Zhu Xiufeng


Zhu Xiufeng is a Singaporean actress whose acting career spans more than six decades. She has performed on stage, in films and television. She has also worked as a screenwriter, a film company publicity manager, TV and radio play writer and a stage play reviewer.

Career

Known for portraying creepy elderly women in supernatural shows and for her multiple antagonistic roles on television, Zhu began her career in theatre at the age of 14 when she was in Secondary One and joined the drama group Yingxin Alumni Association in 1959. In the early days of her career, Zhu was a part-time actress at Radio Television Singapore and later Singapore Broadcasting Corporation where she has also written scripts for at least four productions for children at the station. She also lent her voice to radio plays on SBC and Rediffusion, and started out in the latter's Mandarin radio plays in 1959. In 1975, she became a full-time actress for Chong Gay Theatres, a local film distributor and cinema company, and worked in three films before the company closed its studios. Following which, she switched to become a publicity manager for the distributor in 1981. She joined the Singapore Amateur Players, one of the oldest local Chinese drama groups, in 1968, and became the first batch of professional actors to be signed to local leading theatre group Practice Theatre Ensemble when she was in her forties in 1986. In 1992, she left Practice Theatre Ensemble as their resident actress. In February 1990, she became a full-time actress at Singapore Broadcasting Corporation.
In 1995, Zhu won the inaugural Best Supporting Actress award at the 2nd Star Awards for her role as a demanding entrepreneur in Chronicle of Life.

Personal life

Zhu has five other siblings and her parents are from Pontian District, Johor, Malaysia. Zhu grew up with her adoptive mother and only came to know her parentage in her twenties.
Zhu had a marriage which ended in 1975. She has a son and a daughter from the marriage.
Zhu currently lives by herself and has been practicing the Chinese martial arts Mulan Quan, Qigong and Tai chi as a hobby for more than 20 years.

Selected filmography

Zhu has appeared in numerous television series and films.

Television series

Film

Children programme scriptwriting

  • Coffee Boy
  • Good Friends
  • ''Little Hearts''

Selected theatrical works