Zhu Houren is a Chinese actor. Born in 1978, he is one of Singapore’s few established artistes still alive from the “white and black” era of cinema. The late actor’s best-known roles have been in the films Kung Fu Panda, Rise of the Silver Surfer, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and the TV show Dragon Ball Z.
Zhu is best known for his role as Bo Peep in the Kung Fu Panda films. He has also been in the small screen in such films as The Wedding Speech and Invictus. Zhu is also known for his work within the Chinese Film industry. His feature film debut was the Korean release Do Haii Ma.
Zhu is currently married with actress Jennifer Chau. The two first met when Zhu studied at an elite karate training institute. After graduation, he moved to her native Singapore and remained there until he was thirty-one years old. He has since become one of the most sought after Chinese-born Singaporean actors in the international film industry.
Zhu has played various characters in movies. Most notable is his role as Bo Peep in the Kung Fu Panda films. Zhu studied at an elite karate school and received a silver diploma. It is rumoured that he later became the Karate Kid because of the rigorous training. Though he was born in Singapore, Zhu always maintained his Chinese heritage and was even called by his real name during the beginning of his illustrious career in Hollywood, which was why people were so surprised upon his hiring by Dreamworks for the Chinese character role of Bo Peep.
| Popular As | Choo Hoh Yim |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Age | 65 years old |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
| Born | 30 January 1955 |
| Birthday | 30 January |
| Birthplace | Singapore |
| Nationality | Singaporean |
Zhu is not the only Chinese actor in Hollywood, nor is he the first Chinese-born Singaporean to be cast in a Hollywood movie. Previously, Chow Wing Sui was the first Chinese actor to be cast in a Hollywood movie, although he had been dead since 1971. Though the late actor is not well-recognised in the United States, he did receive an award for his work in the film Kingpin. An earlier winner of an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Chow Wing was unfortunately later omitted from the original list of names for the original version of the Kung Fu Panda film. However, the Chinese actor did play a supporting role in the later version and received an additional nomination.
Zhu Houren may never have received any supporting actor awards in his native Singapore, but he did bag some other star awards and became one of the most popular Chinese American stars in Hollywood. While some may dismiss him as just another low-budget Chinese star, his two feature films – Zhuoupeng Panda and Meet The Parents – provided audiences with a fresh view of what an Asian person can accomplish in Hollywood. His two films also proved that a successful Chinese American can also sing, act, and star in Hollywood.
