For Actress Lim Shi-An, Looking Young Is A Double-Edged Sword

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But at NUS, I was a business and art student, and so it was completely different. And now that I have some free time, I think I’m discovering it again. It’s early still, and for a long time I didn’t want to try acting because I know what the climate is like right now. It just seems super scary, and I’m still finding my footing. I’ve been working with Love Bonito for over a year as an intern. The role was to design prints on clothing. Now that I’ve graduated, they got me back on a freelance basis. A lot of people are scared of the freelance life, but then, because I’ve seen my parents work through the freelance world, I think I can kind of see how it can work out sustainably. I’ve always wanted to do a mix of things, and I don’t want anything that I’ve worked on to go to waste.



My mum has been a constant inspiration to me. Even though she’s away right now, our relationship is such that we rely on each other for very important things. She’s always a voice of reason, so that’s definitely one way that she inspires me. We are also very close. The chemistry between us is good. I know it’s not that way for a lot of people and their parents, but it’s a very natural kind of relationship that we have. I take on a lot of the values and outlook that she has towards life. My parents have given me a lot of freedom, and my friends have joked that ‘reverse psychology’ has occurred. I’m super guai (well-behaved), but maybe it’s because of my character. I’m very grateful for it, because there’s never been a time where I had felt pressure to think or act in a certain way, and that was the greatest takeaway from them giving me this freedom. It’s not like I can go out and do whatever I want, but it’s more like I know they will support me in whatever decisions I choose to make, as long as these are grounded in good things. It’s inspired me on a career level, because I’m less afraid to pursue many different things at one time, and to be a freelancer.


I take on a lot of the values and outlook that [my mum] has towards life.

Lim Shi-An


I sometimes hope that my friends’ parents can see me as an example of someone who can grow up to not be a ‘delinquent’ under the guidance of not-so-strict parents. By and large, I feel like I’m fairly conventionally well-behaved, and even though I’m choosing the freelance path, I think about it from a logical point of view. I’ve got the financial part of it laid out. All the acting roles that I have had so far are pretty standard. Because of how I look and my age, I’m always acting as a student – my characters always have some sort of conflict with their parents. I have yet to be cast as someone who is actually my age. Having a role as a working adult, and the kinds of problems that they might face, is something that I’m looking forward to venturing into.

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My age is a double-edged sword, because people are always telling me that it’s good that I’m acting much younger than I actually am, as it increases the longevity of my career. I’m glad that I’m not being cast as a 35-year-old, but on the other hand, I have to work on how I present myself sometimes, so I can be considered for older roles as well. But generally, it’s less about my age and more of how I choose to approach certain auditions. Telling people that I want to be seen as older might be a step back for myself. Generally, age hasn’t really been an issue. Since I graduated, my goal is to find what I’m passionate about and, of course, making a decent living while at it. I want to see where acting takes me, because I genuinely love it.”



Text: Chelsia Tan/HerWorld