Hollywood has long been the aspiration for many in the film and entertainment industry, and few Southeast Asians have ever made it to the big screen. But this has changed with the rise of actors like Michelle Yeoh and Henry Golding who were born in Malaysia, not to mention those doing work behind the scenes as screenwriters or directors. Their contributions have not only put Malaysia on the map, but also helped in increasing Asian representation in Hollywood.
Here are some quick facts on Malaysia-born figures in Hollywood’s entertainment scene:
Michelle Yeoh
Before she became the first Asian to win the Academy Award (2023) for best actress in Everything Everywhere All at Once, Michelle was known to many of us in Southeast Asia as a Hong Kong action star. Born in Ipoh, Michelle trained as a professional ballerina in the UK and won the Miss Malaysia pageant before heading to Hong Kong, where she became famous for doing her own stunts in action films. Her first big Hollywood role was in the James Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), then came Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), and Crazy Rich Asians (2018). She also became part of the Star Trek and Marvel universes, cementing her as a Hollywood A-lister.
Ronny Chieng
Born in Johor Bahru, young Ronny used to commute to school in Singapore before heading over to Australia to further his education. While many recognise him from his roles in Crazy Rich Asians and Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), some may also be familiar with his stand-up comedy specials on Netflix. Ronny’s always been about comedy, having started his career in Australia on a sitcom he created for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. One of his biggest achievements this year was winning an Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show for his contribution to The Daily Show, where he served as a correspondent for nine years and also appeared as a guest host.
Henry Golding
Henry rose to prominence in Crazy Rich Asians (2018), before landing the titular role in Snake Eyes (2021). He was also in The Gentlemen (2019) and appeared alongside an ensemble cast of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024). Born in the small town of Betong in Sarawak, Henry Golding has a British father and an Iban mother. He honoured his Iban heritage by completing the bejalai, a traditional rite of passage, in the jungles of Borneo. The family lived in Terengganu for a while before moving to the UK, where he trained as a professional hairdresser. He returned to Malaysia at age 21 to pursue a career as a presenter for ESPN and the BBC.
Adele Lim
Best known for co-writing hits like Crazy Rich Asians and Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), Adele started her career as a script coordinator on the TV show Xena: Warrior Princess (1995). Born in Petaling Jaya where she attended Sri Aman Girls School, she completed her studies in Boston’s Emery College. In addition to screenwriting for numerous TV shows, she’s also a producer and director. In 2003, she made her directorial debut with Joy Ride, a comedy she co-wrote, starring Ashley Park and Stephanie Hsu. Adele is also slated to direct the upcoming Princess Bride 3, with Anne Hathaway reprising her role.
James Wan
Horror fans will know his name – James is responsible for directing the horrifying SAW franchise which he debuted in 2004 and now has ten installments, with Saw X (2023). He continues to dominate Hollywood’s horror genre with other franchises like Insidious, Annabelle, and The Conjuring. Besides directing, he’s also a screenwriter, producer, and comic book writer. Besides horror, he’s also directed other franchises like the Furious 7 (Fast & Furious franchise), as well as DC Comic’s Aquaman (2018) and its sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023). Born in Kuching, James moved to Australia at age seven.
Worthy Mentions…
Rounding out the list of well-known Malaysian personalities, we also have Nigel Ng the comedian and YouTube-personality who was born in Kuala Lumpur. After secondary school, he went on to study engineering in the US and then cultivated his Youtube career while living in London. You’ll know him as Uncle Roger, a character with an exaggerated Cantonese accent known for critiquing people’s attempts at cooking Asian food. And now he even has his own chain of fried rice restaurants, with plans to expand beyond Malaysia.
If you’ve watched Mind Your Language (1977-1979) no matter how old you are, you’ll probably remember the character Chung Su-Lee, a patriot from China. She’s played by Pik-Sen Lim, who was born in Penang to wealthy parents during the Japanese occupation. Defying her parents, she moved to London at age 16 to pursue an acting career. She’s also appeared as Chin Lee in the 1971 Doctor Who serial The Mind of Evil, as well as the killer cleaner in Johnny English Reborn (2011).
More Malaysians Than Singaporeans in Hollywood?
Singapore and Malaysia have always had this sort of mild rivalry (we even argue about food). So what is the reason for more prominent Malaysia-born celebrities who managed to make it in Hollywood? Many people have pointed out that more Malaysians leave their country to pursue their careers than Singaporeans, citing lack of opportunities, economic instability, and emigration situation. Since most of these successful Malaysian-born talents come from privileged backgrounds, does this play a role?
Some people noted that the local entertainment industry in Malaysia is more vibrant than in Singapore to begin with. When it comes to local Singaporean movies playing at the cinema, the titles most of us are familiar with probably come from a few notable directors (ie. Jack Neo). In Malaysian cinemas, on any given week, there will be at least one locally-made film on offer from various producers in genres like horror, action, drama, and comedy. For example, this year saw the release of Takluk: Lahad Datu (an action film based on the Lahad Datu incursion), The Experts (a money heist), Gold (a docudrama about a shuttler), Rain Town (a drama in a small town) and Paku Tanah Jawa (a supernatural horror), to name a few.
So is the reason that that less Singaporeans are going to Hollywood (or the west) due to the lack of opportunities and the aversion to creative education? Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has this to say:
Singapore is a great place to live because there’s economic stability and most people have the ability to live comfortably, so that could be a reason most people live in a bubble. The kiasu mentality probably stems from the reluctance to step out of this comfort zone, so people tend to pursue careers that are more guaranteed to earn income. After all, Singapore is an expensive place! So what does this say for those who want to pursue a career in entertainment?
