| Birth name | Jonathan Lee Nam Heng |
|---|---|
| Birth date | 7 November 1964 (age 61) |
| Birth place | Singapore |
| Occupation | Actor · businessman · host · filmmaker |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Spouse | Yang Libing (m. 1994; div. 2004) |
| Awards | Full list |
| Website | linanxing.com |
| Hide | no |
|---|---|
| Headercolor | lightblue |
| P | Lǐ Nánxīng |
| S | 李南星 |
| T | 李南星 |
| W | Li2 Nan2 Hsing1 |
| J | Lei5 Naam4 Sing1 |
| Poj | Lí Lâm-seng |
| Tl | Lí Lâm-sing |
Li Nanxing (born Jonathan Lee Nam Heng on 7 November 1964) is a Singaporean actor who has been referred to as "Ah-Ge" (阿哥, "big brother") of Caldecott Hill. He is also a businessman and filmmaker.
Li has acted in many Chinese-language television dramas produced by MediaCorp Channel 8. He has won the Best Actor awards three times in the Star Awards, an annual acting awards in Singapore.
Career
After Li served his NS, he attended Singapore Broadcasting Corporation's drama training course before debuting in 1986 with Crossroads ().[1] Li gradually rose to stardom in the 1990s. In 1993, he rose to prominence when starring in The Unbeatables I, the first ever gambling drama series produced in Singapore, alongside Zoe Tay. For most of the 1990s, he, Tay and Chew Chor Meng were MediaCorp's three most popular actors and he was voted the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes ten years in a row and also won several Malaysia and Taiwan popularity polls at the Star Awards. In 2004 he was awarded the All-Time Favourite Artiste award.[2]
During the late 2000s, his career hit a rocky phase due to personal issues.[3] After a two-year hiatus, Li made his comeback in On the Fringe 2011 and also directed his first film, The Ultimate Winner.[4] He also produced the film, Imperfect, which he co-starred with Ian Fang and Kimberly Chia.[5]
Some of his more famous shows include The Unbeatables trilogy and The Magnate; Li has also acted in 6 telemovies to date, and even sang the theme song of several of his shows. He mostly played in anti-hero roles such in The Vagrant, for which he won the Best Actor award at the Star Awards 2002 and On the Fringe 2011. In September 2012 it was announced that he will be cast in C.L.I.F. II as a police officer, which will be one of the few times he plays a protagonist.[6]
In 2019, Li signed to Zhao Wei's management agency to manage his presence in China.[7] He was then cast in Zhao's web drama series, Everyone Wants To Meet You (), which was filmed in China, in the same year.[8] The series was released in February 2020 on IQIYI.[9]
Business and ventures
In the 2000s, Li bought a fish farm and managed it with his uncle.[10]
In 2004, Li founded his own talent management agency, LNX Global, named after his initials.[11] Constance Song was LNX's first artiste to be managed by LNX in 2015.[11][12]
Li also co-owns the Chinese dessert shop Tian Wang Desserts at Jalan Besar, which opened in March 2021.[13] In addition, he has collaborated with other brands to sell his Curry Chicken and Dried Scallop Hae Bee Hiam Croissant at Bakers & Co in Holland Village, as well as launching his Dried Scallop Hae Bee Hiam Ramen with Japanese ramen chain Ippudo.[14]
Personal life
Li married actress Yang Libing in 1994 after co-starring together in several drama series. They divorced in 2004 citing irreconcilable personality differences. They have no children from the marriage.[15]
Li battled with gambling addiction and had to work as a Hollywood ‘calefare’ to pay off his debts in the 1990s.[16] During this period, he became a Christian, having credited a "miraculous" experience he had while on a karaoke trip with a friend in Thailand.[17]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Wounded Tracks (伤城记) | Xu Le | Telemovie |
| 1995 | Thorny Love (浪子的童话) | Hao | Telemovie |
| Somewhere In Time (再世情缘) | Li Xiong | Telemovie | |
| What A Wonderful World (奇异旅程之真心爱生命) | |||
| 1996 | Life On the Line (魂断四面佛) | Gu Yuming | Telemovie |
| 1997 | Courage Of Fire (炽火豪情) | Peng Jianxing | Telemovie |
| The Test Of Time (三年零八个月) | Luo Wenfeng | Telemovie | |
| 2011 | The Ultimate Winner | Shi Tiancai | Directorial debut[4][18] |
| 2012 | Imperfect (我们都不完美) | Zhihua | Also as producer[5] |
| 2017 | The Fortune Handbook | Ren Haoxing |
Television series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Neighbours (芝麻绿豆) | |||
| Under One Roof (家和万事兴) | Lixin | |||
| Crossroads (红绿灯 之 红灯) | Lu Rihua | |||
| 1987 | Sunshine After Rain (雨过天晴) | Wu Jingtang | ||
| Paint a Rainbow (调色板) | Wu Qifan | [19] | ||
| Moving On (变迁) | Gao Xiaosheng | |||
| 1988 | Airforce | Li Zhengting | [20] | |
| On the Fringe | Chen Yong | [19] | ||
| Teahouse in Chinatown (牛车水人家) | Chen Dejian | |||
| My Fair Ladies (窈窕淑女) | Ding Lei | |||
| Song Of Youth (生活歌手) | Wei Jiahao | |||
| 1989 | Good Morning, Sir! | Zhou Wenjie | ||
| Splash to Victory | Li Jiajun | |||
| A Mother's Love (亲心唤我心) | Ye Jianhui | [19] | ||
| 1990 | Finishing Line | Xia Dejian | ||
| Happy Family (开心家族) | Situ Zhengting | |||
| Happy World (多多富贵多多情) | Wang Baiwan | |||
| 1991 | Private Eyes (妙探智多星) | Chen Ya Jin | ||
| Black Phoenix (黑凤凰) | Wu Yunkai | |||
| 1992 | Modern Romance (男欢女爱) | Li Junhao | [21] | |
| My Buddies (浪漫战场) | ||||
| Mystery II (迷离夜II) | Yang Tianwei / Wen Yufei | |||
| Breaking Point (暴风边缘) | Bai Yufeng | |||
| 1993 | Smouldering Heat (赤道谜情) | Lu Haojie | ||
| Angel of Vengeance (暴雨狂花) | Qiao Kang | |||
| The Great Conspiracy (莲花争霸) | Shen Cong | [19] | ||
| The Unbeatables I | Li Jianfei / Yan Fei | [19] | ||
| 1994 | Dreams Come True (美梦成真) | Lu Wenyang | ||
| Twin Bliss (龙凤呈祥) | You Long | |||
| The Magnate (叱咤风云) | Song Zhigao | |||
| 1995 | The Shadow Mission (地下猎人) | Chen Zhixin | ||
| 1996 | The Unbeatables II | Yan Fei | [19] | |
| Diary of a Teacher (老师日记) | Yu Mingxing | |||
| 1997 | Rising Expectations (长河) | Shi Guoying / Stone | ||
| Crime and Tribulations (狮城奇案录) | Chen Zhenwen | |||
| My Wife, Your Wife, Their Wives (101老婆) | Jian Qiang | |||
| 1998 | The New Adventures of Wisely | Guo Zeqing | [5] | |
| The Return of the Condor Heroes | Lu Liding | |||
| 1999 | Coup de Scorpion (天蝎行动) | Zheng Nanshun | ||
| Bright Future (同一片蓝天) | Haisheng | |||
| 2000 | Dare to Strike (扫冰者) | Wang Shen | ||
| 2001 | The Hotel | Cloudy | ||
| Heroes in Black | Song Dou / Wolaiye | |||
| In Pursuit of Peace | Sakagami Ichiro | |||
| 2002 | The Unbeatables III | Yan Fei | ||
| The Vagrant | Ah Bao / Liu Xiaoming | [5] | ||
| 2003 | Home in Toa Payoh | Li Baomei | ||
| Baby Boom | Tim | |||
| Romance De Amour | Huang Weide | |||
| 2004 | A Child's Hope II | Hu Yiming | ||
| 2006 | A Million Treasures | Ma Da | [22] | |
| Through It All | Guo Xianghai | |||
| The Undisclosed | Chen Musheng | |||
| 2007 | The Homecoming | Dong Weihong | ||
| The Golden Path | Ah Jin / Jin Long | [23] | ||
| 2009 | Daddy at Home | Liu Bang | ||
| The Ultimatum | Zhang Feng / Zhou Zhida | |||
| 2011 | On The Fringe 2011 | Tian Yibang | ||
| 2012 | Beyond | Jiang Wei | ||
| 2013 | C.L.I.F. 2 | Wei Lantian | [24] | |
| The Journey: A Voyage | Zhang Tianpeng | [19] | ||
| 2014 | The Journey: Tumultuous Times | Cameo | ||
| C.L.I.F. 3 | Wei Lantian | [24] | ||
| Justice Heroes (廉政英雄) | Xia Junhong / Chen Xueliang | 14 episodes | ||
| 2015 | Dowry (嫁妝) | Sun Wenhua | ||
| The Dream Makers II | Lin Tao | [10] | ||
| A Blessed Life | Ye Daji | |||
| 2016 | C.L.I.F. 4 | Wei Lantian | [10] | |
| 2017 | My Teacher Is a Thug | Jia Tianxiong | [22] | |
| 2018 | Everyone Wants To Meet You (谁都渴望遇见你) | Zhang Jingzhong | [25] | |
| 2021 | The Peculiar Pawnbroker (人心鉴定师) | Cheng Huochang | ||
| 2022 | I Want to be a Towkay (亲家冤家做头家) | Hou Xili |
Variety show hosting
| Year | Title | Network | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | LNX x Hawkers (星•料理) | Mediacorp Channel 8 |
Awards and nominations
References
- ^ "Li Nanxing Needed Richard Low To Give Him 'Tuition' When He Was A Struggling Student In Acting Class". TODAYonline. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
- ^ Lee, Jan (2023-04-08). "The Life List: Five Star Awards fun facts". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
- ^ "Li Nanxing once racked up S$2m in debt, thought of suicide". Channel News Asia. 8 March 2010.
- ^ "Li Nanxing's directorial debut may also be the last film he directs". Channel NewsAsia. 20 April 2011.
- ^ "Li Nanxing never stops learning | News & Features | Cinema Online". www.cinema.com.my. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
- ^ "Actors disappear as police drama CLIF returns". Channel NewsAsia. 28 September 2012. Archived from the original on 20 June 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
- ^ "Vicki Zhao smitten by local 'Ah Ge' Li Nanxing as a young girl". AsiaOne. 2019-09-25. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
- ^ celebasia (2019-05-04). "Li Nanxing Signs With Vicki Zhao's Management Agency". CELEB ASIA MAGAZINE. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
- ^ 陈韵红, 文 / (2020-02-18). "监制偶像剧《谁都渴望遇见你》 赵薇赞李南星：有霸气魅力！" (in Simplified Chinese). 早报. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
- ^ "Li Nanxing Once Worked As A Hollywood Calefare To Clear His $2 Million Debt". 8 Days. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
- ^ hermes (2015-08-05). "Local actor Li Nanxing makes Taiwan debut". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
- ^ "Li Nanxing: If you want to be a good actor, try acting in Taiwan first". 8 Days. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
- ^ "Li Nanxing Has Been Quietly Helping Out At His Bro's Jln Besar Dessert Shop For 2 Years". 8days. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
- ^ "You Can Soon Buy Li Nanxing's Dried Scallop Hae Bee Hiam At Cheers And FairPrice Xpress Outlets". 8days. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
- ^ "Top Celeb Divorces: Hollywood vs Local". xin.msn.com. 22 October 2010. Archived from the original on 15 November 2010. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
- ^ "Li Nanxing worked as a Hollywood 'calefare' in the 90s to pay off his gambling debts". mothership.sg. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
- ^ "Celebration of Hope - Li Nanxing Testimony (English)". YouTube. 11 May 2019.
- ^ Tan, Raymond. "Review: The Ultimate Winner". Retrieved 2022-04-08.
- ^ "Local actor Li Nanxing signs with Chinese actress Vicki Zhao's management agency"
- ^ "每集长75分钟 《空军》六片集 是六部迷你电影" (in zh-sg). Lianhe Wanbao. 25 February 1988. p. 13. Retrieved 8 November 2023. – via NewspaperSG
- ^ Tam, Norman (14 February 1992). "Strong women weak men". The Straits Times. p. 9. Retrieved 17 February 2025. – via NewspaperSG
- ^ Sng, Suzanne (2021-02-18). "Actress Pan Lingling confesses she wanted to kiss Li Nanxing in their first drama | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
- ^ "Lighter roles for Li Nanxing". TODAY. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
- ^ "Former ice queen feels happier now". AsiaOne. 2014-04-03. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
- ^ "Madeline Chu, Sean Say, John Hung: 1991 ad of top 20 popular artistes stirs nostalgia". AsiaOne. 2023-04-06. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
- ^ "红星大奖成绩". Lianhe Wanbao. 27 February 1994. p. 10. Retrieved 16 July 2023. – via NewspaperSG
- ^ 钟, 雁龄 (6 March 2014). "《红星》「区域最受欢迎艺人」 范文芳 刘子绚 没合约 出局！". Shin Min Daily News. pp. 10/11.
External links
- Official website
- Profile on xin.msn.com
- Li Nanxing at IMDb