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Lim Kay Tong to portray Lee Kuan Yew in SG50 film

SINGAPORE — It’s official. Local veteran thespian Lim Kay Tong will be playing Singapore’s founding father and first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in the upcoming SG50 film 1965.

SINGAPORE — After an extensive two-year search for the right actor to play the nation’s founding father and first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in the upcoming SG50 film, 1965, producers of the movie have picked veteran local thespian Lim Kay Tong to fill the role. 

The film has been five years in the making, starting off as a biopic about Mr Lee, but evolving into a story about the time the nation experienced racial riots. As the film’s executive producer Daniel Yun told TODAY last month, it was about “how fragile racial harmony can be and how we can take it for granted”.

In their search for a leading actor, the producers spoke to almost 20 people, including local actor-turned-Hollywood mainstay Chin Han.

Sixty-year-old Lim, who has starred in local stage and television shows, as well as BBC productions and Hollywood films such as Shanghai Surprise, had always been tipped to be the frontrunner for the role. Rumours that Hong Kong actor Tony Leung would be cast to play Mr Lee in the movie were widely reported a few years back, but they were soon dismissed by the production company.

Mr Yun said Mr Lim was emotional after he read the script. “I think it was this emotion that made him accept this challenge of playing Lee Kuan Yew,” he added.

On the idea of filling such big shoes on the big screen, Mr Lim said he plans to treat it like every other role he has played. 

“You have to study and think about it; hopefully not to imitate, but to find some truth in him. In a sense, it’s less pressure, because it’s not a biopic about him,” he said, before adding with a smile: “(But) hypothetically, if Mr Lee calls me after watching my performance and I do hope he doesn’t call — hopefully he is not going to slam me.”

Mr Yun said Mr Lim has been preparing for the role ever since he was confirmed for it. “I am very impressed by his commitment to this role. And thankfully, we finally found the actor who is at the right age to play the man, both in his 40s and 80s,” he said.

Operating on a budget of S$2.8 million, 1965 is set to be released next year in celebration of Singapore’s 50 years of independence and is supported by the Media Development Authority and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.

The film will also feature Media­Corp artiste Joanne Peh, who will play one of the leading female roles, that of Zhou Jun, a feisty and beautiful young Chinese woman who has integrated well with her adopted country. It will be the first time Ms Peh is working on a movie with her husband, MediaCorp artiste Qi Yuwu.

Last month, Mr Qi and Malaysian actress Deanna Yusoff were revealed as the first two leads in the film, playing the roles of Cheng, a police inspector with the newly merged Malayan Police Force, and Khatijah, a single mother whose four children are her life. Rounding off the key cast of the ensemble are MediaCorp actor James Seah, Class 95FM DJ Mike Kasem and Singapore Idol 2009 winner Sezairi Sezali, who will be making his acting debut.

Mr Yun said the search for the film’s cast had been intensive. 

Director Randy Ang agreed. “Both Daniel and I were bent on inspired casting,” he said.

Mr Sezairi, for instance, “had great energy”, said Mr Ang. “(He’s) such an exuberant personality. He came in with such a bright light we were blown away.”

Mr Yun also revealed that the team had initially considered others for Mr Seah’s role, including Hong Kong actors Aarif Rahman, Edison Chen and Taiwanese actor Kai Ko. “But in the end, we wanted someone younger and someone local, and James was a great fit,” he said.

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