Peter Yu's downfall and majestic comeback in Singaporean entertainment

Singaporean actor Peter Yu’s story is inspirational and deserves more attention. The actor went from being down in the depths of gambling and drug addictions to winning an award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Peter Yu, also known as Yu Hongrong, is a Singaporean actor who peaked in popularity in the 1990s, only to leave the industry in 2000 and return to the scene in 2016, reports The Straits Times.

According to 8world, Peter Yu entered the Singaporean entertainment industry after becoming a finalist in Mediacorp’s Star Search competition, where he thereafter signed on with Mediacorp itself and became an actor in 1990.

Image: Mediacorp

Back in the 1990s, Peter Yu peaked in popularity with his work on many Channel 8 dramas. Some of his famous works then include ‘Love at Last’, ‘Tofu Street',’ and ‘The Silver Lining’.

Image: Mediacorp

He was also nominated for several top ten awards at the time. Peter Yu was named one of Singapore's top ten actors in both 1997 and 1998!

Image: Mediacorp

Acting aside, Peter Yu was married to Mediacorp TV host Quan Yi Fong in 1998, and the two have one child, actress Eleanor Lee. However, The New Paper reports that the marriage broke down after 10 years in 2008 with a highly publicized divorce.

Image: peteryuhongrong / Instagram

According to The Straits Times, one of the highly publicized reasons for Peter Yu and Quan Yi Fong’s divorce was due to Peter Yu’s heavy gambling addiction, which even depleted Quan Yi Fong’s own savings as the actor was over 100,000 Singaporean dollars in debt.

Image: Mediacorp

During that time, Peter Yu had gotten addicted to drugs and alcohol, along with gambling, as a means to cope with his situation, reports AsiaOne.

Image: Mediacorp

Peter Yu’s life turned around only in 2011, according to an interview with Salt&Light, when he received an epiphany when his then-girlfriend, now wife, had made an attempt on her own life. The two are now married, and Peter Yu has two sons from his second marriage.

Image: peteryuhongrong / Instagram

Before his return to acting in 2016, The Straits Times reported that Peter Yu had been working as a property agent, then later as a private-hire driver to make ends meet after getting on a debt repayment plan to pay off his massive debt.

Image: peteryuhongrong / Instagram

Because of the flexibility of his private-hire diver job, The New Paper reports that Peter Yu was able to pursue his passion for acting by taking on side acting gigs.

Image: Mediacorp

2016 was the comeback year for Peter Yu, as he was then cast in the Mediacorp TV drama ‘Hero’, where he played a character partly based on his life experiences as an ex-gambler, ex-actor and taxi driver. The role was truly his!

Image: peteryuhongrong / Instagram

Since then, Peter Yu has become more active in Singapore's acting scene, taking on roles in both mainstream television, theater, and independent art houses.

Image: Mediacorp

Peter Yu’s acting has come a long way! His post-hiatus works include ‘Run Chicken Run’, ‘Fix My Life’, ‘Seven Days’, ‘Wonderland’, and ‘A Year of No Significance’.

Image: mm2

2023 can be considered the year of Peter Yu, as he starred in five festival films in one year: ‘Dreaming & Dying’, ‘Last Shadow At First Light’, ‘Snow In Midsummer’, ‘Wonderland’, and ‘A Year Of No Significance’.

Image: mm2

One interesting fact about Peter Yu’s starring in these five films is that he was directly sought after to act in them. No audition was required, reports The Straits Times. That’s how much of a talented actor Peter Yu is!

Image: mm2

All five of these films have won multiple international awards at film festivals, including the Local Jury Award at the 2024 Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Image: mm2

This is a significant boost to Peter Yu's acting career, as he appears to have not only revived but also improved his craft. It is no wonder that Taiwanese news outlet ETToday even named him the best actor in Singapore!

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