Gurmit Ottawan Singh (born 24 March 1965;(Punjabi: ਗੁਰਮੀਤ ਓਤ੍ਤਵਨ ਸਿੰਘ; Chinese: 葛米星; pinyin: Gémǐ Xīng), better known as Gurmit Singh, is a Singaporean actor, host and comedy performer. A former artiste of MediaCorp, he is best known for his role in Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd, for which he won the Asian Television Awards prize for Best Performance by an Actor (Comedy) five times, from 1998 to 2001 and in 2003.[1] From 2004 to 2005, he won the Highly Commended prize.[2]
Life
Born to a Punjabi Indian father, Chainchal Singh and a Chinese–Japanese mother,[3] Gurmit was brought up as a Sikh, but converted to Christianity in 1985.[4] Gurmit Singh studied in Outram Secondary School during his secondary school years.
Gurmit is married to Melissa, a Cantonese Chinese. He has three children, Gabrielle (Gabbi Wenyi Ayane Virk, born 1997), Elliot (born 2000) and Mikaela (born 2013).[5] Gurmit is an alumnus of National Police Cadet Corps, Singapore[6] and held the rank of Cadet Inspector. He drives a Grigio Telesto Lamborghini Gallardo.
Career
Making his debut in the variety show Live on 5 in 1994, he then became the host and lead actor of sitcom Gurmit's World. The second season of Gurmit's World, in which Gurmit portrayed his 'relatives' in a series of skits (unlike the first season where he played a wide assortment of mostly non-recurring characters), featured the first appearance of a character named Phua Chu Kang. The Singlish-based spin-off sitcom Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd in 1997 made Gurmit a popular icon in the recent years, not only in Singapore, but also in neighbouring countries (especially culturally similar Malaysia). This factor led him to be the host of Singapore Idol. In 2003, Gurmit also won the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes at the Star Awards.[7]
In 2013, Gurmit was nominated for the Best Actor prize at the 1st Golden Wau Awards, aimed at promoting Chinese-language Malaysian films, for his role in Phua Chu Kang The Movie (2010).[8]
In October 2014, the Madame Tussauds Singapore museum unveiled a wax figure of Gurmit as Phua Chu Kang.[9]
In November 2014, Gurmit announced the end of his full-time television career at MediaCorp after exactly 20 years. Gurmit shared that he planned to spend more time with his family and would take on artiste engagements on a more selective basis.[10]
Filmography
Film
Television
Variety
| Year |
Name of Show |
Role |
Notes |
| 1994 | Live on Five | Host |
| Gurmit's World | Host and lead actor | |
| 1995 | Family Fun Show | |
| Toa Payoh Roadshow | | |
| TCS 1st Anniversary | | |
| 1996 | 'Gotcha! | Host | |
| Courtesy Show | | 1996–1997 |
| TCS 2nd Anniversary | | |
| Singapore National Day Parade | Host | 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 |
| 1997 | A National Day Special | Host | |
| Anti-Smoking Show | | |
| Terry Fox Run | | |
| A Nation Connects | | |
| Anti-Drug Show | | 1997–1999 |
| Disney Fest | | |
| 1998 | Tonight With Gurmit | Host | 1998–2000 |
| Courtesy Campaign 20th Anniversary | | |
| Asian Television Awards Show | | |
| SingTel Hello Concert | | |
| High on Life | | |
| Swing Singapore Party | | |
| President Star's Charity | | 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2006 |
| 1999 | MediaCorp All Star Charity | | |
| Millennium Swing | | |
| 2001 | 2MM | | |
| National Crime Prevention Show | | |
| 2002 | Miss Singapore/Universe 2002 | | |
| The Amazing Race 3 | Phua Chu Kang | Guest appearance |
| Health Matters | | |
| 2003 | Gurmit's Small Talk | | |
| 2004, 2006, 2009 | Singapore Idol | Host | |
| 2005 | Our Makan Places: Lost & Found | Host | 2005–present |
| A Blessed Christmas | Phua Chu Kang | |
| Sky Symphony Countdown 2006 | Host | |
| 2006 | Coffee Talk & Hawker Woks Season 3 | | Guest appearance |
| Countdown 2007 at VivoCity | Host | |
| 2007 | Countdown 2008 at VivoCity | Host | |
| 2008 | Don't Forget The Lyrics | Host | |
| Countdown 2009 at Marina Bay | Host | |
| 2009 | City New Beat 城人新杂志 | Host with Bryan Wong, Kym Ng and Adrian Pang | |
| 2014 | Our Makan Places: Lost and Found | | |
| 2016 | Don't Forget to Remember | | |
Others
| Year |
Name of Show |
Role |
| 1998 | Beauty World: The Musical | TBA |
| 2000 | My Lonely Tarts | TBA |
| 2005 | Phua Chu Kang - The Musical | Phua Chu Kang |
|
Discography
Albums
- Sing Singapore 2002 : One (We Are One) (2002) duet with Tay Ping Hui
- One Leg Kicking Original Soundtrack: 'Calling': "Into The House" (2001)
- "Moments" Gurmit's debut album (2015)
Compilations
- A Happy Journey Starts Like That! (2009)
- The PCK Sar-vivor Rap (2003)
- Love, No Boundaries: "Into the House" (2001) [album single]
References
- ↑ Fong, Kai (March 19, 2012). "I’m not the funnyman people think I am: Gurmit Singh". Yahoo. Yahoo Singapore. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
- ↑ "Winners - Asian Television Awards". Asian Television Awards. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
- ↑ Mak Mun San (5 September 2006). "The real Gurmit Singh". The Star (Malaysia).
- ↑ "A peak into Singapore's sitcom hero and Malaysia's too". Korean Press. 23 April 2010.
- ↑ "Gurmit Singh's family enjoys new member". AsiaOne. August 16, 2013. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
- ↑ "campsite of npcc alumni: Gurmit Singh". NPCC Alumni. Singapore: National Police Cadet Corps Alumni Association. 24 January 2007.
- ↑ Fong, Kai (March 19, 2012). "I’m not the funnyman people think I am: Gurmit Singh". Yahoo. Yahoo Singapore. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
- ↑ Ma, Kevin. "Golden Wau nominations favour Aniu, Chiu, Teh". Film Business Asia. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
- ↑ Singh, Bryna (26 October 2014). "Readers vote: Which Madame Tussauds Singapore wax figure looks most like the real McCoy?". Singapore Press Holdings. The Straits Times. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
- ↑ Seah, May (28 November 2014). "Gurmit quits his day job". MediaCorp. TODAY. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
External links
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| | Winners | |
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| | Winners' singles |
- "I Dream"
- "You Give Me Wings"
- "Touched by an Angel"
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| | Runners-up | |
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| | Other alumni | |
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| | Related articles | |
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Singapore