With three decades of experience under her belt, it is difficult to imagine that Cynthia Koh almost had a career change seven years in. “I did think of leaving and doing something else. I said, ‘Why don’t I go into tourism? Get a licence and all that… I cannot be doing the same thing over and over again. In your early 20s you just want to try new, different things.”

Thankfully, Cynthia Koh persisted and had learnt how to be a better actress along the way. “If you’re vulnerable and open, whether it’s opportunities or lessons, anything is open to you. If you’re not open to change, then things won’t open up for you and you won’t find yourself stepping out of your comfort zone to do something a bit more satisfying. A lot of times we have fear, but there’s nothing to lose. Either you fail or succeed. I think half the time, you succeed more than fail.”

Previously romantically linked to former actor Adam Chen, Cynthia Koh stated in  2016 and 2017 that she chose not to get married. When asked in 2017 whether she would want to get married eventually, her response was, “Not really. People always ask me, “Oh, why are you not married?” But I chose not to get married, ’cos if I were to [get hitched], I would likely be divorced by now (laughs). In the past, I was a very demanding person. So if I marry for the wrong reasons, it wouldn’t last.”

Cynthia Koh also credited the lack of time as an obstacle to finding love.

How did Cynthia Koh get on Greek news? A Greek follower spotted Cynthia Koh on their local news when the anchors discussed the flak that she had received for wearing this body-hugging Michael Kors dress to the Asian Academy Creative Awards red carpet in December 2021.

Detractors had already fired at Cynthia Koh with ageist remarks to which she encouraged all women to “flaunt” their bodies while they can, adding that it takes “alot of discipline and commitment” to maintain her physique. “If you can look classy, still have all the great curves. Don’t hide them. They don’t last forever. Milk it while it last !!!”

Being a public persona, it is, unfortunately, inevitable to encounter negativity and hate. Cynthia Koh shared two instances that she faced in 2022. The first was when her red Mercedes car got vandalised with “very long and deep scratches” and one of her tyres had been punctured in broad daylight.

In the other instance, a follower criticised Cynthia Koh regarding her not wanting to be recognised in public and called her a “small fly”. She shared the incident on Instagram Stories adding, “Many of you who approached me when you recognise me, know I am okay to take pictures without my make-up. I understand it’s rare that our paths cross and it makes me happy to just say a [greeting]. If you are one of those mindless netizens that like to go around and leave hurtful comments without knowing much details. Please go away, my community doesn’t need such people. We don’t go around hurting others.”

If the previous two points didn’t already allude, Cynthia Koh’s an honest person who calls things out as it is. She credits social media with providing the platform for her to be herself and hopefully inspire others.

“Social media has given me the advantage of being able to show who I really am. I think my opinions are very objective. I’m open to saying I might be wrong. I really think thoroughly about what to say and not to say, and how to say it. I think there is a responsibility on us as public figures not to blatantly stir shit. If there’s something you don’t see eye to eye with, first ask yourself why. I really analyse things, like, ‘Why do I see this differently?’ Or, ‘Why do I get upset about this? Am I too biased about a certain opinion?’ And then you realise there are two sides to the coin. Never rule out what the possibilities might be. I hope to inspire younger people to know: You can be who you are. You can set boundaries. But, don’t say things to hurt other people.”

Text: Ho Guo Xiong/Her World

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