Five rising Malaysian and Singaporean stars who are making waves in Chinese show business
- From Singaporean heartthrob Lawrence Wong, a star of Story of Yanxi Palace, to Malaysian singer Azora Chin, overseas-Chinese entertainers have shone
- Two Malaysian debating stars have won a legion of fans in China, and a former Mister Singapore’s muscles and sporting skills earned him a film role
Many Malaysian-Chinese and Singaporean-Chinese actors and singers are big stars in Asia.
Born in Ipoh, Malaysia, former Miss Malaysia Michelle Yeoh has had a glittering career in Hollywood. Singer Fish Leong, born in Kuala Pilah District, Malaysia, is often thought of as Taiwanese, as her career took her to Taiwan, where she married her husband, Tony Chao, a wine merchant.
Award-winning singer-songwriter Stefanie Sun was born in Singapore but also started her career in Taiwan. She enjoys a huge fan base in China and has an upcoming concert in Suzhou in April. Singer Lin Jun Jie, or JJ Lin as he is also known, comes from Singapore too.
Following in their footsteps is another wave of entertainment talent from Malaysia and Singapore who are becoming increasingly influential in the Chinese entertainment industry. These five rising stars hit the jackpot with their recent forays in China:
1. Lawrence Wong