Actor-Turned-Director Lin Mingzhe, Known for Roles in the Coffee Shop and Son of Pulau Tekong, Retires

Mingzhe entered the showbiz industry first as an assistant producer at the then-Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) before beginning his acting career in the 1980s.

“I never thought of becoming an actor but we were short-handed,” he said in an episode of Tuesday Report: A Moment in Light and Shadow telecast in 2018. “(Producer) Jiang Long asked me to take on a role. I can’t remember how it happened but I became an actor.”

He recalled his first acting role being in 1984’s Into The Wilderness where he played a “wanderer who liked to stand up for justice”.

His role in The Coffee Shop was also particularly memorable. “My role was like any youngster in those days, they weren’t as ambitious but they were passionate about life,” he said. “That was me by nature, I liked the role I played.”

As a director, Mingzhe’s credits include The Coffee Shop’s 2002 sequel, Beyond (2012) and Soul Reaper (2016).

Fans on Instagram took a trip down memory lane remembering “the producer who acted”, with comments including: “I still remember him, he was one of our SBC 8 pioneers in the ’80s” and “Thank you for bringing us so many years of TV series and joy, I am grateful.”