For those who’ve seen Tiktok clips of Chiou Huey boldly serenading mega popstar Jackson Wang in entrance of a crowd, or photographs of her wanting glammed up at crimson carpet occasions, you might be shocked to be taught that the Singapore comic as soon as thought she was too ugly to turn into a performer.
“I used to look down on the ground on a regular basis after I was in major faculty, as a result of I used to be so ashamed of how I regarded,” says Chiou Huey. “Once I was in secondary faculty, I prayed to God, saying, ‘Are you able to make me humorous in order that I’ll have associates?’”
One nickname nonetheless lingers in her reminiscence: Beethoven. Seeing the baffled look on my face, she explains: “Beethoven in Chinese language is bei duo fen (again extra factors). It means you get extra factors when individuals see you from the again.”
Chiou Huey grew to get pleasure from lighting up a room along with her humour and dreamt of changing into an actor, however the years of relentless assault on her vanity held her again (“I simply felt I wasn’t skinny or fairly sufficient”).
It was solely at age 25, when her mom handed away from sickness, that Chiou Huey realised life was too brief to not give her goals a go. She sprang into motion, taking over a two-month performing course on the Singapore Media Academy, and freelancing as an actor with Mediacorp for a couple of yr, earlier than she realised that social media was the way in which to go if she wished to make her mark on the leisure world. She created a Youtube channel, Chiou Simi (which has since been changed by her present channel, @ChiouhueyEe), and commenced creating and sharing her personal comedy content material.
“The standard media trade was like a hierarchy… I felt individuals won’t wish to give me possibilities [because I wasn’t a certain type],” says Chiou Huey. “However due to social media, I used to be in a position to showcase my talents and my abilities… [I thought] if individuals may see that about me, [they might think], ‘Okay, we may give her an opportunity’.”
A viral breakthrough
Crushed velvet mini costume, Cos
In 2017, that likelihood arrived. A video she created did properly sufficient to be a magnet for comedy platform SGAG, identified for its viral memes. She was provided a job to create content material for them, and for 3 years, she not solely starred in SGAG movies, but additionally learnt to put on a number of hats by scripting, directing and enhancing movies.
Comedy went from being Chiou Huey’s armour towards bullies to her calling card for larger issues: In 2020, she determined to take a break and left SGAG, however inside a yr, she was signed as an artiste with King Kong Media Manufacturing, the leisure firm began by comic Mark Lee, identified for his roles in hit Chinese language-language movies resembling Cash No Sufficient and I Not Silly.
Since then, Chiou Huey has appeared in Mediacorp drama Soul Physician (2022), and co-hosted The Free Cash Present (2023) with fellow actor-comedian Das DD. Her social media platforms have additionally continued to flourish: Her followers on Instagram (114,000) and Tiktok (97,800) commonly get pleasure from sketches of Chiou Huey portraying a number of personas with comedic ease, resembling a Starbucks barista mispronouncing names, or a flock of annoying passengers giving a flight attendant a tough time.
Now 34, her hard-won path from comic to multi-hyphenate displays her “take cost” character, and she or he credit her father for her penchant for “not ready round for issues to occur”. “He’s very conventional and really Asian, so he doesn’t categorical what he needs or doesn’t categorical himself very properly, however he’s an ‘actions over phrases’ form of individual. And that’s additionally my love language.”
Neither does she accept being pigeon- holed into anybody class. “I wish to attempt various things, and that’s how you retain the creativity going, by venturing out,” she says. “I create various kinds of content material that present individuals what I’m able to, whether or not it’s satire, comedy, or brief movies, like heart- warming stuff.”
Sometime, she provides, she want to direct movies or a sequence, citing as inspiration American social media character Jimmy Darts, who grew to become a star by finishing up random acts of kindness and capturing individuals’s reactions. “I’ve an curiosity in how people behave, and it’s very fascinating to me. So I’d wish to make a sequence on [this topic],” says Chiou Huey.
Calling the pictures
Her rise to fame has not been with out its darkish facet; she nonetheless attracts occasional damaging feedback about her look, however Chiou Huey says she’s going to by no means apologise for her appears once more, as she as soon as did.
Taking part in “unglam” characters helped her realise it “wasn’t so unhealthy” to look “ugly” in movies, and her followers have additionally stood up for her when individuals made unkind feedback about her appears. Nevertheless it was remedy that marked a turning level, by serving to her unlock her potential to like and settle for herself.
“I’ve realised that different individuals can solely love you as a lot as you’re keen on your self,” says Chiou Huey, who turned to remedy to assist her course of the grief and unresolved emotions from shedding her mom. “One thing I learnt in remedy was to by no means say unhealthy issues about your self [when you look into the mirror], as a result of your mind registers that… your mind turns into conditioned to assume that’s the reality. And that’s how I finished saying damaging issues about myself.”
Prior to now, she would “self-sabotage”. “I might get very harassed and really nervous every time my movies went viral. I used to be afraid of the backlash and I might conceal,” reveals Chiou Huey. “My husband would inform me my content material had gone viral and I ought to do extra, [make use of ] the algorithm, get extra eyeballs… however I didn’t wish to.” However over time, as she labored on herself, she grew to become extra comfy with creating content material with out worrying about the way it was obtained. “If persons are sick of my content material, they’ll drop off,” says Chiou Huey. “After I modified my mindset, I began to develop in numbers on my Instagram.”
ON FARAH: Gabardine cotton- lined blazer, Longchamp. Huge-legged trousers, Cos ON CHIOU HUEY: Cotton cropped hoodie sweatshirt and high-waisted denim denims, Longchamp ON NICOLE: Cropped jacket, Longchamp. Recycled nylon wide-legged pants, PH5 at SocietyA
The journey, she stresses, isn’t a linear one, and she or he has her ups and downs, however she feels she is heading in the right direction. “This yr I’m persevering with to work on loving myself, engaged on my self value and self doubt… I do know that that is how I can manifest extra issues for myself. With self-confidence, I can work and hustle, put within the hours, and something is feasible for me.”
Sometime, she want to run her personal enterprise, citing her boss Mark Lee and actor-comedian-businesswoman Irene Ang as inspiration. “I love people who find themselves forward- considering, individuals who get there earlier than the gang… they see the potential in issues even earlier than individuals realise it’s one thing they want. And so they’re like, ‘If I wish to do it, I’ll do it, I’ll pull the traders in, I’ll get the precise workforce.’ They’re assured risk-takers.”
She has little doubt that naysayers will stay half and parcel of being a public persona, which is why she believes within the significance of surrounding herself with the precise individuals whom she will be able to belief, resembling her husband and associates. And naturally, she will be able to depend on her hard-won self-confidence to floor her convictions.
“Don’t apologise for taking over area on this world, and don’t apologise for being your self,” she declares. “Search love from your self first, then you may love others, and settle for different individuals’s love for you too.”
PHOTOGRAPHY JOEL LOW
CREATIVE DIRECTION & STYLING LENA KAMARUDIN
ART DIRECTION RAY TICSAY
STYLING ASSISTANTS JEON JAE WON & SAW YONE YONE
COORDINATION CHERYL LAI-LIM
HAIR GREGO, USING KEUNE HAIR COSMETICS
MAKEUP LASALLE LEE & RINA SIM, USING DIOR BEAUTY
COVER OUTFITS LONGCHAMP
Her World’s March 2024 cowl options three new-gen comedians making Singapore snort: Farah Lola, Nicole Liel, and Chiou Huey.
Supply: Her World
