a retiree surrounded by loved ones.

The two men form a bond over their shared battles with terminal cancer, and help others like them accept their mortality with "dignity and grace", including a young woman with an untimely diagnosis and a family broken apart by impending loss.

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Last Hurrah, which is inspired by real stories, also stars Chantalle Ng and Desmond Ng, and an ensemble cast including Xiang Yun, Aileen Tan, Jeremy Chan, Jernelle Oh, Nick Teo, Herman Keh, Yunis To, Cavin Soh, Priscelia Chan, Jin Yinji, Bernard Tan, Joel Choo and Daryl-Ann Jansen.

The 20-episode series is slated for an end-2025 release with production taking place from February to May.

Shaoguang made his acting debut in 1989 in A Mother's Love before having an illustrious career with five Best Actor and two Best Supporting Actor wins at the Star Awards.

He held the record for the former for 15 years before being surpassed by Hanwei in 2019.

He quit showbiz after his contract with Mediacorp ended in 2005, citing burnout from work and trauma experiencing the devastating 921 earthquake in Taiwan.

Before his comeback, he kept a low profile, getting ordained a Buddhist monk in 2013 before renouncing it and becoming a chef in a vegetarian restaurant, and also opened an animal sanctuary.

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drimac@asiaone.com

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