In 2001, Eelyn Kok participated in the SPH MediaWorks talent show Route to Glamour. While she didn’t win the top prize (it went to Jeanette Aw), the competition eventually kicked started her acting career. She later moved to Mediacorp in 2005 after the two companies merged.

While Eelyn Kok was working full-time with Mediacorp from 2001 to 2013, her acting chops were recognised several times. She was nominated for several Best Supporting Actress nods for her role in Kinship (2007) and The Little Nyonya (2008) and Best Actress for Together (2009).

Speaking of The Little Nyonya, most of us would remember her as the antagonist Huang Zhenzhu who would flash her gigantic eyes in disdain due to her streaks of jealousy against Huang Juxiang (Jeanette Aw) as she fought for the affection of Chen Xi (Qi Yuwu).

In an archived celebrity bio on the now-defunct XinMSN, Eelyn Kok was a part-time model during her schooling days, likely when she was majoring in Economics and Japanese Studies at the National University of Singapore. Moreover, she is said to be “blessed with beautiful vocals” and has hosted variety shows such as City Slickers, Ready Steady Go and Mission Possible.

Fresh out of university and finally earning her own keep from a burgeoning showbiz career, Eelyn Kok revealed that it actually made her a “wild spender” where she “spent on everything, from cosmetics to bags to shoes”. She added that she had “spent so much that in 2003, I maxed out two credit cards and was deeply in debt.” With the help of her financial planner uncle, she eventually managed to navigate her way out of debt and has become more fiscally prudent.

Eelyn Kok has a happy demeanour now. But back when she was 23, she struggled with depression. “I felt lethargic. I would wake up in the morning, lie there and just stare at the ceiling. Sometimes, I would sleep the day away. Sometimes, I couldn’t sleep at night. I didn’t feel like going out. I rejected my friends’ invitations.”

The trigger for her depression was the close timing between her failed relationship with her first love and her mother’s fight against cervical cancer. “It was a downward spiral for me. I found wallowing in self-pity was very addictive.”

With the help of a combination of religion, regular exercise, inspirational books and Destiny’s Child Survivor, Eelyn Kok later pulled herself out of the dark cloud.

ICYDK, Eelyn Kok is happily married with a son named Zane. In 2012, she divulged that the pregnancy was in fact, unplanned. It happened as a result of a holiday she had with her IT professional husband to Korea. She gave birth to Zane on April 1, 2013.

Add Eelyn Kok’s name to a list of Singaporean celebrities who have started their own companies. According to her LinkedIn, she co-founded the brand Cocomo Pte Ltd between 2015 and 2016. Here’s how she described the stint on the networking platform.

“Awarded with SiTF funding to embark on an innovative, beauty and wellness tech startup similar to Vaniday from Rocket Internet. Drove community development and onboarding of service partners; incrementally transforming feedbacks from service partners to UI/UX and MVP features.”

Eelyn Kok has thrown her weight behind many social causes. The first of them is for mental health, which Eelyn Kok struggled with prior. She was involved as the ambassador for the 2016 Make A Difference Race that sought to raise awareness for mental illnesses and combat stigma. The event was created by Touch Community Services.

In the same year, Eelyn Kok also supported the Purple Parade initiative. The movement aims to “promote awareness and celebrate abilities of people with special needs”.

In a 2019 interview about her 2019 involvement in the drama Beijing to Moscow that was filmed across three countries, Eelyn Kok talked about a déjà vu moment she had with Felicia Chin.

“Even before I got the call for Beijing to Moscow, I had a dream of me shooting in Europe with Felicia. In the dream, we were in a church with murals. And it came true. On the first day of shooting, I was with Felicia in this old synagogue. Then it suddenly dawned on me, it’s déjà vu!”

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Text: HO GUO XIONG / Her World