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.

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

Variety shows

Awards and nominations