HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Fiona Xie (born 24 January 1982) is a Singaporean actress, television host, socialite and businesswoman. She was named as one of the Seven Princesses of Mediacorp in 2006. She was prominently a full-time
Mediacorp Mediacorp Pte. Ltd. is the state media, state-owned media conglomerate of Singapore. Owned by Temasek Holdings—the investment arm of the Government of Singapore—it owns and operates television channels, radio, and digital media properties. ...
artiste from 2001 to 2009. Xie played Kitty Pong in the 2018 film '' Crazy Rich Asians''. She is slated to play the same role in its sequel '' China Rich Girlfriend'' based on the 2015 international best-selling novel of the same name by Kevin Kwan.


Career

Xie was spotted by a talent scout at the age of 15 while studying in St. Hilda's Secondary School. She modelled for numerous print and television commercials in Singapore and Hong Kong before joining MediaCorp as a full-time artiste in 2001. Xie made her acting debut as a nurse in the Channel 5 drama '' Growing Up''. Her convincing acting landed her one of her most recognisable roles in the Channel 8 sitcom '' My Genie''. She won "Best Newcomer" at the Star Awards 2001 after joining the entertainment industry for just over a year. Xie later become known for her talents as a bilingual variety show hostess, in particular of the long-running series '' City Beat''. She has since hosted other variety shows, such as the photography-based '' Say Cheez'' for Channel 8, and introducing celebrities' favourite hawker foods in '' Coffee Talk and Hawker Woks'' for Channel 5. She also hosted the travel show '' Weekend Escapade'' together with Ben Yeo. In 2004, Xie ran with
Jeanette Aw Jeanette Aw Ee-Ping (born 28 June 1979), also known as Ou Xuan, is a Singaporean actress, host, filmmaker, businesswoman and writer. Aw was named as one of the Seven Princesses of Mediacorp in 2006, after which she achieved wider success with ...
, Joyce Chao and Felicia Chin, dressed only in bikinis, along
Orchard Road Orchard Road, often known colloquially as simply Orchard, is a major -long road in the Central Area, Singapore, Central Area of Singapore. A famous tourist attraction, it is an upscale shopping area, with numerous internationally renowned de ...
for the Channel 8 drama '' The Champion''. In 2005, Xie was voted as sexiest woman for the " FHM Top 100 Sexiest Women Singapore" list, even though she had never posed for ''FHM'' before. She continued to be ranked among the Top 10 for the FHM lists in the next 3 years. In 2006, Xie attempted her first villain role as a spoilt diamond heiress in the Channel 8 drama '' An Enchanted Life'', starring alongside
Yvonne Lim Yvonne Lim (born 28 September 1976) is a Singaporean actress. Early life and education Lim was born to Hokkien-speaking family. She studied at CHIJ St Theresa's Convent and graduated with a Diploma in Electronic, Computer, & Communication E ...
and
Pierre Png Pierre Png Tiang Huat (born 29 October 1973) is a Singaporean actor, comedian and businessman. He is known for starring in multiple Singaporean MediaCorp's Channel 5 and Channel 8's dramas which include '' The Gentlemen'' and '' When Duty C ...
. In December 2006, Xie was identified as one of the most promising young actresses in the Singapore entertainment industry by leading local entertainment magazine '' I-Weekly''. In 2007, Xie took part in the second season of the Singapore edition of ''
Deal or No Deal ''Deal or No Deal'' is the name of several closely related television game shows, the first of which (launching the format) was the Dutch '' Miljoenenjacht'' (''Hunt/Chase for Millions''). The centerpiece of this format is the final round (a ...
'', where her winnings would go to a selected charity organisation. The episode aired on 22 November 2007. Xie appeared in her second film project, '' Rule #1'', directed by
Kelvin Tong Kelvin Tong Weng Kian (born in 1971 or 1972) is a Singaporean film director, screenwriter and producer. He was a former film critic for ''The Straits Times''. Career Kelvin's passion for theatre and filmmaking began in his secondary school d ...
. The film also starred Hong Kong actors
Ekin Cheng Ekin Cheng Yee Kin (born 4 October 1967) is a Hong Kong actor and singer. Early in his career, he used the name Dior as a first name (because that was what it sounded like when his younger sister tried to call him Second Brother ()). He has als ...
and
Shawn Yue Shawn Yue Man-lok (born 13 November 1981) is a Hong Kong actor and singer. A former model, he has starred in many films, such as ''Jiang Hu (2004 film), Jiang Hu'', ''Infernal Affairs II'', the ''Love in the Buff'' film series, ''Mad World (film) ...
, and debuted in Singapore and Malaysia on 13 March 2008. Xie starred in a MediaCorp Channel 8 drama '' Just in Singapore'', which was telecast in March 2008. She played a kind-hearted tomboy who sells chicken wings at bazaars and sings ''
getai Getai () refers to boisterous live stage performances typically held during the Ghost Festival in the seventh lunar month and on the birthdays of Chinese deities. These shows typically last from 7.30pm to after 10pm and are commonly organised ...
'' during the
Hungry Ghost Festival The Ghost Festival or Hungry Ghost Festival, also known as the Zhongyuan Festival in Taoism and the Yulanpen Festival in Buddhism, is a traditional festival held in certain East and Southeast Asian countries. According to the Lunar calendar (a ...
. Xie starred in a Channel 5 sitcom titled '' Calefare'', which starred Gurmit Singh,
Benjamin Heng Benjamin Heng (born 1976) is a Singaporean actor, known for starring in the romantic action film '' Eating Air'', the comedy film '' Lelio Popo'', and in the horror comedy film '' Zombiepura'', as well as in several television series, such as ...
, Mastura Ahmad and Vadi PVSS. She played a ''calafare'' (a Singaporean slang term for a background actor or extra) named Joleen Wee, a wannabe singer who actually cannot sing, and often spouts phrases like "eyes wide open", "laugh out loud" and so on. Xie was originally slated to star in MediaCorp Channel 8's 2009 blockbuster drama, ''
Together ''ToGetHer'' (, aka Superstar Express) is a 2009 Taiwanese drama starring Jiro Wang of Fahrenheit, Rainie Yang and George Hu. It was produced by Comic International Productions ( 可米國際影視事業股份有限公司) and directed by Linzi ...
''. She would have played the second female lead role, one of the meatiest roles that she would have ever received in her career. It was announced on 15 July 2009 that she pulled out of the series due to private matters. This move hogged the news headlines once again, which was perceived to be a sudden disappearance and publicity stunt. Although the exact reason behind her pulling out of the series was never revealed, several colleagues hinted to the media that Xie had expressed discomfort in taking up this role before filming commenced.
Eelyn Kok Eelyn Kok Hui Wen (born 12 August 1978) is a Singaporean actress. She was a full-time Mediacorp artiste from 2001 to 2013. Career Kok was first spotted in SPH MediaWorks's talent show ''Route to Glamour'' in 2001 and was a contestant alongs ...
eventually replaced Xie in ''Together''. Xie went on to play the lead role in her third film '' Fist of Dragon'', also a Singaporean production. Xie left the entertainment industry in 2009, citing personal reasons. Thereafter she travelled extensively across the globe, living in cities including Hong Kong, New York City, Shanghai and most recently Tokyo. On 2 September 2009,
Channel NewsAsia CNA (an initialism of Channel NewsAsia) is a Singapore-based multinational news channel owned by Mediacorp, the country's state-owned media conglomerate. The network is broadcast in Singapore on free-to-air terrestrial television and Mediacorp ...
carried news reports that Xie had quit MediaCorp, but this was later disputed by another news article. On 6 December 2009, Xie was the main feature for top-selling magazines '' 8 Days'' and ''I-weekly''. In the interview, she confirmed that she was indeed leaving MediaCorp and revealed her reasons. In an interview with MediaCorp's artiste management unit, the TV station expressed optimism in working with Xie in the future. Her last drama with
Mediacorp Mediacorp Pte. Ltd. is the state media, state-owned media conglomerate of Singapore. Owned by Temasek Holdings—the investment arm of the Government of Singapore—it owns and operates television channels, radio, and digital media properties. ...
was Serves You Right! She then hosted a variety show, '' Lodge with Me'' (我行我宿), which aired in May 2010, alongside Felicia Chin, Rui En, and Zhou Ying. After a 7-year hiatus, she returned to Singapore to film ''Left Behind'', a 2016 MediaCorp series, in which Xie plays a psychiatrist, about which she said the role's tribulations were a personal reflection of her own life in previous years. In various media interviews, Xie was cited as saying she wanted to spend more time with her family, especially with one of her cousins who was critically ill, as one major reason for returning to Singapore. In 2018, Xie landed a role in the
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
film '' Crazy Rich Asians'', starring Constance Wu and Henry Golding. The film was her Hollywood debut. She worked once on both the English-language Channel 5 and Chinese-language Channel 8 and was once popularly referred to as the head princess of the Seven Princesses of Mediacorp because of her immense popularity in the industry with Rui En,
Jeanette Aw Jeanette Aw Ee-Ping (born 28 June 1979), also known as Ou Xuan, is a Singaporean actress, host, filmmaker, businesswoman and writer. Aw was named as one of the Seven Princesses of Mediacorp in 2006, after which she achieved wider success with ...
, Felicia Chin,
Jesseca Liu Jesseca Liu (born Lao Chew Yen on 13 February 1979) is a Malaysian actress who is based in Singapore. She is a contracted artiste under MediaCorp and managed by HIM International Music. Early life Jesseca Liu was born on 13 February 1979 in ...
, Joanne Peh & Dawn Yeoh. She also endorsed products such as Gong Cha's juices and OSIM's massage devices. In 2018, Xie made a comeback on Mandarin television. Xie starred alongside Elvin Ng,
Zhang Yaodong Zhang Yaodong (born Teoh Yeow Tong on 17 December 1977) is a Malaysian actor and businessman based in Singapore. Career Zhang entered the entertainment industry after finishing first runner-up in the Malaysian edition of talent-search cont ...
, Tong Bingyu, and Dawn Yeoh in ''Gifted'', a crime thriller filmed in Malaysia. She plays an accomplished businesswoman who is also "a very powerful, very scary lady who will go to great lengths to make sure that she gets what she wants".


Ventures

In 2012, Xie helped to launch the
Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
outlet of local fashion boutique ''Surrender'', where she also spearheaded a collaboration between Japanese accessories brand ''
Ambush An ambush is a surprise attack carried out by people lying in wait in a concealed position. The concealed position itself or the concealed person(s) may also be called an "". Ambushes as a basic military tactics, fighting tactic of soldi ...
'' and South Korean rapper
G-Dragon Kwon Ji-yong (; born August 18, 1988), best known as G-Dragon (), is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur, known as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of K-pop". Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, G-Drag ...
. Prior to her stint in Shanghai, Xie had spent a year living in
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
and worked as a producer for Polish documentary filmmaker and photographer Tomasz Gudzowaty. Xie described herself as an arts lover and had worked with Perrotin, an art gallery, when she was based in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
. Xie is one of the investors of Singapore-based F&B start-up ''Treedots''.


Personal life

In February 2017, Xie was reported to be in a relationship with Julien Leo, a model and rapper with local band Kin. In 2020, Xie revealed in a Channel 8 talk show interview that she left full-time acting in 2009 as she was leaving Singapore with her then-fiance, who did not want her to continue acting. She spent the next few years living in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
and
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
, before breaking up with her fiance following her grandmother's death.


Filmography


Film


Television series


Variety and reality show


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Xie, Fiona Singaporean television actresses Singaporean film actresses Singaporean people of Teochew descent 1982 births Living people 21st-century Singaporean actresses 21st-century Singaporean businesspeople Singaporean television presenters Singaporean female models Singaporean socialites