Celest Chong
 |
Template:Chinese name Template:Infobox Chinese-language singer and actor Celest Chong (born 25 December 1988) is a Singaporean actress, singer, and former cover model.
Biography
Early life
Chong is the youngest child of four other daughters. Her mother was from an orchid flower family and her dad was a blacksmith. She started working at the age of twelve at a bookstore, packing boxes.
Chong won her first singing competition at the age of eight at her school, singing "Nobody's Child". Ever since she fell in love with singing, becoming a wedding singer with a pianist.
She wrote her first song at age eleven about a Chow Yun-fat film that had touched her deeply. Chong started stage acting when she was thirteen and was president of her school's drama club, which she had founded. She acted, wrote and directed some of the plays she did at school.
Before post-secondary school, Chong volunteered to help and tutor disabled children through an organization called Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore. She studied in Ang Mo Kio Secondary School and Yishun Junior College before moving on to the National University of Singapore where she majored in English and economics.
Career
Chong was spotted by a talent scout at the age of fourteen and began her career as a model. Later she joined Malcolm McLaren's now defunct girl-band, Jungk.
Chong began her acting as a secretary in Eric Khoo's Stories about Love performing a Turkish inspired belly-dance. She also sang the show's theme song, Sorry, My Love.[1] Later she moved on to Channel 5's sitcom, Making Love, where she played a sultry receptionist named Pamela.
Chong also started acting when she played the character of a child social worker in the Channel 8 television drama, You Light Up My Life. She sang the theme songs for the new show, which ended up on Singapore's top music charts for four weeks.
Chong then sign with Universal Music to record her debut solo album in 2001, Belong to Myself. Chong found the show meaningful and chose to continue with it rather than going back to New York to sign with an indie music label. After three months on Channel 8, Chong was voted No.3 for Most Ideal Female Artiste on Mediaworks TV Station.
In December 2002, her self-titled second album was released in Singapore, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and Malaysia.
In 2005, Chong left MediaCorp and Singapore for Taiwan for a stint in the Taiwanese entertainment industry where she released her third album, Snowflakes. While in Taiwan, she also acted as a reporter in C'est La Vie starring Taiwanese actor Lin Youwei. After staying for one and a half year in Taiwan, she moved to Guiyang, China to film Acalea Blossoms in 2009. While in China she recorded her fourth album, Little Happiness in 2007.[2] After two years in China, Chong moved back to Singapore due to a family emergency.[3]
Chong has appeared on dozens of magazine covers including Her World, Vogue, Elle, Citta Bella, FHM etc. She has modeled around the world for many different print advertisements. Chong was voted as one of the Top 100 most beautiful women in the world by FHM and The Sexiest Woman in Singapore by International Media with her five S's-Sunshine Sweet, Smile, Sexy & Song… She was also voted No.1 for the Singapore Most Sexy Women's Survey on Citta Bella.
Filmography
| Dui Juan Hua Kai (2007): (China) - Leading Lady & Soundtrack
Stories About Love (2002): (Singapore) - Guest Appearance & Soundtrack |
|
Your Hand in Mine (2009–2010): (Singapore-[MCS]Channel 8) - Supporting Actress Red Thread (2009): (Singapore-[MCS]Channel 5) - Leading Lady Crime Busters x 2 (2008): (Singapore-[MCS]Channel 8) - Guest Appearance Love Young Man (2006): Main Actress (Asia) - Leading Lady Zero (2004): Main Actress (Singapore) - Leading Lady Proud Of Twins (The Invincible Duo) (2004): (Asia) - Guest Appearance Hi-Fly (2004): Main Actress (Asia) - Leading Lady Together Whenever (2003): Main Actress (China & Singapore): with China Actor Hu Bing - Leading Lady Feel 100% (2002): (Hong Kong) - Guest Appearance All’s Well, Ends Well (2001): (Hong Kong- Aisatvro) -Leading Lady You Light Up My Life (2001): Main Actress (Singapore): rated No. 1 by audience - Leading Lady Making Love (2000) Sitcom: (Singapore-[MCS]Channel 5) - Supporting Actress |
Discography
Chong's former singing career includes being the lead singer in an all-girl band ‘Jungk’ produced by Malcom McLaren. She also sang "Voice of an Angel" for McLaren. On National Day she sang "Stand Up for Singapore". She was also the lead singer for a song called "Earth Song" regarding environmental awareness. For the film Stories About Love she sang the title track "Sorry My Love". For the drama series You Light Up My Life she sang the theme song "Distance" and landed it as the No. 1 hit song on Yes 933 Pop Charts. Chong was voted No. 1 for Most Captivating Voice on Singapore Press Holdings, Asiaone.com.
Albums:
| Little Happiness (2006)
Snow Flakes (2004) Celest (2002) Belong To Myself (2001) |
References
- ^ "Celest Chong shows off her dark side". MediaCorp. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
- ^ "Back in the limelight". DivaAsia. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
- ^ "Beauty unmasked". DivaAsia. Retrieved 2010-11-12.