On The Digital Cover: Introducing Lim Shi-An

Rising actress and graphic designer Lim Shi-An stars as Prestige Singapore’s July 2024 digital cover personality in vibrant pieces from Chanel’s Métiers d’art 2024 collection.

Lim Shi-An leans on a white windowpane in Mondrian Singapore Duxton’s Shophouse Suite. Dressed in a patent leather ensemble from Chanel’s Métiers d’art 2024 collection, she turns her head ever so slightly and tweaks her pose every few seconds as the camera moves around her. In under five minutes, we land the shot we’re looking for and quickly move on to the next one. The rising actress may be relatively new to the entertainment industry, but she exudes the poise and quiet confidence of a seasoned pro.

It’s in her blood, after all. Shi-An is the daughter of veteran actors Tan Kheng Hua and Lim Yu-Beng, and having grown up surrounded by their craft, catching the acting bug happened naturally and inevitably. While currently a freelance actress, she has already bagged leading roles in the local drama series Come Closer, starring alongside household names Jeanette Aw and Qi Yu Wu, and Alienated, as well as the short film Motherland. The third was selected by the New York Shorts International Film Festival and screened at FirstGlance Film Festivals in Los Angeles. She’s also just wrapped playing the lead in her first feature film, though she stays expectedly mum about the details. All in good time.

While it is not uncommon for actors to be multi-hyphenates, Shi-An’s other creative self lies in a completely different sphere: she’s also a graphic and print designer, with a clientele that includes Singaporean label Love, Bonito. To top it all off, Shi-An is a rising social media darling on Instagram and TikTok, where she shares narratives of her life beyond acting. (Her mother regularly guest stars in her video content.) “It’s been a difficult month, but a fulfilling one,” she shares. “I’m trying to find a rhythm and a balance between work and my personal life.”

She’s navigating her different selves, but one thing is certain – Lim Shi-An is writing her own story and forging her path.

Here, Prestige Singapore’s digital editor Candice Chua sits down with our July 2024 digital cover personality to chat about the magnetic call of acting, the inspiration she draws from her mother and the kind of artist she wants to be.

Let’s rewind. What was it like being raised by such accomplished actors?
My parents are wonderful. They are very free-spirited and raised me with a sort of open-mindedness. Being exposed to an artistic world from a young age shaped me and the things I like, which I am grateful for.

What was that moment when you decided that you wanted to be an actor?
My first ever role was in kindergarten when I played Pocahontas. I think the first time anyone is on stage – because everyone will be forced to be on stage at some point – you know immediately whether you like it or not. For me, the like was very, very strong. It was clear to me from that moment on; it felt natural to me. Growing up, I struggled a lot in school, but I excelled when I had to do any form of performing art. I knew, then, that it was where my heart and talent were.

Is there pressure to prove yourself?
The desire to prove myself has less to do with the fact that I come from a family of actors and more to do with the fact that I just want to succeed in this job. It mostly stems from my ambition. Acting is a career where the payoff can be slow, and the actual pay may also not be much. For it to be rewarding to me, I have to know that I’m good and I have to make sure that I continue to grow and hone my craft.

What is it about the craft that you love?
I talk about this with my actor friends a lot. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what you like about it because, for people who do, it feels like a bug that they’ve had in them forever. With graphic design, it’s art that is introverted and therapeutic. With acting, it’s a cathartic release of emotions because you use your whole body and mind to emote, and with each character that you take on, the way you need to release these emotions is different. It’s a challenge I like. It’s a very wholesome activity! [Laughs]

What sort of roles attract you?
Interestingly, I do always play characters who have some sort of moral dilemma, someone who is going through something quite complex, which I appreciate. If people think of me when they think of complex roles, that’s good. It helps grow the breadth of my abilities. I also want to delve deeper into older characters, because the complexities that come with more adult characters are different. I do want to play a villain as I’m always quite a guai (Mandarin for “well-behaved”) girl. [Laughs]

Is there a film that inspires you as an actor?
One of the first things that come to mind is Coda. (Coda is a 2021 film about a young woman who is the only hearing member of her deaf family and how she navigates her passion for music while facing the challenges of family obligations.) It’s a simple story that has a lot of heart, and it feels very real and the acting is great.

Do you like simple stories because they’re driven by characters?
Precisely. That’s a great way of putting it. Sometimes as an actor, what you look for in a movie can be different from someone else – it might be a spectacle or a riveting storyline. All I need to be drawn to a movie is how good the actors are and how much I believe and feel for them.

Let’s switch gears: you’re not just an actor. You’re also a graphic designer. Do you see yourself continuing to be both a designer and an actor in the years down the road?
I don’t think I’ll ever make a conscious decision to give it up because I do enjoy it. Design is therapeutic. When I want to shut off my brain and do work that is a little more technical and requires less of my heart, graphic design is what I turn to.

In a sense, you’ve cracked the code! You have two very different abilities that are both therapeutic, make you feel good and bring you income.
[Laughs] Yes! The only hard part is constantly making sure I’ve got a roll of projects lined up, that’s very stressful.

You’re also on social media as a content creator on TikTok and Instagram. How do you navigate social media as an actor?
It’s the thing I’ve struggled with the most. Social media has a certain negative impact that I have to consciously remind myself not to get drawn into. It’s been a learning journey of reminding myself to stay true to the kind of content I want to put out, which are narratives about my life and things that mean a lot to me. But it has been fun, and I think it has actually paid off because visibility is something that you can’t take for granted. It has helped me in terms of just having people know who I am. As an actor, that is important.

Your mum features regularly in your social media content. What inspired you to create videos together?
It started quite naturally. I proposed having her in a video with me as an idea for one of the campaigns I was working on. I realised, looking at the final video, that it probably was one of my best videos, because we have a natural chemistry, we genuinely get along and we talk to each other as you see in our videos, even when there’s nobody around. Of course, it helps that my mum has a very exuberant personality.

You both do seem almost like best friends. What are some of her words of wisdom that she’s shared with you?
The advice that I’ve taken that is pertinent to my life right now is to remember to be a good person. As simple as that sounds, it can be hard. As an actor, you tend to focus on things that can be self-serving; it’s quite a narcissistic path because usually actors are people who love the spotlight. And I love the spotlight, I love performing. I tend to be very hyper-focused on the acting so it’s good to have a bigger picture and know when to let go and when to focus on people.

Do you take lessons from your mum’s approach to acting?
So many. I am truly in suspension of disbelief when I watch her. I do not watch her work and think, “Oh, that’s Kheng Hua, my mother.” She is so committed to her characters that she can really take you out of reality and make you believe them. I feel it’s because she’s not afraid to be vulnerable. She lets her emotions run wild in the characters she plays. It’s a skill that I don’t think I am even close to. She’s also a free spirit, and that translates well on camera.

Are you a free spirit?
I don’t think so, I’m a logical person who is quite afraid to feel emotion. That’s why acting is great for me – it forces me to confront the things I’m afraid of and be vulnerable. The times I’ve seen myself on screen and I liked it, it’s because I knew in that moment that I had no inhibitions and was vulnerable.

You’re a rising actor with a growing presence on social media. Do you worry about being too public?
I think that’s the struggle with social media. Sometimes the beauty of an actor is that they are a mystery, like a blank slate, this moldable thing. Many English actors, for instance, don’t have social media and are very private. And when you see them on screen, they really pop and it makes you all the more interested in them. That’s why I stay away from content like acting challenges on TikTok. I feel that I should keep my “TikTok self” to just me, and my “acting self” is for the acting work.

What sort of artist do you aspire to be?
I want to be an artist who is ever-learning, constantly growing and has a good work ethic. These are important to me. I want to be known as a sponge who can soak up information and transform. I want people to know that when they work with me, they can trust me to be responsible and be an easy person to work with.

Can you share a little about your upcoming projects?
You know, the lifecycle of an actor is that you finish one and wait anxiously about things you’ve auditioned for. There are several things I’m awaiting, but I did just finish my first feature film. It’s unusual and a love story, and I’m the lead. Whether or not it is screened in cinemas here remains to be seen, but the hope is that it will go to events like the Singapore International Film Festival.

Art Direction: AUDREY CHAN
Videography: BELLE CHEW and HOYA
Fashion Styling: JACQUIE ANG
Hair: MICHAEL CHIEW/HAIRFORM using GOLDWELL and KMS HAIR
Make-up: WEE MING using CHANEL BEAUTY
Fashion Assistance: ISABELLA TEO
Outfits: CHANEL
Location: MONDRIAN SINGAPORE DUXTON

This interview has been edited for clarity.

The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.

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