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Bai Yan (actor)

In this Chinese name, the family name is Bai.
Bai Yan
Born
Yan Boyuan

(1920-05-05)5 May 1920
Wuhan, Hubei, Republic of China
Died19 August 2019(2019-08-19) (aged 99)[1]
Singapore
Occupations
  • Actor
  • host
Spouse
Ye Qing
​
​
(m. 1944; died 2016)​
[2][3]
Children3
Stage name
Chinese白言
Hanyu PinyinBái Yán
Birth name
Traditional Chinese閻伯元
Simplified Chinese阎伯元
Hanyu PinyinYán Bóyuán

Bai Yan (born Yan Boyuan; 5 May 1920 – 19 August 2019)[4][5] was a Singaporean actor. He was a multi-disciplined performer, ranging from theatre to dance and a magician. Affectionately known as "Uncle Bai Yan", he is a household name in the Singapore television dramas scene.[6][7]

Career

[edit]

Bai started his acting career in the 1930s when he joined the Yin Yue Music And Dance Troupe. In the 1940s before World War II, he came to Singapore with the troupe.[8]

In 1985, Singapore Broadcasting Corporation invited Bai to join the company and he acted in his first television serial Blossoms In The Sun.[8]

In 1996, Bai was awarded the Special Achievement Award at the 3rd Star Awards Ceremony and then retired from acting.[8]

After retirement, Bai was still active in performance at old folk's homes with magic, songs and dance.[5]

Personal life and death

[edit]

Bai met his wife Ye Qing in a song and dance troupe in Singapore where they perform together.[9] During World War II, Bai fled Singapore to Penang, Malaysia with the troupe and was engaged with Ye while in Penang.[9]

They married in 1944 and had three children.[9] Ye died in 2016 at the age of 94.

His love story with Ye was featured in a 2018 Channel NewsAsia documentary, Love in A Time of Change: Love Is A Stage: Bai Yan & Ye Qing.[2]

In August 2019, Bai was hospitalised for pneumonia and died 10 days later on 19 August, aged 99. He celebrated his 100th lunar birthday 3 months prior to this.[8]

Awards

[edit]
Year Ceremony Award Nominated work Result
1996 3rd Star Awards Ceremony Special Achievement Award — Honoured

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "More than 100 artists turn up to celebrate retired actor Bai Yan's 100th birthday". 5 May 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Love in A Time of Change: Ep 2: Love Is A Stage: Bai Yan & Ye Qing". Channel NewsAsia. 11 April 2018. Archived from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  3. ^ "白言生前买好灵位选遗照 与亡妻摆一起 | 早报".
  4. ^ Lim, Ruey Yan (19 August 2019). "Veteran local actor Bai Yan dies, months after celebrating 100th birthday". The Straits Times.
  5. ^ a b Auto, Hermes (20 August 2019). "Former 1980s actresses Chen Bifeng, Ye Sumei pay last respects to late veteran actor Bai Yan | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  6. ^ "Portrait of Mr. Bai Yan, 1930s". National Library, Singapore. Archived from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  7. ^ Lim, Karen (30 July 2010). "We've lots of catching up to do". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 29 October 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d Auto, Hermes (19 August 2019). "Veteran local actor Bai Yan dies, months after celebrating 100th birthday | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  9. ^ a b c "Bai Yan: His Life In Pictures". 8 Days. Retrieved 8 April 2022.


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