Singapore star Edmund Chen might return to acting after 20 years

It came as a surprise to fans of Edmund Chen as he, according to 8days, announced his sudden openness to returning to acting. Here’s an overview on his career and what led up to this welcome decision!

All images are from edmundchen.sg / Instagram unless otherwise stated.

Edmund Chen is a Singaporean actor. He hit the peak of his popularity during the early 2000s and retired to focus on his personal life.

Born on February 4, 1961, in Singapore, Edmund Chen is the eldest of three children and is related to theatre director Loretta Chen, reports The New Paper.

According to Baidu, Edmund Chen was encouraged by his friends to enter the acting scene during an open call for actors because they believed he had the looks and talent to succeed in the industry, and they were correct!

According to AsiaOne, Edmund Chen became an actor after completing a drama training course hosted by Singapore Broadcasting Corporation, SBC, the predecessor of Singapore's state-owned media conglomerate Mediacorp, in 1987.

Baidu continues with reporting that entering acting was not an easy feat for Edmund Chen then, as he had to compete with over 4,000 hopefuls to be selected by SBC to qualify as an actor. He made it to the top 10 and was then accepted.

Before SBC became Mediacorp, Edmund Chen had acted in the works ‘Sunshine After Rain’, ‘Star Maiden’, ‘Airforce’, and ‘Patrol’.

Edmund Chen’s work in ‘Patrol’ was a fated one for Edmund Chen, as it was when he met his future wife, fellow actress Xiang Yun.

After SBC had transformed into Mediacorp, Edmund Chen became known for his works such as ‘Double Happiness’, ‘Beyond the Axis of Truth’, and ‘First Touch’.

Did you know?: Baidu reports that Edmund Chen was one of the most in-demand actors at the time because he possessed the rare talent of being effectively bilingual and proficient in both English and Mandarin, allowing him to act in both languages.

Edmund Chen had also acted in the international scene, such as in the Hong Kong romance film ‘Turn Left, Turn Right’, and in the American action film ‘Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li’.

Edmund Chen was so popular during his active years at Mediacorp that he consistently won Top 10 nominations during Singapore’s annual Star Awards from 2001 to 2007.

Despite his enormous popularity, Edmund Chen chose to leave the acting industry in 2007.

According to AsiaOne, this was due to family commitments, as Xiang Yun and he were both active actors at the time and agreed that one parent should step back to care for their two children.

Despite having left acting, Edmund Chen has managed to carve out a career as a children’s book author and has published ‘Dino Rulez!’, and ‘Little Otters To The Rescue!’, reports the Singaporean National Arts Council.

Edmund Chen appears to be making a comeback after a lengthy absence. According to AsiaOne, this is because his children have grown into adults, allowing him to return to acting or become more involved behind the scenes!