Biographie
A well-respected stage and screen actress, Janice Koh began her performance training under the Theatre Studies and Drama 'A'-level programme at Victoria Junior College. She graduated from the National University of Singapore with an Honours degree in Theatre Studies, and in 1996, received a Masters with Distinction in Theatre Administration from the University of London's Goldsmith's College, under a Public Service Commission Scholarship.
On television, Janice is most recognized for her role as the ambitious lawyer Angela Ang on the critically acclaimed Channel 5 legal drama The Pupil. Her performance as the sassy, fast-talking character earned her an Asian Television Awards 2010 nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. For The Pupil Season 2, Janice got another nod for the same role when she was nominated Actress of the Year 2011 by Elle Magazine. This versatile artist has played a range of dramatic roles on several television series including an Interpol officer on Season Two of Zero Calling on Channel 5. She was also on Fighting Spiders Seasons 1 and 2, the popular C.L.I.F. Season 2 on Channel 8, OKTO's The Dairy of Amos Lee and also hosted Channel News Asia's The Art of Conversation, a documentary series following the journeys of Singapore's creative talents. Other television projects include Chase for Channel 5, CNA's Bertha's Nest, Arts Central's Going Straits, Arts Start and the award-winning Singapore Short Story Project. Janice has also made guest appearances on Sayang Sayang, Phua Chu Kang, Growing Up and Anything Goes. Janice's recent film credits include Ken Kwek's Unlucky Plaza, Hitman: Agent 47, and Kelvin Tong's film, The Offering. She most recently starred in the film Crazy Rich Asians by Warner Bros, which is due to be released in August 2018. A familiar face in the Singapore theatre scene, Janice has performed in more than 50 theatre productions, both in Singapore and abroad. In 2003, she won the Life! Theatre Award for Best Actress for her performance in David Auburn's Proof, and was nominated for the Life! Theatre Best Actress for her roles in Loo Zihan's With/Out, Alfian Sa'at's Optic Trilogy, Pangdemonium's production of Rabbit Hole, as well as Ovidia Yu's Hitting (On) Women. Alongside her cast, she received the Best Ensemble Award at the 2016 Boh Cameron Theatre Awards for Another Country by Wild Rice. Other recent theatre credits include Thomas Lim's Supervision by Wild Rice, Florian Zeller's The Father by Pangdemonium, the role of Margery in Robert Askin's Hand To God by Singapore Repertory Theatre, the role of 'Mummy' in Michael Chiang's iconic 'Beauty World', directed by Dick Lee, Bryony Lavery's Frozen by Pangdemonium, The Finger Player's Rant & Rave for the Esplanade's 10th Anniversary celebrations, Pangdemonium's Swimming with Sharks, Cooling Off Day by Wild Rice, Tan Tarn How's Fear of Writing,(WoAiAhAi) by The Theatre Practice, Poop by The Finger Players, The Crab Flower Club by Toy Factory, 120 and Diaspora by Theatreworks and Eleanor Wong's Jointly & Severably. Internationally, Janice has toured with a number of productions to major venues and festivals in Europe and Asia. She recently concluded a Japan tour of Richard Sandaime, a co-commission of the Singapore International Arts Festival and the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre. Directed by Ong Keng Sen, the work premiered at the 2016 Shizuoka Performing Arts Festival and was presented in Singapore, Tokyo, Kumamoto, Osaka, Kochi and Fukuoka in 2016.
Janice's work and interest in the arts extends beyond the stage and screen. Trained in arts policy and administration, she worked at the National Arts Council from 1997 to 2002 in arts funding and strategic planning. She also served as a Nominated Member of Parliament from 2011 to 2014, passionately championing the arts and creative sectors in Singapore. In her maiden speech in Parliament, she highlighted the importance and potential of the arts and the artistic community to Singapore, emphasizing the pivotal role they play in projecting Singapore's unique identity, its stories and its creativity to a global audience. During her term, Janice highlighted the importance of literature and the humanities in local education system, advocated greater support for Singapore music, and emphasized the need for greater heritage conservation in preserving Singaporeans' sense of place and home. She has also been vocal in raising questions on the regulation and censorship of the arts in Singapore. Janice serves on various boards in the non-profit arts and education sector including Wild Rice Ltd and the Victoria Advisory Committee.
Catch Janice in the highly anticipated Warner Brothers Pictures Crazy Rich Asians directed by Jon M Chu as Felicity Young - the eldest daughter of Sir James Young and Shang Su Yi, and mother to Astrid Leong.
