Yeo Yann Yann

She is a pioneer-graduate of Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI). Besides acting, Yeo also hosts bilingual events and performs for corporate skits and projects.

• Name — Yeo Yann Yann • Born — 20 February 1977 • Birthplace — Johor, Malaysia • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 1997–present • Other Names — Yann Yeo Yang Yanyan • Children — 1

Yeo was born to a fisherman in Kukup, Pontian district, Johor, Malaysia. Yeo left Malaysia when she was 19 to study at Intercultural Theatre Institute in Singapore.

Yeo cites her acting mentor, the late theatre doyen Kuo Pao Kun, as a significant influence in her career. In 1997, Yeo made her theatre debut with Comedy of Mistakes by Toy Factory Production. Yeo started her acting career, portraying Chen Mei Li in The Right Frequency, a 1998 Mediacorp drama. After appearing as Mei in the 2006 film Singapore Dreaming, Yeo was noticed and became famous. The film won the Montblanc New Screenwriters Award at the 54th San Sebastian International Film Festival, and was the first Singaporean film to receive an IFFPA-recognised international feature film award. Yeo has also been featured in the Singapore Speak Chinese campaign (华语cool!), in-character from her role in the Royston Tan's 2007 film 881. Yeo had also starred in various television productions, including Food Goin' Bananas (2008) and The A-Go-Go Princess (2009). In 2009 also, she played the leading role in The Iron Lady, produced by ntv7. In 2013, Yeo played as the mother of the protagonist in Anthony Chen's first feature film, Ilo Ilo. The film debuted at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival where it received a 15-minute long "standing ovation" and earned Chen the Camera d'Or. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted Chen's achievement, and congratulated him and the film's cast on Facebook. The film continued to win success at various film festivals with Yeo picking up awards such as Best Supporting Actress at the 50th Golden Horse Awards, Best Actress at the Vladivostok Film Festival, Best Supporting Actress at the 8th Asian Film Awards among others. In spring 2018, Yeo reunites with Chen for his second feature film, Wet Season. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and went on to be nominated for six Golden Horse Awards, with Yeo winning her second Golden Horse, for Best Leading Actress. In 2020, Yeo was cast as Lian in HBO Asia’s Invisible Stories. In 2021, Yeo acted as a triad boss in a supporting role in action thriller film Havoc, starring Tom Hardy, written and directed by Gareth Evans. The film was released on Netflix in 2025. In 2022, Yeo acted as the mother of the main character in American Born Chinese, a television series adaption of a 2006 graphic novel American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, an American fantasy action comedy television sitcom created by Kelvin Yu for Disney+. The series consists of eight episodes and premiered on Disney+ on 24 May 2023.

Yeo met Hong Kong action choreographer Ma Yuk-sing, who is seventeen years her senior, in 2012 while filming Petaling Street Warriors and were married within the year at her hometown. They have a daughter born in August 2012. In 2013, Yeo moved to Singapore due to post-partum depression.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes — Ref. Reference • 1998 — Right Frequency — Chen Meili • 2006 — Stories of Love: Anthology Series • 2007 — Do Not Disturb • 2008 — The A-Go-Go Princess (穿越阿哥哥) • Food Goin' Bananas • 2009 — The Iron Lady — Gao Shiqin • 2011 — A Time To Embrace (追影·築夢) — Zhang Jinrui • Time FM (時光電台) — Lucky • Home (家緣) • 2012 — The Descendant • 2013 — Time FM 1970 (時光電台1970) — Lucky • 2020 — Invisible Stories — Lian • 2022 — Modern Love Mumbai — Sui — Episode Mumbai Dragon (2022) • 2023 — American Born Chinese — Christine Wang

• Year — Artist — Song title • 2021 — Stefanie Sun — "The Day Before"

• Year — Title • 2005 — GhostBoys (series for 3G phones) • POV Murder (series for 3G phones)

• Year — Title — Produced by — Role — Ref • 1997 — Comedy of Mistakes — Toy Factory • 1998 — Storm — Toy Factory • 1999 — Red Hawk — The Theatre Practice • 2000 — Invisibility — Drama Box • The Day I Met The Prince — The Theatre Practice • 2001 — Dragon Dance — The Finger Players • 2003 — The Tiger Tally — TTRP • Tartuffe — TTRP • Lim Tzay Chuen — TTRP/Theatreworks • Lights Up — The Theatre Practice • 2004 — Water Station — TTRP • Tempest — The Theatre Practice • Private Parts — Vizpro • Wu Jun Ru And You and Me And Him (吴君如和你和我和他) — The Theatre Practice • 2005 — Boxing Day — The Necessary Stage • The Admiral's Odyssey — Action Theatre • Separation Forty — The Necessary Stage • 2006 — A Beautiful Companion — Theatreworks • Stranger at Home (独在家乡为异客) — DramaBox • National Language Class — Spell Seven Performance Club • Thunderstorm (雷雨) — The Theatre Practice • Legends Alive Online: Mama Looking For Her Cat 2006 — The Theatre Practice • 2007 — The Tosca Project — The Theatre Practice • 2008 — Chesty Nutty Bang Bang: The Hairspray of the Phoenix — STAGES • National Language Class (re-run) — Spell Seven Performance Club • To Kill A Mockingbird — Sharon Ang • 2009 — Crab Flower Club — Toy Factory Productions • 2011 — Petaling Street Warriors — Juita Entertainment • 2016 — State of Mind — Playground Entertainment • 2017 — Actor, Forty《演员四十》 — The Necessary Stage

• Year — Title — Role — Notes — Ref. Reference • 2006 — High Cost of Living • Singapore Dreaming — Mei • One Last Dance • 2007 — 881 — Big Papaya • 2008 — 12 Lotus — Long 2's girlfriend • Muallaf — Cindy • 18 Grams of Love (愛情18克) • 2009 — Love Matters — Jia Li • 2010 — Being Human — Zu Er • When Hainan Meets Teochew — Meihui • 2011 — Petaling Street Warriors — Zhung Lichun • 2013 — Paper Moon (紙月亮) • The Collector (收爛數) • Ilo Ilo — Hwee Leng • 2014 — The Cage (懼場) — Ma Yan Ling • Rubbers — Baoling • 2015 — Distance • The Laundryman — Yang Yingying • 2017 — You Mean the World to Me — Hoon • 2018 — Lee Chong Wei — Khor Kim Choi • Republic of Food — Virginia Goh • 2019 — Wet Season — Ling — Won Best Leading Actress at the 56th Golden Horse Awards • The 9th Precinct (第九分局) — Sun Yu-shu • 2023 — The King of Musang King — Liu Mei Lian • 2025 — Havoc — Tsui's Mother • 2026 — We Are All Strangers — Bee Hwa

• Year — Title — Role — Notes — Ref. Reference • 2003 — The Last Flight of the Red Butterflies • 2005 — Heave • 2006 — Hello? • Tracks • 2007 — Ah Ma • Flat Dreams • 2009 — Tanjong rhu (The Casuarina Cove)