Cheryl Chin
Encyclopedia
Cheryl Chin is a Singapore
an television
and film
actress. She was formerly known as a Singapore
television
actress and fashion model who competed in and won the Star Search Singapore
finals in 2003. She also received the best actress award.
She has appeared mostly on Singapore's television drama
and comedy
series. In 2010, she appeared in Mongolian Death Worm
directed by Steven R. Monroe, starring Sean Patrick Flannery, and Machete
, directed by Robert Rodriguez, starring Danny Trejo
, Steven Seagal
, Jessica Alba
, and Robert De Niro
.
to Irene and Albert Chin. Both her mother and father are of Chinese descent though her father was born in Kuala Lumpur
, Malaysia. Chin has a younger brother, Sean. Because of her father's roots, she was raised in Malaysia for 3 years and then settled in Singapore
until the age of 11. Chin grew up without both grandparents. Her grandmother died in the first plane crash of Singapore Airline's history, and she was told her grandfather died of a broken heart.
Chin attended Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus
, an all-girls Catholic school, from first through eighth grade. In 2001, her mother re-married an American and the family migrated to Virginia
in 1993. In 2001, in an attempt to pursue an acting career, Chin made a bargain with her mother that allowed her to return to Singapore for six months with all expenses paid to audition for roles. If she could not make a living from acting within the six months, she would have to attend an American business university. On the last day of her 6 month period, she won her first acting role in a theatre production for a cruise ship.
, hit TV movie Blueprint anthology series - Scars, School Days hit comedy TV series, and The Outsiders, an independent slasher film.
She was listed by FHM Magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Women in the World in 2003 and 2004. She entered the Singaporean version of the TV talent show Star Search
in 2003 and won the Best Acting Potential Award together with the Female Champion Award, becoming Singapore's representative for Star Search
Asia Grand Finals. Chin won the first runner-up title and an artist contract with Mediacorp
, Singapore's national television studios, to be part of their stable of performers. Under Mediacorp's management, she received her first dramatic role in An Ode To Life
as Weng Xiaoyun, a muddle-headed nurse who unexpectedly falls into a love triangle. An Ode To Life was shown in 2004 on Mediacorp Television and later won the best dramatic television series award.
She went on to star in the 13-episode comedy series The Cheer Team, broadcast in 2004, as Miss Bai, a cheerleading teacher who was inappropriate for the job. While shooting The Cheer Team, she was offered a role in The Best Bet, a 14-episode Singaporean television series, as Lina Zhang, the love interest of both Christopher Lee
's and Mark Lee
's characters.
As her contract with Mediacorp came to an end in 2004, she completed filming of The Best Bet and returned to America. During her four years in Singapore, Chin appeared in four films, six television series, four variety shows.
After taking a break for three years, she worked on two films in 2009: Mongolian Death Worms, a TV movie ordered by the Syfy
Channel, and Machete
, which was released in August 2010. Machete marked Chin's first villainous role.
She was the female champion of Star Search Singapore
Finals 2003, was ranked #93 on FHM
Singapore's 100 Sexiest Woman of the World 2003, and #90 in FHM
Singapore's 100 Sexiest Woman of the World 2004.
, and Catholic
. Her great grandmother was Buddhist, her mother is Catholic, and her father is Christian. During childhood, Chin was close friends with her neighbor, Samantha, who is an Indonesian Christian. Chin would follow her to an Indonesian church where an interpreters' services were employed every weekend in order for her to understand the pastor. At the age of 11, Chin asked to be baptized as a Christian.
Chin met Wes Thompson when she hired him as her Director of Photography on a pilot production.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
an television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
actress. She was formerly known as a Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
actress and fashion model who competed in and won the Star Search Singapore
Star Search Singapore
Star Search was a television show from 1988 to 2010 organised by MediaCorp TV Channel 8 to hunt for talents to add to its stable of Chinese actors.Star Search started out as a Singapore local talent show, restricted to residents of Singapore...
finals in 2003. She also received the best actress award.
She has appeared mostly on Singapore's television drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
and comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
series. In 2010, she appeared in Mongolian Death Worm
Mongolian Death Worm (film)
-Home media:Mongolian Death Worm was released on DVD on April 26, 2011 by Lionsgate....
directed by Steven R. Monroe, starring Sean Patrick Flannery, and Machete
Machete (film)
Machete is a 2010 action film directed by Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis. The "Machete" character originates from the 2001 Spy Kids film, written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. This film is an expansion of a fake trailer that was released together with Rodriguez's and Quentin Tarantino's...
, directed by Robert Rodriguez, starring Danny Trejo
Danny Trejo
Dan "Danny" Trejo is an American actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films, most notably in roles as an antagonist, or anti-hero.-Early life:...
, Steven Seagal
Steven Seagal
Steven Frederic Seagal is an American action film star, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan...
, Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba
Jessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
, and Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
.
Early life
Chin was born in SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
to Irene and Albert Chin. Both her mother and father are of Chinese descent though her father was born in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia. Chin has a younger brother, Sean. Because of her father's roots, she was raised in Malaysia for 3 years and then settled in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
until the age of 11. Chin grew up without both grandparents. Her grandmother died in the first plane crash of Singapore Airline's history, and she was told her grandfather died of a broken heart.
Chin attended Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus
Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus
The Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus schools are a group of eleven all-girls Catholic schools in Singapore. The first CHIJ school in Singapore was established at Victoria Street in 1854, by nuns of the Sisters of the Holy Infant Jesus. Today, the group includes six primary schools, four secondary...
, an all-girls Catholic school, from first through eighth grade. In 2001, her mother re-married an American and the family migrated to Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
in 1993. In 2001, in an attempt to pursue an acting career, Chin made a bargain with her mother that allowed her to return to Singapore for six months with all expenses paid to audition for roles. If she could not make a living from acting within the six months, she would have to attend an American business university. On the last day of her 6 month period, she won her first acting role in a theatre production for a cruise ship.
Career
Shortly after, Chin received starring roles in Singapore's prime time television series such as: Singapore's longest running comedy TV series, Under One RoofUnder One Roof
Under One Roof may refer to:In television:* Under One Roof , an American comedy series previously titled Spencer* Under One Roof , a Japanese series...
, hit TV movie Blueprint anthology series - Scars, School Days hit comedy TV series, and The Outsiders, an independent slasher film.
She was listed by FHM Magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Women in the World in 2003 and 2004. She entered the Singaporean version of the TV talent show Star Search
Star Search
Star Search is a television show that was produced from 1983-95, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Alfred Masini. A relaunch was produced in 2003-04. The show was originally filmed at the old Earl Carroll Theatre at 6230 Sunset Blvd...
in 2003 and won the Best Acting Potential Award together with the Female Champion Award, becoming Singapore's representative for Star Search
Star Search
Star Search is a television show that was produced from 1983-95, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Alfred Masini. A relaunch was produced in 2003-04. The show was originally filmed at the old Earl Carroll Theatre at 6230 Sunset Blvd...
Asia Grand Finals. Chin won the first runner-up title and an artist contract with Mediacorp
MediaCorp
Media Corporation of Singapore, better known as MediaCorp, is a group of commercial media companies in Singapore, with business interests in television and radio broadcasting, interactive media, and, to a lesser extent, print publishing and film-making....
, Singapore's national television studios, to be part of their stable of performers. Under Mediacorp's management, she received her first dramatic role in An Ode To Life
An Ode To Life
An Ode To Life is a 40-episode blockbuster Chinese drama aired in Singapore. It was telecast in August 2004. The show is set in the 1970s and goes through history all the way to the modern days of 2000s...
as Weng Xiaoyun, a muddle-headed nurse who unexpectedly falls into a love triangle. An Ode To Life was shown in 2004 on Mediacorp Television and later won the best dramatic television series award.
She went on to star in the 13-episode comedy series The Cheer Team, broadcast in 2004, as Miss Bai, a cheerleading teacher who was inappropriate for the job. While shooting The Cheer Team, she was offered a role in The Best Bet, a 14-episode Singaporean television series, as Lina Zhang, the love interest of both Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee (Singaporean actor)
Christopher Lee , born Lee Meng Soon, is a Singapore-based Malaysian Chinese film and television actor, host and singer.-Early life:Lee studied up to form 5 in Sekolah Menangah Seri Kota, Air Leleh, Malacca, Malaysia...
's and Mark Lee
Mark Lee (comedian)
Mark Lee Kok Huang is a Singaporean Chinese comedian, actor and film director. He works in MediaCorp and J Team Productions with Jack Neo. He is famous for, amongst others, playing the title role in Singapore's MediaCorp TV Channel 5 television sitcom Police & Thief as Lee Tok Kong, Phua Chu Kang...
's characters.
As her contract with Mediacorp came to an end in 2004, she completed filming of The Best Bet and returned to America. During her four years in Singapore, Chin appeared in four films, six television series, four variety shows.
After taking a break for three years, she worked on two films in 2009: Mongolian Death Worms, a TV movie ordered by the Syfy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
Channel, and Machete
Machete
The machete is a large cleaver-like cutting tool. The blade is typically long and usually under thick. In the English language, an equivalent term is matchet, though it is less commonly known...
, which was released in August 2010. Machete marked Chin's first villainous role.
She was the female champion of Star Search Singapore
Star Search Singapore
Star Search was a television show from 1988 to 2010 organised by MediaCorp TV Channel 8 to hunt for talents to add to its stable of Chinese actors.Star Search started out as a Singapore local talent show, restricted to residents of Singapore...
Finals 2003, was ranked #93 on FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
Singapore's 100 Sexiest Woman of the World 2003, and #90 in FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
Singapore's 100 Sexiest Woman of the World 2004.
Religion
Chin was raised as a Buddhist, ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, and Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
. Her great grandmother was Buddhist, her mother is Catholic, and her father is Christian. During childhood, Chin was close friends with her neighbor, Samantha, who is an Indonesian Christian. Chin would follow her to an Indonesian church where an interpreters' services were employed every weekend in order for her to understand the pastor. At the age of 11, Chin asked to be baptized as a Christian.
Relationships
While in Singapore, Chin began a 2 year relationship with Brandon Fernandez, a veteran stage actor. Chin then met Lee Smith, a British businessman, in 2003, soon after winning Star Search Singapore. Their relationship ended shortly before Chin returned to U.S. in 2005.Chin met Wes Thompson when she hired him as her Director of Photography on a pilot production.
Filmography
| Year | Project | Role | Other notes |
| 2010 | Beneath the Darkness (film) | Nurse Josie | In Production |
| 2010 | Dad Camp (TV Series) | As Self | Principle Principle A principle is a law or rule that has to be, or usually is to be followed, or can be desirably followed, or is an inevitable consequence of something, such as the laws observed in nature or the way that a system is constructed... |
| 2010 | Machete (film) Machete (film) Machete is a 2010 action film directed by Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis. The "Machete" character originates from the 2001 Spy Kids film, written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. This film is an expansion of a fake trailer that was released together with Rodriguez's and Quentin Tarantino's... (Action film Action film Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases... ) |
Torrez Henchwoman | Principle Principle A principle is a law or rule that has to be, or usually is to be followed, or can be desirably followed, or is an inevitable consequence of something, such as the laws observed in nature or the way that a system is constructed... |
| 2009 | Mongolian Deathworm (Sci Fi TV Movie) | Thuan | Principle Principle A principle is a law or rule that has to be, or usually is to be followed, or can be desirably followed, or is an inevitable consequence of something, such as the laws observed in nature or the way that a system is constructed... |
| 2008 | The 2 Bobs http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1217305/fullcredits#cast (Comedy Comedy Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in... Film Film A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects... ) |
Boneshredder | Principle Principle A principle is a law or rule that has to be, or usually is to be followed, or can be desirably followed, or is an inevitable consequence of something, such as the laws observed in nature or the way that a system is constructed... |
| 2005 | The Best Bet The Best Bet The Best Bet is a Singaporean film as well as a Singaporean television series. The film was written and directed by Jack Neo, and produced by MediaCorp Raintree Pictures. The film, with a different cast than the television series stars Richard Low, Mark Lee, Christopher Lee, Chen Liping and Joanne... The best bet The Best Bet The Best Bet is a Singaporean film as well as a Singaporean television series. The film was written and directed by Jack Neo, and produced by MediaCorp Raintree Pictures. The film, with a different cast than the television series stars Richard Low, Mark Lee, Christopher Lee, Chen Liping and Joanne... (Drama Drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a... TV Series) |
Lina Zhang | Principle Principle A principle is a law or rule that has to be, or usually is to be followed, or can be desirably followed, or is an inevitable consequence of something, such as the laws observed in nature or the way that a system is constructed... |
| 2004 | The Cheer Team (Comedy Comedy Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in... TV Series) |
Miss Bai | Principle Principle A principle is a law or rule that has to be, or usually is to be followed, or can be desirably followed, or is an inevitable consequence of something, such as the laws observed in nature or the way that a system is constructed... |
| 2004 | An Ode to Life An Ode To Life An Ode To Life is a 40-episode blockbuster Chinese drama aired in Singapore. It was telecast in August 2004. The show is set in the 1970s and goes through history all the way to the modern days of 2000s... An Ode To Life An Ode To Life An Ode To Life is a 40-episode blockbuster Chinese drama aired in Singapore. It was telecast in August 2004. The show is set in the 1970s and goes through history all the way to the modern days of 2000s... (Drama Drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a... TV Series) |
Weng Xiaoyun | Principle Principle A principle is a law or rule that has to be, or usually is to be followed, or can be desirably followed, or is an inevitable consequence of something, such as the laws observed in nature or the way that a system is constructed... |
| 2004 | World of Wonders (Educational TV Series) | Multiple Roles | Guest Star |
| 2004 | Let's Party with Food (Gameshow TV Series) | Host | |
| 2003 | The Last Wedding (Independent Short Film) | Weng Xiaoyun | Principle Principle A principle is a law or rule that has to be, or usually is to be followed, or can be desirably followed, or is an inevitable consequence of something, such as the laws observed in nature or the way that a system is constructed... |
| 2003 | The Outsiders (Independent Short Film) | Samantha Teo | Principle Principle A principle is a law or rule that has to be, or usually is to be followed, or can be desirably followed, or is an inevitable consequence of something, such as the laws observed in nature or the way that a system is constructed... |
| 2003 | Star Search Singapore Star Search Singapore Star Search was a television show from 1988 to 2010 organised by MediaCorp TV Channel 8 to hunt for talents to add to its stable of Chinese actors.Star Search started out as a Singapore local talent show, restricted to residents of Singapore... Grand Finals (Talent Competition) |
Finalist | Singapore Finalist |
| 2003 | Star Search Singapore Star Search Singapore Star Search was a television show from 1988 to 2010 organised by MediaCorp TV Channel 8 to hunt for talents to add to its stable of Chinese actors.Star Search started out as a Singapore local talent show, restricted to residents of Singapore... Finals (Talent Competition) |
Finalist | Singapore Female Champion |
| 2003 | Blueprint - Scars (TV Series) | Best Friend | Principle Principle A principle is a law or rule that has to be, or usually is to be followed, or can be desirably followed, or is an inevitable consequence of something, such as the laws observed in nature or the way that a system is constructed... |
| 2003 | Under One Roof (Comedy Comedy Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in... TV Series) |
Wendy | Guest Star |
| 2003 | Blueprint-Scars (Drama Drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a... TV Anthology series) |
Hui | Principle Principle A principle is a law or rule that has to be, or usually is to be followed, or can be desirably followed, or is an inevitable consequence of something, such as the laws observed in nature or the way that a system is constructed... |
| 2002 | School Days School Days is a Japanese adult visual novel developed by 0verflow and published by Stack, and was originally released for the PC on April 28, 2005. It was subsequently released as a DVD TV game by Stack, followed by an all-ages port titled School Days L×H published by Interchannel for the PlayStation 2, in... (Comedy Comedy Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in... TV Series) |
Angel Tan | Guest Star |
External links
- Zaobao. "《男人帮》选性感U频道9美女上榜", May 28, 2003. Accessed March 21, 2007.
- Fortune City. "Cheryl Chin in FHM World Ranking", March 21, 2007. Accessed March 21, 2007.
- Media Development Authority. "The Best Bet",The Best Bet, February 21, 2007. Accessed March 21, 2007.
- Get For Me Singapore. "Star Awards 2004 Results", Top Rated Drama Serial, December 13, 2004. Accessed March 21, 2007.
- MediaCorp Studios. "The Best Bet Synopsis", The Best Bet, November 13, 2005. Accessed March 20, 2007.
- MediaCorp Studios. "An Ode to Life Synopsis" An Ode to Life, August 9, 2004. Accessed March 20, 2007.
- MediaCorp Studios. Search 2003: The Final 12 Star Search 2003, June 9, 2003. Accessed March 20, 2007.
- IMDB. (2010) Machete (2010), October 2, 2009. Accessed October 2, 2009.