Yeo Yann Yann

Yeo Yann Yann (born 20 February 1977) is a Singapore-based Malaysian actress. She has worked in theatre, television, and film in both English and Mandarin Chinese. Her credits include Singapore Dreaming, Thunderstorm, 881, Ilo Ilo and Wet Season.

She is a pioneer-graduate of Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI). Besides acting, Yeo also hosts bilingual events and performs for corporate skits and projects.

Early life and education Yeo was born to a fisherman in Kukup, Pontian district, Johor, Malaysia. Yeo left Malaysia when she was 19 to study at Intercultural Theatre Institute in Singapore.

Career Yeo cites her acting mentor, the late theatre doyen Kuo Pao Kun, as a significant influence in her career.

In 1997, Yeo made her theatre debut with Comedy of Mistakes by Toy Factory Production. and was the first Singaporean film to receive an IFFPA-recognised international feature film award.

Yeo has also been featured in the Singapore Speak Chinese campaign (华语cool!), in-character from her role in the Royston Tan's 2007 film 881.

Yeo had also starred in various television productions, including Food Goin' Bananas (2008) and The A-Go-Go Princess (2009). In 2009 also, she played the leading role in The Iron Lady, produced by ntv7.

In 2013, Yeo played as the mother of the protagonist in Anthony Chen's first feature film, Ilo Ilo. The film debuted at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival where it received a 15-minute long "standing ovation" and earned Chen the Camera d'Or. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted Chen's achievement, and congratulated him and the film's cast on Facebook. The film continued to win success at various film festivals with Yeo picking up awards such as Best Supporting Actress at the 50th Golden Horse Awards, Best Actress at the Vladivostok Film Festival, Best Supporting Actress at the 8th Asian Film Awards among others.

In spring 2018, Yeo reunites with Chen for his second feature film, Wet Season. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and went on to be nominated for six Golden Horse Awards, with Yeo winning her second Golden Horse, for Best Leading Actress.

In 2020, Yeo was cast as Lian in HBO Asia’s Invisible Stories. The film was released on Netflix in 2025.

In 2022, Yeo acted as the mother of the main character in American Born Chinese, a television series adaption of a 2006 graphic novel American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, an American fantasy action comedy television sitcom created by Kelvin Yu for Disney+. The series consists of eight episodes and premiered on Disney+ on 24 May 2023.

Personal life Yeo met Hong Kong action choreographer Ma Yuk-sing, who is seventeen years her senior, in 2012 while filming Petaling Street Warriors and were married within the year at her hometown. In 2013, Yeo moved to Singapore due to post-partum depression.

12 Lotus| Long 2's girlfriend Muallaf Cindy 18 Grams of Love (愛情18克) 2009 Love Matters| Jia Li

Being Human| Zu Er When Hainan Meets Teochew|Meihui 2011 Petaling Street Warriors| Zhung Lichun

Distance| |Yang Yingying 2017 You Mean the World to Me| Hoon

Lee Chong Wei| Khor Kim Choi Republic of Food| Virginia Goh

Wet Season| Ling Won Best Leading Actress at the 56th Golden Horse Awards 2023 The King of Musang King|Liu Mei Lian 2025 Havoc'' Tsui's Mother Short film Year TitleRoleNotes 2003 The Last Flight of the Red Butterflies 2005 Heave 2006 Hello? Tracks Flat Dreams 2009Tanjong rhu (The Casuarina Cove)

Television series

Music video appearances Year Artist Song title 2021 Stefanie Sun "The Day Before"

Other production

Theatre

Awards and nominations Year Awards Category Nominated work Result 2005 5th LIFE! Theatre Awards Best Ensemble Acting Wu Jun Ru And You And Me And Him 2006 1st Front Awards 2007 7th LIFE! Theatre Awards Best Ensemble Acting Mama Looking For Her Cat 7th LIFE! Theatre Awards Best Actress Thunderstorm 2009 9th LIFE! Theatre Awards Best Actress National Language Class 2010 Golden AwardsBest Actress The Iron Lady 2012 Golden Awards Best Supporting ActressTime FM 2013 50th Golden Horse Awards Best Supporting Actress Ilo Ilo Vladivostok Film Festival Best Actress 48th International Emmy AwardsBest Performance By An ActressInvisible Stories20233rd Hollywood Critics Association TV AwardsBest Supporting Actress in a Streaming Series, ComedyAmerican Born Chinese