Who: Singaporean actor-host-comedian Mark Lee, 57, is a familiar face on both movie and television screens. On the big screen, the King Kong Media Production artiste’s portrayal of a drag queen in the comedy drama Number 1 (2020) saw him
nominated for Best Leading Actor at the Golden Horse Awards
.
His latest movie is the action comedy Im Not Gangster, which opens here on Feb 26. In it, he plays the boss of a crime syndicate.
On the small screen, Lee has clinched many prizes at the annual Star Awards, such as four Best Comedy Performer prizes and four Best Variety Show Host accolades from 1998 to 2012. He was also given the All-Time Favourite Artiste award in 2010 and Special Achievement Award in 2024.
He is married to homemaker Catherine Ng, 52, and they have three children – daughters Calista, 17, and Calynn, 12; and son Maksonn, 14.
“Every Saturday evening, my family goes cycling at East Coast Park with two other families. Our kids have known one another since their kindergarten days and our group usually comprises six adults and seven children. We usually cycle from about 8.30pm, because it is cooler in the evenings and there are fewer people.
Starting from the East Coast Seafood Centre, we head east until we reach Changi Jurassic Mile, where we turn around and return to our starting point. We let the kids lead the way and cycle at a leisurely pace.
I use this opportunity to ask them about their school life and how they are doing. For example, while cycling recently, my son said his water polo team lost a match, which made him feel sad. This emotion, I feel, is typical because every kid wants to win.
As a parent, I wanted to comfort him and explained that every match has a winner and loser, so nobody can win all the time. Losing does not mean his team is bad, just that the other team was better during that game. A loss can also be a good chance to reflect on how to do better next time. I hope my son has a healthy attitude towards success and failure.
When our group cycles past a cafe, the adults sit down for a coffee while the children continue to play around. The adults will talk about what we read in the news, such as the political situation in the United States or Taiwan.
In the group, I am the only entertainer. The rest run their own businesses or work in other fields, such as banking. Hanging out with them lets me hear perspectives from people outside of show business. Our trips usually last two hours and end at around 11pm.
In the action comedy Im Not Gangster, which opens here on Feb 26, Mark Lee (third from left) plays the boss of a crime syndicate, alongside fellow actors (from far left) Dahee, Jack Yap and Morn Liew.
PHOTO: GOLDEN VILLAGE PICTURES
We started these outings in 2022 because my family already has the bikes. We bought them during the Covid-19 pandemic, when exercising was the only way we could get out of the house. To me, cycling is a relaxing way to spend a weekend, bond with my kids and friends, and get some exercise too.”