Cynthia Koh | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1974-03-25) 25 March 1974[1] |
| Other name | Xu Meizhen |
| Education | Saint Anthony's Canossian Secondary School |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Awards | Star Awards: |
| Chinese name | |
| Simplified Chinese | 许美珍 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Xǔ Měizhēn |
Cynthia Koh (born 25 March 1974) is a Singaporean actress.[2] She has appeared and starred in many television series produced by MediaCorp Channel 8 and MediaCorp Channel 5.
Early life
Koh has one younger sister. Her father works in the Singapore Civil Defence Force while her mother is a housewife.[2] Koh received her education at Saint Anthony's Canossian Secondary School.[3][4]
Career
While still enrolled in Singapore Broadcasting Corporation's (now MediaCorp) 10th Drama Artiste Course and after a three-month Mandarin-language training stint in Taiwan, Koh started acting at the TV station at the age of 18 in May 1992.[2][5][6] After having acted in almost 46 dramas,[7] Koh went on to make her debut on stage in the critically acclaimed Men at Forty-Eight in 1997. Later, she won the Best Actress Award in Star Awards 1999 with her breakthrough performance in Stepping Out, in which she played a long-suffering woman fighting against her fate.[8][9]
Koh was also part of the cast in three of MediaCorp TV Channel 8's long-running dramas. The 3 long-running dramas include: Holland V (Year 2003, 125 episodes), Portrait of Home (Year 2005, 100 episodes), Kinship (Year 2007, 86 episodes). Koh's role as Fu Baozhu (傅宝珠), a greedy and bossy woman in Portrait of Home earned her a Best Actress nomination at the Star Awards 2005; the award ultimately went to Huang Biren. While filming Mediacorp Channel U's blockbuster drama Show Hand in December 2011, it was reported that Koh delayed an ovarian cyst operation to finish filming the series.[10]
Ventures
In 2015, Koh worked with actress-director Michelle Chong, former radio deejay Daniel Ong, and three other partners to open a 180-seater restaurant, Mischief, at Esplanade.[11] She is also the national marketing director of the Singapore branch of World Ventures, an American company that offers bulk buy travel deals to its members. In 2016, it was reported that Koh led about 1,800 sales representatives, making her one of the highest ranked for the Singapore branch. In addition, Koh is also a certified practitioner in alternative healing, specializing in Reiki, the Bach flower remedy system and sound therapy.[12][13][14][15]
Filmography
Television series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Romance of the Season (恋曲 1991) | Xue Ling's friend | ||
| 1992 | The Dating Game (爱情乒乓球) | Lin Meifang | ||
| Terms of Endearment (戏剧人生) | Song Wentian | |||
| Love is in the Air (爱在女儿乡) | Judy | |||
| 1993 | Endless Love (未了缘) | Xiao Xi | ||
| The Wilful Siblings (斗气姐妹) | Yang Xixi | |||
| Happy Reunion (年年有鱼) | Ma Yuxiang | |||
| 1994 | Those Were The Days (生命擂台) | Luo Xueqi | ||
| The Challenger (勇者无惧) | Pan Jingyi | |||
| 1995 | Dream Hunters (追心一族) | |||
| Over the Horizons (展翅高飞) | Xiong Haiyun | |||
| 1996 | Tofu Street | Liang Simei | ||
| Royal Battle of Wit (妙师爷三斗毒太监) | Chen Wanmei | |||
| Tales of the Third Kind II (第三类剧场II 之《墙里幽魂》) | Sandy | |||
| Give Me A Break (老板放轻松) | Ye Liang / Ah Moon | |||
| 1997 | Crimes and Tribulations (狮城奇案录 之《蝶印》) | Mei Xiaoyu | ||
| Sword and Honour (铁血男儿) | Wan'er | |||
| Gong Sunyan | ||||
| 1998 | Around People's Park (珍珠街坊) | Wang Lijuan | ||
| Myths and Legends of Singapore (石叻坡传说 之《一代狮王》) | He Jinyu | |||
| Season of Love | Xu Liwen | |||
| 1999 | Stepping Out | Hongdou | ||
| 2000 | Hainan Kopi Tales | Huang Liuyue | ||
| Growing Up Season 5 | Tracy | |||
| @Moulmein High | Francine Ooi | |||
| Looking For Stars | Cai Feifei | |||
| 2001 | Through Thick and Thin (阿灿正传) | Kailing | ||
| @Moulmein High II | Francine Ooi | |||
| The Hotel | Xu Yizhen | |||
| 2002 | The Wing of Desire (天使的诱惑) | Li Wanping | ||
| @Moulmein High III | Francine Ooi | |||
| 2003 | Holland V | Mo Yanyan | ||
| 2004 | Spice Siblings | Ding Zhenzhu | ||
| The Ties that Bind (家财万贯) | Xu Minmin | |||
| 2005 | Portrait of Home | Fu Baozhu | ||
| Portrait of Home II | ||||
| 2006 | Family Matters | Guan Ji'er | ||
| House of Joy | Zheng Shuangxi | |||
| 2007 | Kinship I | Zheng Jinsha | ||
| Kinship II | ||||
| 2008 | The Little Nyonya | Huang Xiujuan | ||
| Her Many Faces | Zheng Jiawen | |||
| 2009 | My School Daze | Tao Guijuan | ||
| The Ultimatum | Chen Xiaobao | |||
| Daddy at Home | Chen Meihui | |||
| 2010 | Happy Family | Jian Mei'e / Fatty Mei | ||
| The Best Things in Life | Chen Jiaxin | |||
| Precious Babes | Katie Ong | |||
| Mrs P.I. | Yun Feixue | |||
| 2011 | The In-Laws | Yan Qiuhua | ||
| A Song to Remember | She-Sao | |||
| 2012 | Show Hand (注定) | Wu Meifang | ||
| The Day It Rained on Our Parade | Lulu | |||
| 2013 | 96°C Cafe | Ann | ||
| Gonna Make It | Monica | |||
| 2014 | Zero Calling | Julie | ||
| Mata Mata 2: A New Era | Nancy Ang | |||
| 2015 | Life Is Beautiful | Fang Jie | ||
| Zero Calling 2 | Julie | |||
| Crescendo | Wang Yafang | |||
| 2016 | The Gentlemen | Zou Huimin | ||
| 2017 | The Lead | Chen Qiulian | ||
| Life Less Ordinary | Zhang Ruoyun | |||
| 2018 | A Lonely Fish (寂寞鱼·听见) | Ann | ||
| Say Cheese | Pan Zeguo | [16] | ||
| Magic Chef (料理人生) | Amy | |||
| Heart To Heart (心点心) | Li Peizhen | |||
| 2019 | How Are You? | Pan Meiruo | ||
| Playground (游乐场) | Jen Lin Cuifen | |||
| Hello From The Other Side - Its Time (阴错阳差 — 时辰到) | Margaret | |||
| C.L.I.F. 5 | Li Xiaoying | [17] | ||
| After The Stars (攻星计) | Zhen Mei | |||
| 2020 | A Quest to Heal | Li Shaotong | [16] | |
| How Are You? 2 (好世谋2) | Pan Meiruo | |||
| 2021 | My Star Bride | Zhong Peipei | ||
| Mind Jumper (触心罪探) | Wiranto | |||
| The Peculiar Pawnbroker (人心鉴定师) | Ye Jingting | |||
| Leave No Soul Behind (21点灵) | Wu Yuwei | |||
| 2023 | Fix My Life | Ma Lulu | ||
| Veil | Brenda | |||
| Oppa, Saranghae! | Lee Soo-jung | [18] | ||
| Shero | Gina Chee | Cameo | [19] | |
| I Do, Do I? | Pan Anyu | |||
| 2024 | Kill Sera Sera | Cameo | ||
| Hope Afloat | Li Zi Hui | [20] | ||
| 2025 | I Believe I Can Fly | |||
| Decalcomania (ทวิญ) (折影双生) | [21][22] |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Love Dowry (爱情定金) | Wang Huiling | Telemovie | |
| Romance in the Seventh Month | Qiu Qing | Telemovie | ||
| 1996 | Legend of Da Bo Gong (大伯公传奇) | Chen Yuzhen / Lei Xiaochun | Telemovie | |
| 2000 | 2000 A.D. | Theresa | Feature film | [23] |
| 2011 | Already Famous | Herself | Cameo | |
| 2022 | My Star Bride - Hi, Mai Phương Thảo | Zhong Peipei | Telemovie | [24] |
| 2023 | The Fourth Man (第四个男人) | Fang Liwen | Short film | [25] |
| Confinement | Ah Qing | Feature film |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Men at Forty-Eight |
Discography
Compilation albums
| Year | Title | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | MediaCorp Music Lunar New Year Album 12 (新传媒群星金龙接财神) | |
| 2013 | MediaCorp Music Lunar New Year Album 13 (新传媒群星金蛇献祥和) | |
| 2016 | MediaCorp Music Lunar New Year Album 16 (新传媒群星金猴添喜庆) | |
| 2017 | MediaCorp Music Lunar New Year Album 17 (新传媒群星咕鸡咕鸡庆丰年) |
Awards and nominations
References
- "These 6 facts about our forever-pretty Cynthia Koh will gain more fans for her". 11 November 2015.
- Suzanne Sng (12 September 1999). "I'm just 30% Miss Right". The Straits Times. p. SP20.
- Hong Xinyi (11 July 2004). "Star track". The Sunday Times.
- Ng, Yan Bo (30 April 2009). "School Daze cast troop back to the classrooms". Channel NewsAsia. Archived from the original on 4 May 2009. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
- Guan Libing (31 October 1993). "Enjoy it while it lasts". The Straits Times. p. SP9.
- Rachel Lim (16 July 2006). "Mandarin high". The Sunday Times.
- "Cynthia Koh". Fly Entertainment. Archived from the original on 10 April 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
- "Stepping Out sweeps 5 awards". The Straits Times. 20 December 1999. p. 4.
- Tee Hun Ching (23 December 1999). "I was in shock". The Straits Times. p. L3.
- "Cynthia Koh delays ovarian cyst op to complete filming". AsiaOne. 27 February 2011.
- Quek, Eunice (26 April 2015). "The hit and miss of celebrity restaurants". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- "Actress Cynthia Koh with her tips for embracing change, Women News - AsiaOne". 6 April 2023. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
- "Cynthia Koh on Being Alone, Social Media Fame and Negativity". 6 April 2023. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
- "Instagram". Archived from the original on 3 July 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
- "'My new baby has finally landed': Cynthia Koh one of the first monochord sound healers in Singapore — what is it?". AsiaOne. 26 May 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
- "Cynthia Koh: Being acknowledged by viewers is a bigger reward than winning awards". 8 Days. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- "Cynthia Koh Doesn't Know What C.L.I.F Stands For, And Here's Her Excuse". 8 Days. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
- Khoo, Yi-Hang (27 April 2023). "'It probably sounded very bad to a Korean': Cynthia Koh attempts long scolding scene entirely in Korean". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 28 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- "得用连串韩语吵架 许美珍接角色后慌了 | 早报". www.zaobao.com.sg (in Simplified Chinese). Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- "Star Awards 2025: Christopher Lee wins big, including Special Achievement Award and Best Actor". The Straits Times. 7 June 2025. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- "Singapore's Pierre Png, Cynthia Koh and Hong Huifang to star in new Thai co-production thriller". CNA Lifestyle. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
- "新泰合制《折影双生》泰国夺两奖 方展发许美珍惊喜又骄傲". www.zaobao.com.sg (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 30 April 2026.
- "2000 AD at chinesemov.com". Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- Lim, Ruey Yan (23 November 2021). "TV series My Star Bride gets telemovie sequel, Shane Pow joins cast". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
- "华流短片展：文学短片集 – 人生的过程 Chinese Shorts Showcase: Singapore Short Stories | Singapore Chinese Film Festival". 7 May 2023. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- "2019 NATIONAL WINNERS". Asian Academy Creative Awards. Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- "NATIONAL WINNERS 2021" (PDF). p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- Chin, Soo Fang (7 October 1997). "Demanding roles, but they handed in good report cards". The Straits Times. p. 3. Retrieved 1 August 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- "Stars will be coming out for Star Awards". Today. 11 December 2004. p. 52. Retrieved 31 July 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- 钟, 雁龄 (6 March 2014). "《红星》「区域最受欢迎艺人」 范文芳 刘子绚 没合约 出局！". Shin Min Daily News. pp. 10/11.
- Ang, Benson (24 April 2022). "Star Awards 2022 host Chen Hanwei clinches Best Actor award | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- "Taiwanese Host Matilda Tao, Korean Actor Kim Jae Hoon Among 94 Nominees Vying To Be Star Awards 2024 Most Popular Artistes". 8days. Archived from the original on 21 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- Wong, Bryan (21 May 2025). "Who are the 165 hopefuls vying for the popularity awards at Star Awards 2025?". CNA Lifestyle. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- Koh, Jiamun (26 February 2026). "Star Awards 2026 Nominees: Is It Emerald Hill Vs Everyone Else?". 8days. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
External links
- Cynthia Koh at IMDb