Jaspers Lai
Jaspers Lai | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 March 1987 |
| Education | Nanyang Junior College |
| Alma mater | National University of Singapore |
| Occupations |
|
| Stage name | |
| Traditional Chinese | 賴宇涵 |
| Simplified Chinese | 赖宇涵 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Lài Yǔhán |
Jaspers Lai Yit Hann[1] (born 7 March 1987) is a Malaysian actor and comedian active in Singapore.
Early life and education
[edit]Jaspers Lai was born in Kuala Lumpur on 7 March 1987.[2][3] Lai attended Nanyang Junior College.[4] Thereafter, Lai went to Hong Kong to be trained in acting, hosting, singing and songwriting when he was 18, and was in training for 5 years, along with Romeo Tan and Andie Chen.[5][6] However, the artiste management company shuttered when he was 23 before he could debut.[6] He returned to Singapore and enrolled into National University of Singapore, studying at the School of Computing.[6][7]
Career
[edit]While studying in NUS, he was a disc jockey for in988, an internet radio station.[5]
In 2014, Lai made his film debut in The Lion Men. In the movie, he was cast as Sam, the leader of a rivalling lion dance troupe and the main villain of the film.[8] He was selected for the role after passing an audition during his final university semester, and was also signed with Jack Neo's J-team Productions.[6] However, acting jobs were scant for Lai, with him filming a movie once a year.[6]
While attending a scriptwriting course, Lai started to develop the script, for what would eventually become the 2020 film Number 1, based on his personal experiences. While developing the script still, his co-actor, Mark Lee found out about the script and immediately staked for a role in the film.[6] After the movie was released in 2020, the film received two nominations at the 57th Golden Horse Awards. It won one award for Best Costume & Makeup Design.[9]
In 2021, Lai received the Most Talented Chinese Artiste Award (最有才华艺人奖) from the World Chinese Economic Forum.[7]
Personal life
[edit]According to his profile on J Team Productions, Jack Neo's artiste management company, Lai had obtained Singapore's permanent residency.[1]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | The Lion Men | Sam | [2] | |
| The Lion Men: Ultimate Showdown | ||||
| 2015 | Ah Boys to Men 3: Frogmen | CPL Handsome | [2] | |
| 2016 | Long Long Time Ago | Cameo | ||
| 2017 | Ah Boys to Men 4 | [2] | ||
| 2018 | Wonderful! Liang Xi Mei | Merlion King | ||
| 2020 | Number 1 | Money | [2] | |
| 2023 | What! The Heist | Bao Ya Gu | ||
| 2026 | Dream Stall | Ah Ji | [10] |
Television series
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | On the Fringe | Xiao-ma | ||
| 2015 | Tiger Mum | Peter | ||
| The Dream Makers II | Steve Lim | |||
| 2021 | Mr Kiasu 2.0 | Mr Kiasu | [11] | |
| 2023 | Whatever Will Be, Will Be | Ray |
Variety series
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Happy Can Already! | |||
| 2017 | Happy Can Already! 2 | |||
| Happy Can Already! 3 | ||||
| 2018 | Happy Can Already! 4 |
Discography
[edit]Singles
[edit]| Year | Title | Album | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 唯一的王 | Non-album single | OST for The Lion Men: Ultimate Showdown | |
| 2015 | 感觉心跳为爱情喝彩 Heartbeat | Non-album single |
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Jaspers Lai Yit Hann". J Team Productions. 2016. Archived from the original on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Ang, Benson (10 October 2022). "'It is okay to bully me, but...': Local actor Jaspers Lai allegedly owed 5-figure fee by Malaysian company". AsiaOne. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ Lai, Jaspers (6 March 2026). "Instagram Post". 7 MARCH !祝我自己 生日快乐!最后一年3字头了!. Retrieved 27 June 2026. [7 MARCH! Wishing myself a happy birthday! My last year with an age starting with 3!]
- ↑ 3. How to step out and be your own kind of beautiful – Jasper Lai - The #HighlySoughtAfter Talk Show, January 2021, archived from the original on 16 January 2022, retrieved 16 January 2022
- 1 2 "Jasper Lai Yit Hann 赖奕翰". Archived from the original on 30 January 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Chin, Nigel (16 November 2020). "Not just your everyday comedian or actor: How Jaspers Lai's first-ever movie script became the hit movie Number 1 | Youthopia". youthopia.sg. Archived from the original on 18 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- 1 2 "演艺生涯中第一个奖!赖宇涵获颁"最有才华艺人奖"". 8world Entertainment Lifestyle (in Chinese (Singapore)). Archived from the original on 18 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ↑ "Newcomer Jaspers Lai stars in Jack Neo's action-comedy". AsiaOne. 20 June 2014. Archived from the original on 16 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ↑ "金馬獎第57屆 入圍暨得獎名單 | 娛樂 | 重點新聞 | 中央社 CNA". www.cna.com.tw (in Chinese). 30 September 2020. Archived from the original on 22 November 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ↑ Tay, Yek Keak (27 May 2026). "Dream Stall Review: Local Multihyphenate Annette Lee Serves Up A Tasty Directorial Debut". 8days. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ "We don't treat audiences like they're stupid: Mr Kiasu 2.0 star Jaspers Lai on the 'dark' humour in this beloved local comedy series". AsiaOne. 18 May 2021. Archived from the original on 18 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- 1987 births
- Living people
- Singaporean people of Hakka descent
- Singaporean screenwriters
- 21st-century Malaysian male actors
- 21st-century Singaporean male actors
- Malaysian comedians
- Singaporean comedians
- Malaysian people of Hakka descent
- Malaysian screenwriters
- Nanyang Junior College alumni
- National University of Singapore alumni