Acting
Nov 19, 1968
Singapore
Chew Chor Meng
Acting
Biography
Chew Chor Meng, better known as Zhou Chuming, is a Singaporean actor. 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. Due to his illness, Chew initially did not expect his contract to be renewed. However, reports surfaced in November 2010 that Chew's contract was renewed for a further two years, with particular emphasis on hosting and new artiste training duties. 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, which would have been Chew's second foray into the eatery business.
Feature Films (3)
LUCKY BOY chronicles several decades of the lives of Lin Yu, his family, friends and Qingqing – the girl whom he falls in love with in primary school and continues pinning for throughout his tumultuous and eventful life. Lin Yu is always one step behind others and surrounded by misfortune... Will Lin Yu, the destined "unlucky" boy, be able to change his fate?
Lucky Boy
It’s A Great Great World is set in Singapore’s legendary amusement park Great World, which was also affectionately known in Hokkien as Tua Seh Kai or 大世界. Spanning the 1940s to the present day, the film tells the stories of a multitude of characters who lived, worked, played, sang, danced and fell in love in Great World.
It's a Great, Great World!
This is a heartwarming comedy with the message that everyone has the right to pursue true love despite boundaries of age and, yes, physical size. So, what do you think? Will Ziozio Lim choose Moses Lim, the rolypoly middle-aged man, over Chew Chor Meng, the young and suave ventriloquist? Stay tuned.
Santa The Happy Ghost
Television & Series (23)
The Unbeatables I is a Singapore drama series that was made by MediaCorp TV Channel 8. The popularity of the series led to the production of 2 follow-ups, The Unbeatables II and The Unbeatables III.
The Unbeatables
Set post-World War II Singapore, the story line spans the decade between the end of the Japanese occupation and the HDB's clearing of squatters during the late 1950s to early 1960s.
Joys of Life
Eat Already? is set in a coffee shop, and is centered around an elderly widow named Ah Niu Sao (Yinzhu Li) , who works as a cleaner as her sons Ah Bee (Elvin Ng) and Ah Qiang (Aden Tan) who still rely on her for their living expenses. Her elder son Ah Bee is a chronic gambler who is unemployed for a long time while her younger son Ah Qiang is an introvert who is wheelchair bound. Throughout the series, she manages to tide over various issues thanks to help from neighbours, friends and several support schemes available. Will the boys finally get their acts together and be a reliable pillar of support for their aging mother?
Eat Already?
Wisely, the eastern equivalent of Indiana Jones and James Bond, is a hero in every sense. He is multi-talented, believes in paranormal, knowledgeable in many cultures and oozes quiet charm. A character out of the sci-fi novels by renowned adventure-loving author Ni Kuang, Wisely was raised by a couple from a circus. His unusual milieu provided the foundation for his formidable skills. Hand-in-hand with the love of his life, Bai Su, they solve many inexplicable mysteries, namely "Shadow", "Destiny", "Reincarnation", "Hopes Eternal", "Dimensions", "Souls" and "Wishes". Not to be missed are the picturesque scenery shot in Cairo, Egypt.
