Cheryl Chin
Cheryl Chin | |
|---|---|
| Born | Cheryl Chin |
Cheryl Chin (born November 11, 1979) is a Singaporean television and film actress. She was formerly known as a Singapore television actress and fashion model who competed in and won the Star Search Singapore finals in 2003. She also received the best actress award.[1]
She has appeared mostly on Singapore's television drama and comedy series. In 2010, she appeared in Mongolian Death Worms directed by Steven R. Monroe, starring Sean Patrick Flannery, and Machete, directed by Robert Rodriguez, starring Danny Trejo, Steven Seagal, Jessica Alba, Robert De Niro, Cheech Marin, etc.
Early life
Cheryl Chin was born in Singapore to Irene and Albert Chin. Both her mother and father are of Chinese descent though her father was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Cheryl has a younger brother, Sean. Because of her father's roots, she was raised in Malaysia for 3 years and then settled in Singapore until the age of 11. Cheryl grew up without both grandparents. Her grandmother died in the first plane crash of Singapore Airline's history, and she was told her grandfather died of a broken heart. Cheryl's Great Grandmother took over as the role of Grandma.
Cheryl attended Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus all-girls Catholic schools from the 1st grade to the 8th grade, but her free-spirited rebel attitude almost caused her to be expelled. In 2001, her mother re-married an American, resulting in the family migrating to Virginia, USA in 1993. In 2001, in an attempt to pursue an acting career on her mother's dime, Cheryl made a bargain with her mother that allowed her to return to Singapore for 6 months with all expenses paid to pursue an acting career. If she could not make a living off of acting within the 6 months, she would have to attend an American Business University. On the last day of her 6 month period, she bagged her first acting role in a theatre production for a cruise ship.
Career
Shortly after, Cheryl would receive starring roles in Singapore's prime time television series such as: Singapore's longest running comedy TV series, Under One Roof, hit TV movie Blueprint anthology series - Scars, School Days hit comedy TV series, and The Outsiders, an independent slasher flick.
Her title of 100 Sexiest Woman in the World in both 2003 and 2004 awarded by FHM Magazine and it's readers, marked the beginning of her hot career. It wasn't long before she entered the Internationally franchised talent competition, Star Search (Singapore) in 2003 and won the Best Acting Potential Award together with the Female Champion Award, becoming Singapore's representative for Star Search Asia Grand Finals; an international competition where finalists from China, Malaysia, and Singapore come together to showcase their talent on one stage for a chance to win the title of Grand Champion.
Star Search Asia is differently formatted than the original Star Search. Contestants in the Asian Star Search are required to compete across all four categories; Acting, Singing, Dancing, and Hosting. As preparation for the Grand Finals, the contestants trained for a month in and the entire process was aired in China, Malaysia, and Singapore in a reality television format. The eight 1 hour episodes would lead up to the airing of Star Search Grand Finals competition in May 2003.
Cheryl nabbed the 1st runners up title and the much sought artiste contract with Mediacorp, Singapore's national television studios to be part of their stable of artistes. Under Mediacorp's management, she received her first dramatic role in An Ode To Life as Weng Xiaoyun, a muddle-headed nurse who unexpectedly falls into a love triangle. An Ode To Life was shown in 2004 on Mediacorp Television and later won the best dramatic television series award.
She went on to star in the 13 episode comedy series The Cheer Team, broadcast in 2004, as Miss Bai, a cheerleading teacher who was most inappropriate for the job. While shooting The Cheer Team, she was offered a role in The Best Bet, a 14 episode Singaporean television series, as Lina Zhang, the love interest of both Christopher Lee's and Mark Lee's characters.
As her contract with Mediacorp came to an end in 2004, she completed filming of The Best Bet and returned to America. During her four years in Singapore, Cheryl had appeared in four films, six television series, four variety shows.
After taking a break for 3 years, she began working on 2 films in 2009: Mongolian Death Worms, a TV Movie ordered by the Syfy Channel, and Machete, the much anticipated film Directed by Robert Rodriguez, starring Danny Trejo and joined by the star studded cast: Robert De Niro, Steven Seagal, Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Alba, Cheech Marin, Michelle Rodriguez, and Jeffy Fahey. Machete was released in August 2010. Machete marked Cheryl's first villainous role. Cheryl is rumored to be involved in a highly antipated reality tv show ordered by VH1 called Dad Camp. Details have not yet been disclosed. This will mark Cheryl's first foray into reality television.
She was the female Champion of Star Search Singapore Finals 2003, was ranked #93 on FHM Singapore's 100 Sexiest Woman of the World 2003,[2] and #90 in FHM Singapore's 100 Sexiest Woman of the World 2004.[3]
Religion
Cheryl was raised as a Buddhist, Christian, and Catholic. Her Great Grandmother was Buddhist, her mother is Catholic, and her father is Christian. During childhood, Cheryl was close friends with her neighbor, Samantha, who is an Indonesian Christian. Cheryl would follow her to an Indonesian church where an interpretors' services were employed every weekend in order for her to understand the pastor. At the age of 11, Cheryl asked to be baptized as a Christian.
Relationships
While in Singapore, Cheryl began a 2 year relationship with Brandon Fernandez, a veteran stage actor. Cheryl then met Lee Smith, a British businessman, in 2003, soon after winning Star Search Singapore. Their relationship lasted approximately 2 years and ended before Cheryl returned to U.S. in 2005.
Cheryl met Wes Thompson when she hired him as her Director of Photography on a pilot production.
Filmography
References
- ^ [MediaCorp Studios. "Star Search 2003: The Final 12 Star Search 2003, June 9, 2003. Accessed March 20, 2007.
- ^ Zaobao. "《男人帮》选性感U频道9美女上榜", May 28, 2003. Accessed March 21, 2007.
- ^ Fortune City. "Cheryl Chin in FHM World Ranking", March 21, 2007. Accessed March 21, 2007.
External links
- Zaobao. "《男人帮》选性感U频道9美女上榜", May 28, 2003. Accessed March 21, 2007.
- Fortune City. "Cheryl Chin in FHM World Ranking", March 21, 2007. Accessed March 21, 2007.
- Media Development Authority. "The Best Bet",The Best Bet, February 21, 2007. Accessed March 21, 2007.
- Get For Me Singapore. "Star Awards 2004 Results", Top Rated Drama Serial, December 13, 2004. Accessed March 21, 2007.
- MediaCorp Studios. "The Best Bet Synopsis", The Best Bet, November 13, 2005. Accessed March 20, 2007.
- MediaCorp Studios. "An Ode to Life Synopsis" An Ode to Life, August 9, 2004. Accessed March 20, 2007.
- MediaCorp Studios. "Star Search 2003: The Final 12 Star Search 2003, June 9, 2003. Accessed March 20, 2007.
- IMDB. "Machete (2010) Machete (2010), October 2, 2009. Accessed October 2, 2009.