Zen Chong (born Chong Cheng Xiong; 15 August 1978), formerly known as Zzen Chong, is a Malaysian actor and property agent who is based in Singapore.
Zen Chong | |
|---|---|
| Born | Chong Cheng Xiong 15 August 1978 Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia |
| Other names |
|
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Spouse |
Geline See (m. 2011) |
| Children | 2 |
| Current stage name | |
| Simplified Chinese | 章证翔 |
| Traditional Chinese | 章證翔 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Zhāng Zhèngxiáng |
| Birth name | |
| Simplified Chinese | 章增祥[1] |
| Traditional Chinese | 章增祥 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Zhāng Zēngxiáng |
| Former stage name | |
| Simplified Chinese | 章缜翔 |
| Traditional Chinese | 章縝翔 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Zhang Zhěnxiáng |
Early life
A native of the "New Villages" in Kuala Lumpur, Chong studied graphic design and worked at an advertising agency prior to joining Star Search Malaysia.[2]
Career
Chong joined MediaCorp in 2001 after finishing third in that year's Malaysian edition of Star Search Singapore.[3] One of his first major roles was in the 2003 sitcom Lobang King where he was cast alongside veteran artistes Chew Chor Meng, Huang Wenyong and Irene Ang as the smooth-talking employee of Huang's character.
Chong is known for portraying juvenile "ah beng" characters, antiheroes and villains. He shot to fame for his role as the main antagonist in the hit period drama The Little Nyonya.[4] Although initially a replacement for Andrew Seow, he was praised for his convincing portrayal of antagonist Robert Zhang and won a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the 2009 Star Awards, his first ever awards nomination.[5] He was given his first lead role in the 2008 co-production The Thin Line.
Personal life
He married his long-time girlfriend Geline See in January 2011.[6] Chong and his wife have a daughter and a son.[7]
In 2012, it was revealed during the release of The Quarters that Chong changed a character in his Chinese name after consulting with a fortune teller. His English name was changed as well, from Zzen Chong to Zen Chong. He has also converted to part-time acting and since become a full-time property agent.[8]
Filmography
Television series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The Vagrant | Zhang Disheng | ||
| Kopi-O II | Hong Fuxing | |||
| 2003 | Lobang King | Hong Daji | ||
| True Heroes | Wang Wei | |||
| Baby Boom | James | |||
| Beautiful Trio | Colin | |||
| Home in Toa Payoh | Dino | |||
| 2004 | An Ode to Life | Zhang Ruixiang | ||
| 2005 | Zero to Hero | Ping | ||
| Beyond the aXis of Truth II | Woody | |||
| Love Concierge | Ruan Yawan | |||
| 2006 | The Shining Star | Ah Pao | ||
| Women of Times | Bruce | |||
| Love at 0°C | Victor | |||
| 2007 | Switched! | Jiang Zhiheng | ||
| Fallen Angel | Chen Xuewen | |||
| 2008 | Where the Heart Is | Hong Jiajun | ||
| Rhythm of Life | Wang Tianbao | |||
| The Thin Line | Chen Tianyou | |||
| The Little Nyonya | Robert Zhang | [9] | ||
| Zhang Zuye | ||||
| 2009 | My Kampong Days | Qiao Junwei | ||
| 2010 | Priceless Wonder | Li Caishun | ||
| Unriddle | Yu Zhenbang | |||
| Injustice | Lin Shunyuan | |||
| 2011 | Be Happy | Ken See | ||
| Dark Sunset | Qiu Jiawei | |||
| 2012 | Yours Fatefully | Hong Zhiguo | ||
| The Quarters | Luo Hanguo | [8] | ||
| Poetic Justice | Eugene | |||
| Game Plan | Li Ziguang | |||
| 2013 | It's a Wonderful Life | Li Siyuan | ||
| Sudden | Zhang Hongxing | |||
| 2014 | C.L.I.F. 3 | Ding Youpeng | ||
| 2015 | Crescendo | Zhang Shixin | ||
| 2016 | House of Fortune | Henry | ||
| The Queen | Chen Zijian | |||
| Soul Reaper (勾魂使者) | Eddy | |||
| 118 II | Qiu Jianguo | |||
| 2018 | 118 Reunion (118 大团圆) | |||
| Eat Already? 4 | Weijie | |||
| Say Cheese | Pan Zemin | |||
| Magic Chef (料理人生) | Kenneth | |||
| 2019 | After the Stars (攻星计) | |||
| 2021 | CTRL | He Shaoguang | ||
| 2022 | Dark Angel (黑天使) | |||
| 2023 | Fix My Life | |||
| A Familiar Stranger (熟悉的陌生人) |
Variety shows
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | King of Variety | |
| 2006 | Battle of the Best | |
| 2009 | Stars for a Cause | |
| 2010 | Let's Party With Food! VII | Guest appearance |
| 2022 | A Night Under the Stars | Guest appearance |
| 2023 | The Reunion | Guest appearance |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Star Awards | Best Supporting Actor | The Little Nyonya (as Robert Zhang) | Nominated | [9] |
| 2011 | Star Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Unriddle (as Yu Zhenbang) | Nominated |
References
- ^ "艺人改名就改运？信不信由你！_wkh73_新浪博客". blog.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ^ 不回家铁链绑上车 章缜翔越鞭越皮 (in Chinese). Nanyang Siang Pau. 29 November 2011. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
- ^ "Talented wannabes". New Straits Times. 8 June 2001.
- ^ "Zzen and the Art of Acting". Channel News Asia. 8 February 2010. Archived from the original on 19 January 2013.
- ^ "Andrew Seow helps HIV-positive friend". AsiaOne. 17 July 2009. Archived from the original on 22 July 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ^ "Zzen Zhang's 'messy' wedding". Channel News Asia. 19 January 2011.
- ^ "'He scolded me and beat me quite often': Zen Chong lacked father's love in childhood, now tries to be different for own kids". AsiaOne. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ^ a b "梁丽芳章缜翔"隐姓埋名"改运途" (in Chinese). Lianhe Zaobao. 24 August 2012. Archived from the original on 30 August 2012.
- ^ a b "Zen Chong Says People Still Call Him The Little Nyonya's Robert Zhang, 15 Years After The Show Aired". 8days. Retrieved 11 September 2023.