use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) -->
, death_place =
, death_cause =
, body_discovered =
, resting_place =
, resting_place_coordinates =
, burial_place =
, burial_coordinates =
, monuments =
, nationality =
Singaporean
Singaporeans are the citizens and nationals of the sovereign island city-state of Singapore. Singapore is home to a people of a variety of ethno-racial-religious origins, with the city-state itself being a multi-racial, multi-cultural, m ...
, citizenship =
, education =
, alma_mater =
University of Hull
The University of Hull is a public research university in Kingston upon Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1927 as University College Hull. The main university campus is located in Hull and is home to the Hu ...
, occupation =
, years_active = 1974–present
, era =
, employer =
, organization =
, agent =
TheatreWorks (co-founder)
, known_for =
, notable_works =
, television =
, spouse = Sylvia Tan
, partner =
, children =
, parents =
, mother =
, father =
, relatives =
Neo Swee Lin (sister-in-law)
, family =
Irene Lim Kay Han (sister)
Lim Kay Siu (brother)
, callsign =
, awards = 1982: Singapore Drama Festival Best Actor Award
2010:
Asian Television Award
The Asian Television Awards, founded in 1996, is an appreciation to recognize and reward programming and production excellence in the Asian television industry. Held every December, it comprises 56 categories across news, documentaries and curre ...
Best Drama Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
2015:
Asian Television Award
The Asian Television Awards, founded in 1996, is an appreciation to recognize and reward programming and production excellence in the Asian television industry. Held every December, it comprises 56 categories across news, documentaries and curre ...
Best Supporting Actor
2021:
Pesta Perdana Best Actor in a Leading Role (Drama Special/Anthology)
, website =
, module2 =
Lim Kay Tong (born 10 July 1954) is a Singaporean film, television and stage actor. Notably, he played supporting roles in films including ''
Shanghai Surprise
''Shanghai Surprise'' is a 1986 adventure comedy film directed by Jim Goddard and starring then-newlyweds Sean Penn and Madonna. The screenplay was adapted by John Kohn and Robert Bentley from Tony Kenrick's 1978 novel ''Faraday's Flowers''. ...
'' (1986), ''
Noble House'' (1988), and ''
Brokedown Palace
''Brokedown Palace'' is a 1999 American drama film directed by Jonathan Kaplan, and starring Claire Danes, Kate Beckinsale, and Bill Pullman. It deals with two American friends imprisoned in Thailand for alleged drug smuggling. Its title is t ...
'' (1999), and was the lead actor in ''
Growing Up'' (1996–2001) and ''
Perth
Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
'' (2004). Lim has been called "Singapore's finest actor", "Singapore's best-known actor", and Singapore's answer to thespians
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. He has played roles on the screen and stage in genres ranging from Shakespearean dramas and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is regarded as a British cu ...
and
Alec Guinness
Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. In the BFI, British Film Institute listing of 1999 of BFI Top 100 British films, the 100 most important British films of the 20th century ...
.
Lim is a co-founder and former board member of
TheatreWorks. He played founding Prime Minister
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew (born Harry Lee Kuan Yew; 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean politician who ruled as the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. He is widely recognised ...
in ''
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...
'', a film that was shot to celebrate Singapore's Golden Jubilee.
Early years
Growing up, Lim's parents introduced him to plays, literature, and all things artistic from the many books around their house. Lim's father, a radiologist, wanted him to become a barrister, but was supportive of his acting dreams.
Educated at
Anglo-Chinese School
Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) is a family of Methodist schools in Singapore and Indonesia. It was founded in 1886 by Bishop William Fitzjames Oldham as an extension of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Its students and alumni are referred to as "ACS ...
and a boarding school in England, Lim was a national rugby player in his youth, playing the wing-forward position. While serving
National Service
National service is a system of compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act ...
, Lim earned a
Singapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A component of the Ministry of Defence (Singapore), Ministry of D ...
Colours award for his accomplishments in rugby.
In 1975, Lim moved to
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, often abbreviated to the East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, S ...
, England, to further his education. He graduated from the
University of Hull
The University of Hull is a public research university in Kingston upon Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1927 as University College Hull. The main university campus is located in Hull and is home to the Hu ...
in 1978 with a Bachelor of Acts (Honours) in English and Drama, where the late
Anthony Minghella
Anthony Minghella (6 January 195418 March 2008) was a British film director, playwright, and screenwriter. He was chairman of the board of Governors at the British Film Institute between 2003 and 2007. He directed ''Truly, Madly, Deeply (film), ...
was his contemporary and tutor. In 1980, he earned a diploma in Acting from the
Webber-Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London. In England, he had several bit parts for the
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
's ''
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'' and ''
The Chinese Detective
''The Chinese Detective'' is a British television police procedural drama series, first transmitted by the BBC between 1981 and 1982. The series was created by Ian Kennedy Martin, who had previously devised '' The Sweeney'' and ''Juliet Bravo' ...
'' series. In between these walk-on roles, Lim took on odd jobs like window washing, being a night janitor and washing dishes to earn extra money.
Career
Lim's acting career began on the stage, when he auditioned for a production while being bored during National Service. In 1974, he starred in
Robert Yeo's landmark play, ''Are You There, Singapore?'' for the Experimental Theatre Club. His other initial acting roles were in the plays ''
Equus'' (1975) and ''Marching Song'' (197?) for the University Drama Society and ''One Mad Night'' (1975) for the Stage Club.
Upon his return from England, Lim played the lead role in the Experimental Theatre Club's ''Terry Rex'' (1982). ''
The Straits Times
''The Straits Times'' (also known informally by its abbreviation ''ST'') is a Singaporean daily English-language newspaper owned by the SPH Media Trust. Established on 15 July 1845, it is the most-widely circulated newspaper in the country and ...
Minu Tharoor praised his Terry, writing, "Stage presence is too cliché a term for the imaginative energy with which Kay Tong took control of the play, the stage and his part". For his performance, Lim clinched the Singapore Drama Festival Best Actor Award.
In the same year, Lim began his career as a journalist with ''
The Straits Times
''The Straits Times'' (also known informally by its abbreviation ''ST'') is a Singaporean daily English-language newspaper owned by the SPH Media Trust. Established on 15 July 1845, it is the most-widely circulated newspaper in the country and ...
''. While covering the arts, Lim continued acting in plays like
David Henry Hwang
David Henry Hwang (born August 11, 1957) is an American playwright, librettist, screenwriter, and theater professor at Columbia University in New York City. He has won three Obie Awards for his plays '' FOB'', '' Golden Child'', and '' Yellow ...
's ''
F.O.B. (Fresh Off Boat)'' (1982), Chandran Lingam's ''The Nuns'' (1983) and ''Abigail's Party'' (1983), for which his "marvellously taut performance" was praised by ''The Singapore Monitors Yap Koon Hong.
Lim's entry into film began in 1984, when he auditioned for the New York casting agent of ''
Year of the Dragon'' (1985) in Singapore. Lim was unsuccessful, but the casting agent remembered him and recommended him for ''
Shanghai Surprise
''Shanghai Surprise'' is a 1986 adventure comedy film directed by Jim Goddard and starring then-newlyweds Sean Penn and Madonna. The screenplay was adapted by John Kohn and Robert Bentley from Tony Kenrick's 1978 novel ''Faraday's Flowers''. ...
'' (1986). Although the film was not critically acclaimed, it gave Lim the break to star in films like ''Keys to Freedom'' (1988) and ''
Fifty/Fifty'' (1992). Lim also got the role of an interrogator in
Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci ( ; ; 16 March 1941 – 26 November 2018) was an Italian film director and screenwriter with a career that spanned 50 years. Considered one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema, Bertolucci's work achieved inte ...
's ''
The Last Emperor
''The Last Emperor'' () is a 1987 epic biographical drama film about the life of Puyi, the last Emperor of China. It is directed by Bernardo Bertolucci from a screenplay he co-wrote with Mark Peploe, which was adapted from Puyi's 1964 auto ...
'' (1987), but had to give up the role due to a scheduling conflict.
In 1985, Lim tried his hand at directing with
David Mamet
David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, author, and filmmaker.
He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony Award, Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and ''Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first ...
's ''
Glengarry Glen Ross'', retitled ''Paradise Heights'', for the Drama Festival. ''The Straits Times
Rebecca Chua found that Lim's debut as director "displayed some uncertainty". In the same year, Lim resigned from ''The Straits Times'' to set up TheatreWorks in February. TheatreWorks, the first adult professional theatre company in Singapore, was formed to "promote theatre that is relevant to Singaporeans" and create work for English-language actors. Lim served as the company's press and media relations consultant, in addition to acting in several of their plays. Lim also acted in the English-language versions of
Kuo Pao Kun's influential plays ''The Coffin is Too Big for the Hole'' (1985) and ''No Parking on Odd Days'' (1986). Both productions travelled to the
Hong Kong Arts Festival
The Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF), launched in 1973, is an international arts festival held in Hong Kong. It covers all genres of the performing arts as well as a diverse range of educational events in February and March each year.
Histor ...
in 1987. Of the role he originated in ''The Coffin is Too Big for the Hole'', Lim remembers: "For me,
one-man showwas panic stations. I had never done a long monologue. In drama school, we had to prepare monologues based on a Shakespearean character. Nothing like this, which was 30 to 35 minutes long. And
uospent at least a couple of weeks just talking to me. I was worried. Because I thought, when is he going to get down to it?" In preparation, Kuo and Lim visited a coffin-maker and discussed the nature of funerals while Lim memorised the script.
In the late 1980s, Lim spent a few years in Los Angeles, landing roles in ''
Off Limits'' (1988) and ''
It Could Happen to You'' (1994). He found the city "very cutthroat and very fake. I didn't like the obsession with showbiz there. It wasn't like living a normal life in a normal city. I knew it was tough before I went, but I also knew if I stayed any longer my soul would be destroyed. The truth is that you had to be in the racial majority to get the parts." Lim also confessed that he's "not one for schmoozing. My career would have been severely hampered if I had hung out there."
Returning to Singapore for good in 1994, Lim starred in
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. ...
's award-winning TV programme ''
Growing Up'' (1996–2001), set in 1960s and 1970s Singapore. His "outstanding portrayal" as the family patriarch led him to be named by ''The Straits Times'' as one of the top ten dads on TV in 2013. During his tenure on ''Growing Up'', Lim experienced deaths in his family, which led him to reflect on his role: "You understand grief, loss, redemption, hope...It was a good time to have played that role not only for the experience as an actor, but also
ts lessons inlife. If you're to be remembered for a role for the rest of your life, make the most of it." From 1999 to the early 2000s, Lim wrote a fortnightly column for ''
The New Paper
''The New Paper'' is a Singaporean newspaper. It was originally published in tabloid format as a "noon paper", then from 2016 as a freesheet in the morning from 7 a.m. onwards. In December 2021 the paper went to digital only.
History
Firs ...
''.
Lim's career-defining lead performance as Harry Lee in ''
Perth
Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
'' (2004) was praised by ''
TODAY
Today (archaically to-day) may refer to:
* The current day and calendar date
** Today is between and , subject to the local time zone
* Now, the time that is perceived directly, present
* The current, present era
Arts, entertainment and m ...
s Ross Wallace, who wrote, "If there were any doubts that Lim Kay Tong is Singapore's finest actor, 2004's ''Perth'' should have laid them to rest...
towering performance". Comparing his acting to
Robert De Niro
Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...
and
Al Pacino
Alfredo James Pacino ( ; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans more than five decades, duri ...
, ''TODAY'' also ranked his role as one of the best "male performances of the year in any genre, any country", asking, "Has there ever been a Singaporean performance that surpassed Lim's deranged taxi driver?"
Neil Humphreys called Lim's "world-class performance" in ''Perth'' "almost without parallel", writing, "This is not a portrayal; it's a metamorphosis". Reflecting on his role, Lim said "it was about time.
he film
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads
* He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English
* He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana)
* Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...
wasn't commercially successful, but the role was meaningful...I'm still adamant that I should have underplayed certain parts of Harry, but I'm sure
irectorDjinn won't back down from his direction."
In 2007, Lim played the lead in ''
The Photograph'', speaking
Bahasa Indonesia
Indonesian (; ) is the official and national language of Indonesia. It is a standardized variety of Malay, an Austronesian language that has been used as a lingua franca in the multilingual Indonesian archipelago for centuries. With over 2 ...
, a role he considers "significant" in his career. The
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
n feature film won the 2008
Special Jury Prize at the
43rd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
The 43rd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival took place from 4 to 12 July 2008. The Crystal Globe (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival), Crystal Globe was won by ''Terribly Happy'', a Danish neo-noir film directed by Henrik Ruben Genz. Th ...
. In the same year, Lim also served as a jury member of the
Singapore International Film Festival
The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) (Simplified Chinese, Chinese: 新加坡国际电影节) is the longest-running film festival in Singapore, founded in 1987.
The 35th Singapore International Film Festival took place from 28 Novem ...
. In 2010, Lim won the
Asian Television Award
The Asian Television Awards, founded in 1996, is an appreciation to recognize and reward programming and production excellence in the Asian television industry. Held every December, it comprises 56 categories across news, documentaries and curre ...
Best Drama Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of Harris Fong in legal drama ''
The Pupil'' (2010–2011). In 2013, Lim received his second ''The Straits Times'' Life! Theatre Awards nomination for Best Actor for ''Goh Lay Kuan & Kuo Pao Kun'' (2012–2013), after his first nod for ''The House of Sleeping Beauties'' (1994). ''The Straits Times Corrie Tan called Lim's performance as Kuo "electrifying...Lim was an incredibly charismatic presence on stage as he breathed life into Kuo's characters. He had a very commanding presence".
In 2014, Lim starred as a fortune teller in
HBO (Asia)
HBO Asia is the Asian division of HBO, headquartered in Singapore. Originally launched on 1 May 1992 as MovieVision, it was rebranded on 1 June 1995 to its current name upon Home Box Office, Inc. purchase. The Singapore-based broadcast networ ...
's original series, ''Grace'', for which he won the
Asian Television Award
The Asian Television Awards, founded in 1996, is an appreciation to recognize and reward programming and production excellence in the Asian television industry. Held every December, it comprises 56 categories across news, documentaries and curre ...
for Best Supporting Actor for the second time in December 2015. In October, he became the first local star to grace the cover of ''
Esquire
Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...
Singapore''. In the same month, it was revealed that Lim will play founding Prime Minister
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew (born Harry Lee Kuan Yew; 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean politician who ruled as the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. He is widely recognised ...
in the upcoming film celebrating Singapore's Golden Jubilee, ''1965''. Lim said, "Lee Kuan Yew is a corner of the story. He frames the timeline, as to when the events take place. It is not overwhelmingly undoable, because it's just a handful of appearances stretched over the time in 1965 and maybe one other scene when he is much older. I overcame my cowardice, and said, 'Let's give it a go and see what happens.'"
In February 2015, Lim reunited with his ''
Growing Up'' co-star
Wee Soon Hui to play husband and wife again in the
Channel 5 telemovie ''Love is Love: Sunset''.
In July 2015, Lim portrayed Singapore's first prime minister
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew (born Harry Lee Kuan Yew; 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean politician who ruled as the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. He is widely recognised ...
in the historical film ''
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...
'', including a re-enactment of the iconic press conference when Lee announced that Singapore would be separated from Malaysia. In the same month, Lim read Lee Kuan Yew quotes, paired with music, during a one-night performance with the
Singapore Chinese Orchestra
Singapore Chinese Orchestra SCO ( zh, c=新加坡华乐团, p=Xinjiapo Huayuetuan) is Singapore's only professional Chinese orchestra. Inaugurated in 1997, the 85-musician orchestra took on the twin role of preserving traditional arts and cultu ...
.
In August 2015, Lim played the lead role in
okto
Okto is a Singaporean children's programming block broadcast by Mediacorp's Channel 5 in English and Channel 8 in Mandarin Chinese.
The brand originally operated as a standalone free-to-air channel from 19 October 2008 to 1 May 2019, havin ...
's TV movie, ''Second Chances'', about a group of old folks who break out of an old folks’ home.
In early 2016, Lim played one of the lead roles, Allen, in Ying J. Tan's feature film, ''Rough Mix''.
From 2017 to 2018, Lim worked on two
Singtel
Singapore Telecommunications Limited, trading as Singtel, is a Singaporean telecommunications conglomerate, the country's principal fixed-line operator and one of the four major mobile network operators operating in the country.
Overview
T ...
advertisement campaigns. He narrated the telecommunications company's "Power On" video series in 2017, and in 2018, starred in their hit
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival (see also #Names, § Names), is a festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar Chinese calendar. It is one of the most important holi ...
short film, "Mr Lim’s Reunion Dinner". In 2020, Lim returned as the narrator of Singtel's
National Day short film.
In 2019, Lim gave an acting masterclass as part of
Manulife
Manulife Financial Corporation (French language, French: Financière Manuvie) is a Canadian multinational insurance company and financial services provider headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The company operates in Canada and Asia as "Manulife" ...
Singapore's “Stop the Drama” advertisement.
Personal life
Lim is the older brother of fellow actor
Lim Kay Siu, who he starred with in multiple plays. His sister,
Irene Lim Kay Han, is an actress. He is first cousins with singer-songwriter
Dick Lee
Richard Lee Peng Boon (born 24 August 1956) is a Singaporean singer-songwriter, playwright and film director. Lee was awarded the Cultural Medallion, Singapore's pinnacle arts award, for music in 2005.
Early life
Lee was born to a Peranakan fathe ...
.
Lim is married to food writer Sylvia Tan Jui Huang whom playwright
Michael Chiang
Michael Chiang (born 27 October 1955 in Muar (town), Muar, Malaysia) is a prolific playwright and screenwriter in Singapore. He is known as "Singapore's most famous and successful playwright".
From 1990 to 2009, Chiang was the editorial director ...
introduced him to. He is also an amateur photographer.
Filmography
Film
Television
Theatre
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lim, Kay Tong
Singaporean people of Chinese descent
1954 births
Living people
Singaporean people of Hokkien descent
Peranakan people in Singapore
Anglo-Chinese School alumni
Alumni of the University of Hull
Alumni of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
Singaporean male stage actors
Singaporean male television actors
Singaporean male film actors
Singaporean journalists
Singaporean male voice actors