The Joy Of Christmas

What do you get when you take five actresses from Crazy Rich Asians, an armful of gorgeous gowns, and add a sprinkling of holiday cheer? A joyous celebration of a year well-lived.

- Natalya Molok

Tan Kheng Hua 55, FLY Entertainment Artiste

From her breakthrough role on television as Margaret Phua in Phua Chu Kang to her scene-stealing turn on the big screen in Hollywood’s breakout hit of the year, Crazy Rich Asians, Tan Kheng Hua has always captivated audiences with her warmth, talent and exuberant personality.

As Kerry Chu, the mother of Chinese-American heroine Rachel (played by Constance Wu), Kheng shone in a role that was tailor-made for her as she, too, is a fiercely protective mother-of-one in real life.

“My daughter, Shi-An, always brings out the best in me. And I’m very flawed. But Shi-An and a handful of other people, they make me feel happy with myself,” says the actress-director, who was able to channel that love into her on-screen persona.

Unsurprisingly, the star’s stellar acting chops caught the attention of a myriad international talent agents, and she’s since signed up with GVA Talent Agency and Zero Gravity Management in Los Angeles, and Conway van Gelder Grant, in London. This means we can expect to see our local darling transition into a new phase of her acting career.

“The biggest surprise of 2018 is being reminded that anything can happen, at no matter what age and when you least expect it,” she says. ”I never thought that these wondrous, delightful things would come my way but they did, and I’m so grateful it turned out this way.”

She adds that she’s been particularly touched by the recognition she has received for her work, as well as the support from family and friends over the past year, which she says has also given her a new lease of life.