Ann Kok facts for kids

Ann Kok (born 11 January 1973) is a talented actress, singer, and businesswoman from Singapore. She is well-known for her acting roles in many TV shows.

In the 1990s, local media called her the "Third Ah Jie". This means she was one of the top three most famous actresses in Singapore's Chinese entertainment world. The other two were Zoe Tay and Fann Wong.

Her Early Life

Ann Kok is the youngest of six children in her family. She grew up with two sisters and three brothers.

Her Amazing Career

Becoming a Star

Ann Kok started her acting journey in 1993. She was a finalist in a talent show called Star Search. After the show, she got a contract to work on a Chinese TV channel, SBC 8 (now MediaCorp Channel 8).

In the 1990s, Ann played main characters in many TV series. She became very popular during this time. She was even called the "Third Ah Jie" by the media. This showed how important she was in Singapore's entertainment scene. From 1995 to 1999, Ann won the Star Awards for Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes five times in a row!

During this busy period, Ann also released three music albums. In 2000, when she was at the peak of her fame, she decided to try acting overseas.

Coming Back to Singapore

Ann's acting career overseas didn't go as planned. So, she returned to Singapore in 2003 and joined MediaWorks. Later, in 2005, she moved to MediaCorp. When she first came back, she often got smaller, supporting roles.

However, Ann made a big comeback with her role as Jiang Ruqing in the show Love Concierge. Her performance was highly praised. This role earned her a nomination for the Star Awards for Best Actress in 2006. It was her first acting nomination in 13 years!

Since then, Ann has become a highly respected actress. In 2009, she starred as Alice Zeng in Housewives' Holiday. She played a housewife who loved to show off, and audiences loved her performance. She was nominated for Best Actress again in 2010. That same year, Ann also performed live on stage in The Peranakan Ball musical.

In 2011, Ann appeared in Kampong Ties, which was filmed in Malaysia. She also acted in The Oath and Bountiful Blessings. She worked with famous actors like Christopher Lee and Jessica Hsuan.

Ann continued to win popularity awards. In 2011, she won her sixth Star Awards for Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes at the Star Awards 2013. This was her first popularity award since 1999.

In 2012, Ann made history at the Asian Television Awards (ATA). She was the first actress in Asia to get two nominations in the same category. She was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her work in Kampong Ties and Show Hand.

In March 2014, Ann left Mediacorp. She chose not to renew her contract. Her last TV series before leaving was In the Name of Love. That year, she also made her first movie appearance in The Filial Party.

After a short break, Ann returned to acting in 2015. She played Deng Xue Li in Crescendo. In 2016, she starred in a mini-series called Trapped Minds. She also performed in Mulan The Musical as Hua Mulan's elder sister. This musical was a big hit, performing 36 shows in two months!

Her Business Ventures

Ann Kok has also tried her hand at business. She teamed up with actress Jesseca Liu to open a shop called BFF Zakka. It sold bags and accessories in Joo Chiat. The shop closed in 2014.

In 2017, Ann opened a castella cake shop called Harmony Bakery in Johor Bahru. However, it closed down in 2019.

Awards and Recognitions

Ann Kok has won many awards throughout her career. She is especially known for her popularity awards.

Star Awards

Ann has won the Star Awards for Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes multiple times. This award is given to the most popular female artistes in Singapore. She won it five times in a row from 1995 to 1999! She won it again in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2021, and 2023.

In 2024, Ann Kok achieved a very special award: the Star Awards for All-Time Favourite Artiste. This award celebrates artistes who have won the Top 10 Most Popular Artistes award ten times. It shows how much her fans love and support her!