Chew Chor Meng

Chew Chor Meng (born 20 November 1968) is a Singaporean actor, television host and businessman. He is one of the first batch of actors to receive the Star Awards for All-Time Favourite Artiste in 2004.

Career Chew started his career in showbiz after winning Star Search in 1990, a bi-annual nationwide talent search. Since then, he has never failed to make it to the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes in the Star Awards, an award ceremony for TV personalities, since its inception in 1994. In 2004, Chew was awarded the All-Time Favourite Artiste with Li Nanxing and Zoe Tay.

He first earned his acting nomination for his role as Hong San in the 1995 epic The Teochew Family, which he's still known to audiences in China. This was also evident when he bagged the Best Actor Award in Star Awards 2000 in Hainan Kopi Tales. His popularity has also spread across the causeway as he was voted the Most Popular MediaCorp Male Artiste in Malaysia. He made his first crossover to English sitcom in Mr. Kiasu. During the late 1990s to early 2000s, he was best known for his role as Jacky Chang aka Ah Bee, a salesman with a penchant for grabbing 'lobangs' (good opportunities that cannot be missed) in the popular Channel 8 sitcom Don't Worry, Be Happy, which spanned for six seasons. Chew initially dropped out from the role of Ah Bee after the 3rd season due to fear of being typecast, and also because he wanted to focus more on drama and variety shows. He eventually reprised the role for the latter half of the 6th (and final) season for Don't Worry Be Happy, and appeared in a spinoff series Lobang King focusing on Ah Bee and his new league of friends.

Chew is known for his versatility and ability to portray different characters that leave a lasting impression. At the 25th anniversary special in 2007, his character Ah Bee was named as one of the most memorable TV roles and his role as the villain Li Kechun in The Reunion was voted the Top 10 most memorable villains. In 2009 he won the Best Supporting Actor award, despite the nominations being dominated by cast of the popular blockbuster series The Little Nyonya, for his portrayal of a promising young doctor driven to vice and insanity by unfortunate circumstances in The Golden Path.

Now a well-known household name, Chew has gone from acting in drama series to hosting shows and large-scale events including overseas collaborations with Taiwan and China. He was nominated for the Best Info-Ed Host Award at the Star Awards 2010 for co-hosting Food Hometown.

Chew's contract with MediaCorp was set to expire in October 2010. He made his acting comeback with Channel U's Show Hand, followed by Channel 8 30th anniversary drama special Joys of Life.

Before the contract extension, Chew was planning to enter the restaurant business,

Business ventures In 2017, Chew, Dennis Chew and two other partners opened a Thai Mookata (barbecue-cum-steamboat) stall, 888 Mookata, at a coffee shop in Hougang, Singapore. In 2018, after setting up their third stall, both Chews started a porridge stall, The Famous Zhou, or known in Chinese, Zhou Chu Ming (粥出名), a play on Chew's name and their surnames.

In 2023, Chew with Dennis Chew and two other friends opened a Thai bistro, Viewdee Thai Bistro, at Sprout Hub, Henderson. The same year, Chew, Dennis Chew, food blogger Maureen Ow (Miss Tam Chiak) and another friend opened a coffeeshop with ten stalls in Hougang.

Personal life Chew graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic. He is married to Deon Tan and they have two daughters, born in 2002 and 2004. He revealed during a celebrity talk show in early 2008 that he did not have a happy childhood, often being abused by his overly strict father (a compulsive gambler and alcoholic), who committed suicide when Chew was still in primary school. He began attending a Charismatic church, Renewal Centre from 2007 and was baptised in late November 2008 with his daughters.

Illness On 19 December 2008, Chew announced during a church event that he was suffering from Kennedy's disease, a muscular dystrophy illness that resulted in him limping while filming for his latest role as Wang Zhongkun in Love Blossoms II. Chew said that he was diagnosed with the illness in September 2008, and that he alerted the local press as to his condition, but asked the press to not report it yet, as he was psychologically not ready for it. Chew originally planned on officially announcing his illness during the Star Awards 2008 ceremony, due to be held in March 2009. However, signs of his illness can be clearly seen already, and the news was hard to keep under wraps. The illness has also brought on cardiac problems and diabetes for Chew.

Since the illness was revealed, Chew became a member of the local disabled sports club, and has been taking swimming lessons to strengthen his body.

Controversy In September 2016, Chew appeared in episode 6 of I Want to Be a Star that had to be taken down from Toggle's website due to public outcry about the show's casual racism. Chew's character said onscreen that Indians and Africans are "all the same". Mediacorp's online service, has apologised on behalf of the show.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Variety show Year Title Notes 2011 Living the Golden Age '11 (黄金年华之光辉岁月) Host Community Chest Truehearts (公益献爱心) 2010 Living the Golden Age '10 (黄金年华之光辉岁月) 2009 Food Hometown 2 (美食寻根 2) 2008 The Fairprice Show (平价与你迎旺年) Let's Go Shopping (我们逛街去) 2007 Never Too Old (新领屋) My Beautiful Life (好想美一下) True Files V (真实档案 V) 2006 Fortune Festival at Giant'06 (爱上Giant过肥年'06) Kungfu Chef (神厨双怪) My Star Guide (Dubai) (我的导游是明星 (迪拜)) Co-Host Trivia Trove 2 (不说你不知 2)Host Citispa Beauty Perfection (Citispa完美大挑战) True Files IV (真实档案 IV) Let's Party With Food 4 (食福满人间 4) 2005 Trivia Trove (不说你不知) Fortune Festival at Giant'05 (爱上Giant过肥年'05) True Files III (真实档案 III) Perfect 10 (十分十全十美) National Day Parade 2005 Co-Host Where in Singapore (到底在哪里) Host Let's Party With Food 3 (食福满人间 3) Kungfu Chef (神厨双怪) Renci Charity Show 2005 (仁心慈爱照万千) 2004 Flavours of Australia (澳妙新滋味) Co-Host NKF Charity Show 2004 (群星照亮千万心之星光再现人间情)Host Spring and Slide (威力无比加油站) 2003 Tiger Club Crawl (Tiger寻Fun作乐) True Hearts'03 (公益献爱心) 2001 Tonite With Chor Meng (夜猫行动) Super Movie Fan Club (超级影迷俱乐部) Lunar New Year Special 2001 (金蛇运转贺新年) Co-Host All Stars Variety 2001 (全星展艺献温情)Host 2000 Affairs of the Heart (心手相连) 1999 Star Search (才华横溢出新秀) 1995 City Beat (城人杂志) Co-host Star Search (才华横溢出新秀)Host Variety Tonight – Now You Know (1995 原来如此) 1994 Chew on Eight (河畔飘香尝美食) 1993 Star Search (才华横溢出新秀)

Discography Compilation album Year English title Mandarin title 2013 MediaCorp Music Lunar New Year Album 13 新传媒群星金蛇献祥福 2014 MediaCorp Music Lunar New Year Album 14 新传媒群星金马献万福 2015 MediaCorp Music Lunar New Year Album 15 新传媒群星金羊添吉祥 2018 MediaCorp Music Lunar New Year Album 18 新传媒群星阿狗狗过好年

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Results Ref 1994 Star Awards Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes 1995 Star Awards Best Actor Challenge Of Truth Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes 1996 Star Awards Best Actor The Teochew Family Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes 1997 Star Awards Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes 1998 Star Awards Best Actor Immortal Love Best Comedy Performer Don't Worry Be Happy 4 Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes 1999 Star Awards Best Actor Wok Of Life Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes 2000 Star Awards Best Actor Hainan Kopi Tales Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes 2001 Star Awards Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes 2002 Star Awards Best Actor The Reunion Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes 2003 Star Awards Best Actor Springs Of Life Best Comedy Performer Lobang King Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes 2004 Star Awards All-Time Favourite Artiste 2009 Star Awards Best Supporting Actor The Golden Path 2010 Star Awards Best Info-Ed Programme Host Food Hometown 2 2013 Star Awards Best Actor Joys Of Life 2015 Star Awards Star Awards for Most Popular Regional Artiste (Indonesia) 2019 Star Awards Best Evergreen Artiste Special Achievement Award 2022 Star Awards Best Supporting Actor The Heartland Hero 2023 Star Awards Dark Angel