After more than twenty years devoted to cinema, Hong Kong actor Nick Cheung has returned to television — and he has done so without apology or uncertainty. At 61, nominated for Best Actor at the 31st Asian Television Awards for his role as a morally compromised judge in Justice Is Mine, Cheung speaks not in the language of hope but of conclusion. It is a rare posture in an industry built on deference, and it invites us to consider what it means when an artist trusts, fully, the weight of their own work.
Nick Cheung confident of Best Actor win at Asian Television Awards
I am certain to win Best Actor this time.
Mark
So Cheung hasn't done TV in over twenty years. What brought him back now?
Mimi
The role itself—playing a judge in this crime thriller. It's a character-driven part, the kind that probably appealed to him after all those film roles.
Luke
But we don't actually know why he took it. The reporting just says he did. Could've been the script, could've been the money, could've been timing.
Mark
Fair point. And he's being pretty bold about winning, isn't he?
Mimi
Very bold. He said "I am certain to win." Not "I hope to" or "I'm honored to be nominated." Certain.
Luke
Which is interesting because we don't know what the other nominees are, or how competitive the category actually is. He's making a strong claim without much context.
Mark
Does his film track record support that confidence? Two Best Actor wins in cinema?
Mimi
Yes—2009 and 2014. So he's won major acting awards before. He knows what it feels like to be recognized at that level.
Luke
But those were film awards, not television awards. Different voters, different pools, different criteria sometimes.
Mark
True. So November 14 will tell us whether his confidence was earned or just good theater.
Mimi
Either way, it's a bold move for someone coming back to TV after two decades. He's not playing it safe.
O Pulso
- After a 22-year absence from television, Nick Cheung's return to the small screen has landed him at the center of one of the region's most watched awards races.
- His declaration — 'I am certain to win' — cuts against the careful humility most nominees perform, injecting a rare charge of conviction into the awards season conversation.
- The role itself carries dramatic weight: a judge whose moral compass shatters when his son becomes entangled with a mafia family, demanding the kind of layered performance that awards bodies tend to reward.
- Justice Is Mine is not riding on Cheung alone — nominations for Best Adaptation and Best Editing signal that the series is being taken seriously as a whole work.
- The November 14 ceremony will determine whether the industry's verdict aligns with the one Cheung has already rendered about himself.
After more than twenty years devoted to cinema, Hong Kong actor Nick Cheung has returned to television — and he has done so without apology or uncertainty. At 61, nominated for Best Actor at the 31st Asian Television Awards for his role as a morally compromised judge in Justice Is Mine, Cheung speaks not in the language of hope but of conclusion. It is a rare posture in an industry built on deference, and it invites us to consider what it means when an artist trusts, fully, the weight of their own work.
Nick Cheung is not leaving room for doubt. The 61-year-old Hong Kong actor, asked about his chances at the 31st Asian Television Awards, told reporters plainly that he expects to win Best Actor for Justice Is Mine — a crime thriller in which he plays a judge drawn into moral darkness after his son becomes caught up in a hit-and-run involving a mafia boss's family. "Don't be surprised when it happens," he said.
The nomination itself represents a significant turn in a career that has spent more than two decades on the other side of the screen. Cheung's last television appearance was in 2004's medical drama The Last Breakthrough. In the years that followed, he built a formidable film career, winning Best Actor awards in 2009 for Beast Stalker and again in 2014 for Unbeatable. Justice Is Mine drew him back, and the industry has taken notice.
The series earned nominations beyond Cheung's individual bid, including recognition for Best Adaptation and Best Editing — a sign that the production is being evaluated as a serious work in its own right. Cheung, for his part, framed the nominations not as pleasant surprises but as fitting acknowledgment. His tone was that of someone who has already done the accounting. The awards ceremony is set for November 14.
Nick Cheung, the 61-year-old Hong Kong actor, is not hedging his bets. When asked about his chances at the 31st Asian Television Awards next month, he offered a prediction that bordered on certainty: he will win Best Actor for his role in Justice Is Mine, a crime thriller where he plays a judge. "Don't be surprised when it happens," he said, speaking to reporters about the nomination.
The confidence marks a significant moment in Cheung's career. He spent more than two decades building a film resume after stepping away from television, where he had started out as a young actor. His last TV appearance came in 2004, in a medical drama called The Last Breakthrough. In the years since, he focused almost entirely on cinema, winning Best Actor at film awards twice—once in 2009 for Beast Stalker, again in 2014 for Unbeatable. But Justice Is Mine pulled him back to the small screen, and the role has earned him recognition at a major regional awards ceremony.
In Justice Is Mine, Cheung's character is a judge who crosses into moral darkness after his son becomes entangled in a hit-and-run accident involving the son of a mafia boss. The series itself has attracted multiple nominations beyond Cheung's acting bid. It is also in contention for Best Adaptation and Best Editing. The awards ceremony will take place on November 14.
When discussing the nominations, Cheung framed them as validation. He suggested the recognition was fitting, that the work deserved to be seen and honored at this level. His tone was not one of hope or cautious optimism, but rather of someone who has already made a calculation and arrived at a conclusion. The phrasing—"I am certain to win"—left little room for doubt, at least in his public remarks.
For an actor who has spent two decades away from television, the return appears to have been worth the wait. Whether the awards voters agree with Cheung's assessment will become clear in November.
Citações Notáveis
I am certain to win Best Actor this time. Don't be surprised when it happens.— Nick Cheung
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