We have grown up watching their parents on screen. And now, these Singapore Mediacorp child actors seem to be taking baby steps into showbiz as well. Let’s find out if they are ready to become the next big Mediacorp actors?
Will they make the cut? Or are they going to get even bigger than their parents? Only time will tell…
For now, here are 11 Singapore Mediacorp child actors waiting to be the next big thing in the industry. These rising stars have an even brighter future in front of them as they could potentially be just as big as their celebrity parents.
Will These Mediacorp Child Actors Be The Next Big Thing?
Eleanor Lee
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM / ELEANOR LEE
Daughter of an estranged couple, host Quan Yifeng and former Channel 8 actor Peter Yu, Eleanor Lee may have just turned 18 but is already a star to reckon with.
Eleanor first grabbed eyeballs when she appeared in the Apple ad in 2015. Today, she’s already a star on social media, with 337k followers on Instagram, and more than 9 million fans on Sina Weibo, (China’s version of Twitter)!
The teenager seems to be going from strength to strength and has been admitted into the prestigious Beijing Film Academy. She is also all set to star with Hong Kong actor Leon Lai in his first television drama in 23 years. Definitely on her way from just one of Mediacorp child actors to a big celebrity all on her own.
Chen Yixi and Chen Yixin
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM
Next on our list of rising Mediacorp child actors are the Chen siblings, children of former actor Edmund Chen and actress Xiang Yun, have decided to get their feet wet in showbiz as well.
Older brother Chen Yixi, 25 is already one of the Mediacorp child actors. He quit his job as a computer graphics artist and signed up with Mediacorp last year. He tells The Straits Times, “Our parents were shocked that we wanted to enter show business. But they are supportive of us.”
Sister Chen Yixi, 17, is a Singapore Polytechnic student and makes her debut in the upcoming Channel 8 drama While We Are Young.
Being star kids is not as easy as it looks, and a lot of negative comments and criticism are bound to come your way. As Yixi says, “People say we got into the industry because of our parents. Some people dislike us because they have to work so hard to go for auditions and may not get the role.”
“We get it, we can empathise. We can’t do anything except to work harder,” she says about being one of the rising Mediacorp child actors.
Zack Pang and Xander Pang
Both Zack Pang, 17, and Xander Pang, 16, children of Adrian and Tracie Pang, are hardly new to acting.
They have already performed in plays like Spring Awakening, The Full Monty and Crazy Christmas and in Zero Hero, a children’s show on Okto.
Zack has also appeared in another Okto show, Me, Myself & Isaac.
The brothers have apparently expressed their interest in acting, and enrolling in drama school. However, mummy Tracie Pang has emphasised that they would have to focus on their International Baccalaureate exams first, following which, they would have to go through National Service.
Shalynn Tsai
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM / SHALYNN TSAI
Daughter of former actress Chen Xiuhuan, 17-year-old Shalynn Tsai has appeared in a small role in a short film produced by Jack Neo called Seven Letters. This Raffles Institution student is also a classically-trained violinist, and well known for her Sunsilk shampoo commercial.
She will be seen in the upcoming Channel 8 drama “While We Are Young” as well.
Joining showbiz was never planned, and as Shalynn tells The Straits Times, “I don’t see it as a career, it is something I will do in my free time. I’m quite the introvert, I’m more of a listener among my friends. The exposure will help me improve my people skills.”
Tay Ying and Calvert Tay
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM
Yet another pair of Mediacorp child actors siblings are entering the acting world. Tay Ying, 21, and Calvert Tay, 17, both children of actors Hong Huifang and Zheng Geping have confessed that they find acting much more interesting than mundane office jobs.
Calvert tells The Straits Times, “An actor’s life is full of ups and downs and they often work overtime and on weekends. But I feel it is a lifestyle that I am willing to accept.”
Calvert is acting in Channel 8 series While We Are Young too, while Sister Tay Ying will be starring in upcoming Channel 5 drama Missing.
They confess that the pressure of being compared to your parents is a bit too much. Says Ying, “If I work with people who have worked with my parents, they may compare and wonder why their daughter has so many NGs (no-good take) while their father is so professional. People will say things and it gets to me. All I can do is to work extra hard.”
While brother Calvert admits, “We get a lot of negative comments, such as the only reason we are able to step into the media industry is because of our parents’ connections.
“True, we got a head start but, in the end, it is all up to our hard work. If we do something wrong or don’t perform well in acting, you’ve got to understand that we are still newcomers. We need time to find ourselves in this world and work on our acting craft.”
Joel Choo
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM / JOEL CHOO
Joel Choo, 23, is all set to appear with his father, actor Zhu Houren in the upcoming Channel 8 drama series A Million Dollar Dream.
Choo, also a musician, was first noticed for his role as a national swimmer in Channel 5 drama Faculty.
He has been quoted by the Straits Times as saying, “If it weren’t for my dad, I would never have had a chance to step into this industry. “
“Sometimes I think people judge me for it and it doesn’t feel good. The only thing I can do is to work hard and prove that I am worthy, that I have the substance.”
Chantalle Ng
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM / CHANTALLE NG
Chantalle Ng is the daughter of actress Lin Meijiao and former actor Huang Yiliang, and has earlier appeared in small roles in Channel 8 dramas such as World At Your Feet and 96 °C Café.
She will also be seen in the Channel 8 drama While We Are Young.
This Singapore Management University student wants to be known as more than her famous mum’s daughter. She tells The Straits Times, “I’m touched when people call me by my name. If they call me ‘Meijiao’s daughter’, it is like I’m living in her shadow. I hope that I will come to a point where people will not remember me as my mum’s daughter.”
Marcus Guo
He is the only child of Channel 8’s leading television host, Guo Liang, and 18-year-old Marcus Guo is well aware of the expectations.
While he will be seen soon in “While We Are Young”, he isn’t too sure of taking up acting as a career.
He tells The Straits Times, “I decided to take on While We Are Young since I had free time and my friends were doing it too. My dad was open to me acting and challenging myself. I just had to assure my mum that it would not get in the way of my studies.”
These are the shining Mediacorp child actors who could be the next big thing in the industry. Do you think they’ll be bigger than their own celebrity parents and grow out as just one of the Mediacorp child actors?
Also READ: 8 Super rich kids of Singapore who seem to have it all!
(News Source: The Straits Times, Toggle)