1. PLUS 14 Friday November 20, 2009 Today
JENNIFER Hudson (picture) is set
ICE STAR ASIA
to star as the former wife of South From
Skating
Africa’s first black President, Nelson
Mandela, in the drama Winnie, re- Dreamgirl
to Mrs
ported Variety.
with
According to the publication,
Hudson will play Winnie Mandela
in the film based on the Anne Marie Mendela
du Preez Bezdrob biography Winnie
the stars
Mandela: A Life.
The f ilm — directe d by
Darrell J Roodt, the veteran South
African film-maker behind Cry,
The Beloved Country and Sarafina! Jennifer hudson will play Winnie,
the wife of Nelson mendela. AFP
melody Chen and
— will cover the good and the
bad of the controversial Winnie
moe alkaff take to
Mendela, from her support of her the future President spent 18 of his honoured to be the actress asked to the ice in new reality
activist husband to her subsequent 27 years in prison. portray her. This is a powerful part competition
conviction for fraud. “I was compelled and moved of history that should be told.”
Winnie begins production next when I read the script,” Hudson Hudson, who is expected to
may Seah
year in the South African loca- told Variety. sing the film’s theme song, won may@mediacorp.coms.g
tions of Johannesburg, Cape Town, “Winnie Mandela is a complex an Oscar for her screen debut in
Transkei and Robben Island, where and extraordinary woman and I’m Dreamgirls. aGeNCieS CAN people who haven’t bumps and falls. “It’s been
skated since they were chil- very tough. We’ve had very
dren pull off a professional intensive training — it’s like
ice dance performance? boot camp.”
That’s the $10,000-ques- As for Moe, it’ll be the
tion that local TV personali- first time he’s returning to
ties Melody Chen and Moe the spotlight since hosting
Alkaff, MediaCorp Radio Lush Gotcha in 1995.
99.5FM DJ Angelique Teo, Art Since then, he’s been run-
Central Food Bachelor Ed- ning his 20-year-old events
mund Ng, Malaysian Amazing company, Moezik. He also
Race contestant Pamela Chong moved to the United States
and Chang & Eng thespian in 2000 and now spends half
R J Rosales will be answering his time at his home in Colo-
in the new reality TV compe- rado, and the other half here
tition Ice Star Asia. in Singapore.
For the past two weeks, “They sent me an email
the six celebrities have been and asked if I was interested in
training at the Arina Stadium doing this,” Moe told Today.
Waterfront with interna- “So I emailed them back
tional ice dance and figure and said: ‘Hey, that sounds
skating professionals, who like a great idea. Can’t skate
have been tasked with trans- for nuts, but I suppose I could
forming them from wobbly learn, right?’ When I was
novices into dainty pinnacles 12 or 13, my sisters and I used
of poised perfection. to go to Jurong and we skated
They and their profes- a little bit there. I think that
sional partners will then per- was basically it. I said: ‘I can
form a routine to compete for skate!’ They said: ‘There’s a
audience votes. Half of the lot more to it than that!’”
$10,000-prize money will be Yes, Moe’s learning that
donated to charity. lesson the hard way. “I’m to-
The show, which will be tally injured! But it’s so much
broadcast on regional televi- fun. I love the excitement of
sion channels, was developed competition. I really want to
by the Singapore Indoor Sta- win the money for charity,”
dium on behalf of the Singa- he said.
pore Sports Council. Moe’s friend helps out
It has yet to be confirmed at an orphanage in Vietnam,
if it will be shown on Medi- and that’s his charity of
aCorp channels. choice. But a few bumps and
Melody isn’t letting the bruises aren’t going to deter
fact that she last skated this 47-year-old. “I think it
20 years ago get in her way. might be funny if I actually
“I thought: ‘Free lessons!’” trip and fall!”
said the actress, laughing. “I A winning strategy? No.
always wanted to learn ice But definitely funny.
skating in my youth. Now
that I’m older, it takes longer be part of the Ice Star Asia
to recover, but I was game!” studio audience. Tickets
She means, of course, available through Sistic at
recovering from the bruises $20 per episode or $30
on her body from all the for the entire series.