Famous People Born In Singapore

Lawyer-turned-politician Lee Kuan Yew, also known as LKY, was the first prime minister of Singapore, from 1959 to 1990. He established the People's Action Party. He later also served as his country’s Senior Minister and Minister Mentor. He was also part of David Rockefeller's International Council and Forbes's Brain Trust.

Renowned British-American documentary filmmaker, Louis Theroux began his career as a journalist with Metro Silicon Valley, Spy magazine and TV Nation series. He gained recognition with his documentary series When Louis Met..., and Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends. The two time BAFTA Award winner has also received appreciation for his documentaries The Most Hated Family in America and My Scientology Movie.

Lee Hsien Loong is a politician who has been serving as the current prime minister of Singapore since 2004. He has also been serving as the People's Action Party's secretary-general since 2004. Lee is credited with supervising Singapore's economic recovery after the 2008 financial crisis. A former army general, Lee served in the Singapore Armed Forces from 1971 to 1984. 

Singaporean singer, songwriter, record-producer and actor JJ Lin launched his career in music with the album Music Voyager that won him Best New Artist award at the 15th Golden Melody Awards. Moving on, Lin spawned other award-winning albums like Westside and Stories Untold. Lin has his own fashion-line, SMUDGE, and has featured in commercials for brands like Beats and Sprite.    

Singaporean politician and former lawyer Halimah Yacob is the eighth and incumbent President of Singapore.  She ran for the 2017 presidential election as an independent and won an uncontested election thus becoming the first female President of Singapore. She earlier served as Member of Parliament during 2001-17 as member of People's Action Party and also as parliament Speaker during 2013-17.   

Singaporean–American actress Julia Nickson rose to prominence starring in the 1985 blockbuster-hit Sylvester Stallone film Rambo: First Blood Part II. Other notable works of Nickson includes starring in the films Ethan Mao and Half-Life; and as Princess Aouda opposite Pierce Brosnan and Eric Idle in the three-part TV-miniseries Around the World in 80 Days that garnered three Emmy nominations. 

Social media personality, Tila Tequila, first gained fame for becoming the most popular person on Myspace. Her popularity on social media platforms paved the way for a TV show appearance. She also takes up modeling assignments. She invited criticism for supporting Adolf Hitler in a TV show and for posting antisemitic comments on her Facebook page. 

Aloysius Pang was a Singaporean actor best remembered for his association with multiple Mediacorp dramas. In 2015, he was honored with the Star Award for Best Newcomer. Aloysius Pang died at the age of 28 while training as part of the Singapore Army.

Goh Chok Tong is a Singaporean former politician best known for his service as the second Prime Minister of Singapore from 28 November 1990 to 12 August 2004. An important politician, Goh also served as the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Defence, Minister for Health, and Minister for Trade and Industry of Singapore during his illustrious career.

Tharman Shanmugaratnam is a Singaporean economist and politician. He is the current Senior Minister of Singapore and the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies. He is also the current Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. An influential politician, Tharman Shanmugaratnam has also held important positions like the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Finance, and Minister for Education in Singapore.

Fann Wong is a Singaporean model, actress, and singer. She is regarded as one of MediaCorp's top actresses in Singapore's Chinese-language film and TV industry. In 1995, Fann Wong became the first actress to receive three major awards in the same Star Awards: Top 5 Most Popular Female Artiste, Best Actress, and Best Newcomer.

Tony Tan is a Singaporean politician who served as the 7th president of Singapore from 2011 to 2017. Previously, he served as the 5th deputy prime minister from 1995 till 2005. As the president, he implemented steps to promote a more active civil society. The Foreign Policy Association awarded him a medal for "outstanding leadership and service" in 2011. 

Ho Ching is a Singaporean businesswoman and the current director of Temasek Trust. She is married to Lee Hsien Loong, the Prime Minister of Singapore. In 2014, she was inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame. In 2020, Ho Ching was named in the world's most powerful women list by Forbes magazine.

K. Shanmugam is a Singaporean politician and the current Minister for Home Affairs as well as the Minister for Law. A prominent politician, Shanmugam also served as the Second Minister for Home Affairs from 1 April 2009 to 1 November 2010 and as the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 21 May 2011 to 30 September 2015.

Chee Soon Juan is a Singaporean politician and the current Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party. Notorious for his unconventional political activities, Chee has been jailed several times. Prior to his entry into politics in 1992, Chee Soon Juan was working at the National University of Singapore as a lecturer.

Jeanette Aw is a Singaporean actress, writer, filmmaker, and businesswoman. She achieved widespread fame in 2008 when she landed the leading role of Huang Juxiang in the popular drama serial The Little Nyonya. Thanks to her successful television career, Jeanette Aw is regarded as one of the most famous and high-profile celebrities in Singapore. 

Aaron Aziz is a Singaporean actor, film director, and singer. Apart from being popular in Singapore, Aziz is also famous in places like Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Brunei, and India. Aaron Aziz is a household name in Malaysia, thanks to his appearances in popular TV shows like Fear Factor Malaysia.  

Rebecca Lim is a Singaporean actress and model. Apart from being a popular actress, Rebecca has also posed for many fashion magazines. Over the course of her career, Rebecca Lim has won several prestigious awards such as Asian Television Awards, ELLE Singapore Awards, and Star Awards.

James Le Mesurier was an English Army officer who was stationed in Yugoslavia where he was a member of the UN peacekeeping force. He is best remembered as the British co-founder of a volunteer civil defence organization called White Helmets, which was formed during the Syrian Civil War in southern Turkey in 2014.

Ong Teng Cheong was a Singaporean architect and politician. He is known for his service as the fifth President of Singapore from 1 September 1993 to 31 August 1999. Ong Teng Cheong also held important ministerial positions; he served as the Minister for Labour from 1981 to 1983 and then as Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore from 1985 to 1993.

Fiona Xie is a Singaporean variety show host and actress. From 2001 to 2009, she was a full-time Mediacorp artiste; in 2006, she was named among the Seven Princesses of Mediacorp. In 2018, Fiona Xie landed a role in the American romantic comedy-drama film Crazy Rich Asians, becoming one of the first actresses from Singapore to break into Hollywood.

Rui En is a Singaporean actress who achieved popularity in 2006 when she was named among the Seven Princesses of Mediacorp. The recipient of several Star Awards, Rui En was also honored by the Nanyang Technological University with the prestigious Nanyang Outstanding Young People Award in 2007 for her achievements in the entertainment industry.

Stephanie Sun is a Singaporean singer-songwriter who has achieved immense popularity in the Chinese-speaking world. Over the course of her career, Sun has sold over 30 million records. Stephanie Sun is best known for her debut album Yan Zi and her eighth album Stefanie; both the albums earned her a Golden Melody Award. 

Josephine Teo is a Singaporean politician and the current Minister for Communications and Information. She is also the current Second Minister for Home Affairs. An influential politician, Josephine Teo has also served as the Minister for Manpower, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Minister of State for Finance, and Minister of State for Transport.

Ng Eng Hen is a Singaporean politician and the current Minister for Defence. He has also held several other ministerial positions, including the Minister for Manpower from 12 August 2004 to 31 March 2008 and the Minister for Education from 1 April 2008 to 20 May 2011. Prior to his entry into politics, Ng worked at the Singapore General Hospital.

Tan Cheng Bock is a Singaporean medical practitioner and politician. He is the current Chairman of the Progress Singapore Party, which he founded with 11 other members in 2019. From 28 March 2019 to 31 March 2021, he served as the party's first Secretary-General. Also known for his philanthropic activities, Tan has been involved with organizations like Disabled People's Association.   

Singaporean actress Carrie Wong was discovered through the Singaporean talent-scouting competition Hey Gorgeous where she finished as a runner up in 2013. She has starred in several television dramas, most notably in The Journey: Tumultuous Times, My Friends From Afar, and A Quest to Heal. Wong has so far won seven Top 10 Most Popular Artistes Awards on Star Awards.

Born Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin, to a Chinese father and an English mother in Singapore, Leslie Charteris later changed his name and ventured into writing. He is best remembered for his iconic character Simon Templar from the Saint series that was later adapted for both the big and the small screens.

A self-made business tycoon, Singaporean entrepreneur Adam Khoo had become a millionaire at 26. The founder of one of Asia’s biggest education and training groups, he also owns an online trading school. He has penned countless bestselling books, has held seminars worldwide, and is the most-watched YouTube trading mentor.

Tan See Leng is a Singaporean politician best known for his service as a Minister in the Prime Minister's Office from 27 July 2020 to 14 May 2021. He is the current Minister for Manpower as well as the Second Minister for Trade and Industry. Tan See Leng also served as the Second Minister for Manpower from 2020 to 2021.