Moses Lim
Moses Lim | |||||||
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Born | Moses Lim Aik Ming 12 December 1949 | ||||||
Died | 11 February 2025 (aged 75) | ||||||
Education | Maris Stella High School | ||||||
Alma mater | Anglican High School Ngee Ann Polytechnic | ||||||
Occupations |
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Years active | 1994–2025 | ||||||
Spouse |
Monica (m. 1977) | ||||||
Children | 2 | ||||||
Chinese name | |||||||
Chinese | 林益民 | ||||||
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Website | moseslim |
Moses Lim Aik Ming[1] (Chinese: 林益民; pinyin: Lín Yìmín; 12 December 1949 – 11 February 2025) was a Singaporean actor, television host, comedian, and food critic, best known for playing Tan Ah Teck in the Singaporean sitcom Under One Roof (1995–2003). Together with his comedy partner, Jack Neo, they were often compared to Wang Sa and Ye Fong, a popular Singapore comedy duo in the 60s and 70s.
Early life and education
[edit]Lim was born in Singapore to a businessman and housewife on 12 December 1949.[2][3][4] He had one brother and two sisters.[2]
Of the Chinese Henghua dialect group, Lim grew up speaking Puxian Min at home. He later learned English, Malay and Mandarin from his neighbours.[2]
Lim took his primary school education at Catholic High School,[2] secondary school education at Maris Stella High School[2] and pre-university education at Anglican High School.[5] He later studied commerce at the Ngee Ann Polytechnic.[2]
Career
[edit]Media
[edit]Lim started learning crosstalk at the age of eight from a Catholic missionary priest from Harbin, China, who was also a teacher at his primary school, Catholic High School.[2] During the early 1970s, Lim performed crosstalk at his first television appearance.[2] While working at other jobs, Lim would take on freelance entertainment jobs with the radio stations and occasionally made a few television crosstalk appearances.[2]
Lim met Jack Neo during a Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) variety show in 1984 and their comedic personas matched and decided to be a double act.[6]
In 1988, they produced a comedy video movie, Fuji's Destiny (富士缘) with Neo as director and actor, Lim and other local comedians, Marcus Chin, Hua Liang, and Tan Tiaw Gim acted in it.[6] However, in the same year, Lim and Neo were banned by SBC for two years.[6] The duo made a comeback in July 1990, hosting a comic segment Gaoxiao Xingtong in SBC's variety show, Variety Tonight on Mondays.[6] As a result of their popularity, they went on to host Variety Tonight from February 1992 onwards.[6] Lim also hosted a weekly comedy talk show with Neo on Radio Heart.[6] By then, Lim and Neo were compared to Wang Sa and Ye Fong, a popular Singapore comedy duo of the 1960s and 70s, as the next most successful comic duo.[6][7]
In 1992, Lim launched a book, Singapore Laughs / Smile Singapore (新加坡笑笑), containing his observations on Singapore's idiosyncrasies.[6][8][9]
In 1994, Lim was one of the co-hosts of the multinational Asian talent program Asia Bagus along with fellow Singaporean Najip Ali.[10][11] In the same year, Robert Chua, a Hong Kong producer, took note of Lim's success and invited Lim to Hong Kong to work.[12][13] According to Lim, who was considered a part time actor with Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS), TCS tried to get him to sign a contract as a full time artiste which he declined due to disagreement on how management worked at TCS.[12] Lim also claimed TCS tried to persuade him to sign a contract not to work overseas which he declined also and which he claimed resulted in TCS blacklisting him from any work with TCS.[12] Lim eventually signed with China Entertainment Television to appear on a cookery programme and variety talk show.[14]
In late 1994, Lim joined the Singaporean sitcom Under One Roof (1995–2003)[11] on Mediacorp Channel 5, making him the first crossover artiste from Mediacorp Channel 8, after collaborating with Jack Neo,[11] Mark Lee, Henry Thia, Marcus Chin, Jimmy Nah, and John Cheng in Comedy Night/Comedy Nite (1990–2000, 2003–2004).[2] Lim's famous tagline from Under One Roof is: "This reminds me of a story! Long before your time, in the Southern province of China...". For his effort in Under One Roof, Lim became the first Singaporean actor to win an award at the Asian Television Awards for Best Male Actor in a Comedy in 1996.[15][16]
In 2007, he played Eric Tan in the Singaporean film Just Follow Law.[17] In 2011, Lim also starred in the Okto television series Zero Hero as Grandpa Magnificent.[18] He performed at the 2012 stage play, Happily Ever Laughter.[19]
In 2015, Lim starred in Our Sister Mambo, a commemorative film for Cathay Organisation's 80th anniversary.[20]
Gourmet
[edit]Lim's gourmet career started in 1993, when a tour agency asked him to host a thematic gourmet tour, to which Lim agreed.[18] He was the founder and manager of the Moses Lim Gourmet Club, which organizes gourmet tours on a bi-annually basis.[21] Lim also served as brand ambassador for Singaporean porridge restaurant Zhen Zhou Dao, which was run by his son-in-law and eldest daughter.[22] Zhen Zhou Dao eventually closed after three years of operations.[23]
Other
[edit]In 1975, Lim's father died of a heart attack and Lim joined the automotive spare parts import-export firm which his father co-owned.[2] Lim eventually started his own spare parts trading company.[2]
In the 1990s, Lim had other companies which traded and market health food and premium gifts.[6]
Lim served as chairman for a bridal store and a real estate company.[5]
Personal life and death
[edit]During one of his business trips while working for his own company, Lim met Monica, a Taiwanese woman.[2][6] They married in 1977 and had two daughters together.[2]
In 2018, Lim had heart surgery which was met with complications, resulting in a three-month recovery period.[24] In 2022, he was diagnosed with a slow pulse rate and was advised to implant a pacemaker which he refused due to previous complications.[24] A review six months later revealed his conditions were stable and his doctor agreed on not implanting the pacemaker.[24]
Lim died on 11 February 2025, at the age of 75,[25][26] of ischemic heart disease.[27]
Filmography
[edit]As host
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1990–1992 | Gaoxiao Xingtong | co-host | Comedy segment in Variety Tonight | [6] |
1992–1994 | Variety Tonight | co-host | [6] | |
1994–2000 | Comedy Night | co-host | Variety Tonight was renamed as Comedy Night[28] | [6] |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1995–2003 | Under One Roof | Tan Ah Teck | Sitcom | [2] |
2002–2005 | Living with Lydia | Fruit Woo | [29] | |
2005 | Family Combo | Edmund | Sitcom | [30] |
Family Combo II | Ah Keow | Sitcom | [30] | |
2011 | Zero Hero | Grandpa Magnificent | [18] | |
2013 | The Recipe (回味) | Telemovie | [31] |
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1988 | Fuji's Destiny (富士缘) | Direct-to-video | [6] | |
2001 | One Leg Kicking | [32] | ||
2003 | City Sharks | Henry Seow | [33] | |
Twilight Kitchen | [34][35][36] | |||
2007 | Just Follow Law | Eric Tan | [37] | |
2013 | Kara King | [38] | ||
Gemeilia 2013 | Cameo | [39] | ||
2015 | Our Sister Mambo | Mr Wong | [20] |
Awards and nominations
[edit]Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996 | Asian Television Awards | Best Male Actor in a Comedy | Under One Roof | Won | [15][16] |
2001 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes | — | Nominated | [40] |
2002 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes | — | Nominated | [41] |
2003 | Star Awards | Best Comedy Performer 最佳喜剧演员 | Comedy Nite 2003 | Nominated | [42] |
Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes | — | Nominated | [42] | ||
2004 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes | — | Won | [43] |
2005 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes | — | Nominated | [44] |
References
[edit]- ^ Singapore, National Library Board. "Portrait of Mr. Lim Aik Ming, student of Ngee Ann Technical College". National Library Board. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Morphing of Moses". AsiaOne. 26 March 2014. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ "Moses Lim 林益民". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
- ^ "Moses Lim 林益民". Facebook. 12 February 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ a b Yong, Shu Hoong. "Battle of comperes". POSbank. Archived from the original on 8 September 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Guan, Libing (22 March 1992). "Jack and the Fatman". The Straits Times. p. 14. Retrieved 12 February 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "Jokes aside". The Straits Times. 15 May 1992. p. 2. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ "MOSES' LISA". The Straits Times. 22 February 1992. p. 3 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "新加坡笑笑". National Library Board. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ "Pregnant Tomoko drops out of show". The New Paper. 14 July 1994. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
- ^ a b c "Moses Lim's Roll of Honour". The New Paper. 8 November 1994. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
- ^ a b c "Moses Lim recalls how he was blacklisted from TV for 4 years after Under One Roof's success". AsiaOne. 8 September 2020. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ Leong, Weng Kam (19 March 1994). "Media man Robert Chua seeks Singapore partners". The Straits Times. p. 3. Retrieved 12 February 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "Moses Lim signs up with HK satellite TV". The Straits Times. 22 September 1994. p. 10. Retrieved 12 February 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ a b Toh, Christopher (7 July 2009). "Wholly Moses!". Channel News Asia. Archived from the original on 9 July 2009. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ a b Yeo, Edwin (30 November 1996). "Moses Lim is... No 1". The New Paper. p. 6 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "【星星陨落】华校生突破刻板印象获奖 林益民曾遭封杀陷困境". www.zaobao.com.sg (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ a b c Seah, Daphne (30 October 2011). "I don't eat pets: Moses Lim". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- ^ "Funny gang's worst moments". The Business Times. 8 June 2012. ProQuest 1019188062. Retrieved 3 March 2013 – via Proquest.
- ^ a b "InSing Review: Our Sister Mambo". Sinema.SG. 24 July 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ Guo, Wei Ho (9 June 2012). "HAPPY EVER LAUGHTER: MOSES LIM". Fever Avenue. Archived from the original on 18 November 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- ^ Quek, Eunice (17 November 2012). "Celebrity-fronted eateries roll out chic concepts". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 24 November 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- ^ Quek, Eunice (26 April 2015). "The hit and miss of celebrity restaurants". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ a b c Koh, Jiamun (30 March 2023). "Moses Lim, 73, On Why He Chose Not To Have A Pacemaker Implanted Despite His Heart Issues". 8days. Archived from the original on 21 September 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ "Veteran actor Moses Lim dies at age 75". The New Paper. 12 February 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ Yeo, Shu Hui (12 February 2025). "Moses Lim dies aged 75, 'old friend' Jack Neo expresses regret". AsiaOne. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ Lee, Jan (15 February 2025). "'A great scene partner': Friends pay respects to late entertainer Moses Lim at wake". The Straits Times. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "Changes on the new Channel 8". The Straits Times. 27 May 1994. p. 20. Retrieved 12 February 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ Loh, Cynthia (19 November 2002). "Time to laugh with Lydia again". The New Paper. p. 38.
- ^ a b Teo, Wendy (26 February 2005). "Family ties get strained". The New Paper. p. 36.
- ^ "Eric Khoo and Zoe Tay Collaborate for the First Time to make "The Recipe 回味"!". InCinemas SG. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
- ^ "One Leg Kicking". Asian Film Archive. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
- ^ Yong, Shu Chiang (27 March 2003). "Pay up or else ..." Today. Singapore. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ "聚味楼 [录像资料] = Twilight kitchen". www.nlb.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 8 October 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
- ^ 陈韵红 (21 June 2003). "接拍社区电影《聚味楼》 林益民这回不搞笑". Shin Min Daily News. Singapore.
- ^ Lee, Wei Lin (25 July 2001). "Zhang Xinxiang, Who Has Played Bad Guys On Screen For 32 Years, Became An Actor After A Temple Divination Lot Predicted He Would Be Famous". Today. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
- ^ Noh, Jean. "Cathay returns with Our Sister Mambo". Screen. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ Ting, Loong Wai (1 November 2016). "Ribbon-wrapped gift: Rising local artiste Ribbon Ooi talks about her debut EP, It's My Time | New Straits Times". NST Online. Archived from the original on 3 November 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
In 2013, she was offered to act in the film, Kara King, opposite Taiwanese top entertainer Frankie Kao, Hong Kong's Ng Man Tat and Singapore's Moses Lim.
- ^ "哥妹俩开镜.陈之财配林佩盈演果爸果妈". Sin Chew Daily. 6 December 2012. Archived from the original on 21 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ Boey, Dylan (10 November 2001). "Time to vote ... again". The Straits Times. pp. L22.
- ^ Foo, Serene (21 November 2002). "Crossover stars". Today. p. 34. Retrieved 12 February 2025 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ a b Yeoh, Wee Teck (7 December 2003). "Star awards for both Ch 8 and U MediaCorp's Official nominees for Star Awards 2003". The New Paper. pp. 40–42.
- ^ Teo, Pau Lin (13 December 2004). "Double the Happiness at awards". The Straits Times. p. 4.
- ^ 李, 亦筠 (15 November 2005). "红星大奖 最受欢迎男女艺人入围名单公布 6前报业传讯主持人入围 DJ,新闻主播也分一杯羹" [Star Awards Most Popular Male and Female Artistes nomination list published. Six former SPH MediaWorks TV hosts, DJs and newsreaders are included.]. Lianhe Zaobao (in Chinese (Singapore)). p. 8.