At 28, Lim Shi-An is emerging as one of Singapore’s most compelling acting talents. With roles spanning Amoeba, We Learn to Breathe in Distant Places, Full Month and Secondary: The Musical, the actress and alumna of School of the Arts has built a body of work defined by remarkable range and emotional precision. Her performances are marked by a rare duality—earnest yet incisive, tender yet unflinching—bringing a striking depth to every character she inhabits.
What is perhaps most compelling, however, is her gift for transformation. In Amoeba, she slips into the role of Sofia Tay, an affluent young woman navigating the complexities of privilege and desire. In Secondary: The Musical, she brings the character of Rong to vivid life. Across each project, Lim reveals a chameleon-like quality that feels both instinctive and exacting.
Most recently, she wrapped filming on a new feature by Singaporean filmmaker Nelson Yeo, winner of the Pardo d’Oro (Concorso Cineasti del Presente section) and Swatch First Feature Award at the 2023 Locarno International Film Festival for Dreaming & Dying. The project marks another intriguing chapter in her trajectory. This time, Lim takes on the role of Chang’e, the goddess of the moon in Chinese mythology, reimagined through a futuristic lens. “We did a virtual production film and we also went to Taiwan to film so it’s a whole production. Basically, I’m Chang’e but it’s like a sci-fi retelling,” she shares.
Beyond the screen, Lim is also increasingly exploring the worlds of fashion and beauty, bringing the same curiosity and thoughtfulness that define her approach to acting. The actress has just returned from Seoul, where she attended Matthieu Blazy’s first Chanel Métiers d’Art show, staged at the soon-to-open Centre Pompidou Hanwha. Amid the spectacle of fashion’s biggest names, one encounter lingered. Academy Award-winning actress Tilda Swinton, who had seen Amoeba, recognised Lim immediately and struck up a conversation about the film and its director, Siyou Tan.
“No matter where the world takes me, I want my craft to be the underlying thing that drives me.”
For Lim, the encounter was a reminder of the enduring power of good work. “To speak to her about it was unreal. She asked me about Siyou, my director. And that’s the moment I realised I always want to have good work to support me. No matter where the world takes me, I want my craft to be the underlying thing that drives me,” she says.
It is this commitment to craft—whether on screen, on stage or while navigating new creative arenas—that sets Lim apart. As her world expands across film, theatre, fashion and beauty, she remains anchored by a desire to keep growing, experimenting and transforming. Here, Lim speaks to Vogue Singapore about her latest role, finding her voice online, and why truth remains at the heart of everything she does.
What made you want to pursue acting?
I have to be honest, which I think I say a lot, but I am inspired by my parents [Tan Kheng Hua and Lim Yu-Beng]. Other than screen work, my parents started out in theatre. Watching them perform on stage, there has always been a very real exchange of energy and I’ve loved seeing how they transform from character to character—because at home, we’re all just ourselves. From early on, I wasn’t super academically inclined. I did well in aspects of life that were performance-related, so from kindergarten, I liked being on stage. Screen acting came a bit later. I was given the opportunity to do small projects when I was younger. And the good thing about my parents is that they don’t limit what I take on, so even in my teenage years, even if the roles were a bit more controversial, they would let me try.
Could you name three pivotal projects you’ve worked on?
Amoeba would be the first. It’s my first feature film. I learnt a lot about myself as an actor and about film: the stamina and breathing space needed to sustain a character over a long period is very different from short film work. The second would be The House on the Moon, Nelson’s feature. It was physically demanding, with a lot of big puddles I had to jump through, and genre-wise it was pivotal in terms of what people have seen me in. The last would be Secondary: The Musical, my first theatre production in many years. Being a stage actor and a screen actor uses completely different muscles. It was a work that spoke to a lot of people around me. With film, the impact can be more specific because the narrative is linear, whereas in theatre you can spread yourself wider across subjects and characters—it can be a bit more wild. That project resonated with almost everyone in my life, not just artists but also educators, people who’ve gone through Singapore’s school system.
How organic was your transition into the fashion world?
I’ve always loved fashion, but I’m quite frugal. I don’t really buy or hold on to a lot of material things. My mother is a big fashion inspiration to me; I often take her pieces and make them my own. I use fashion as a way to express myself. For Chanel, they knew of me through some acting work. It felt like they were trying to understand me as a person, not just my looks, to see if I was someone they genuinely wanted to support. They’ve been quite pivotal in how I engage with fashion now because they have a clear vision of what suits me. I also feel I align with the brand stylistically, so seeing their vision for me is something I find inspiring.
What is your relationship with social media and how does it fit with the voice you want to have?
Social media is important. It started as a practical tool. Being an actor means visibility and needing to be seen on a public platform. Over the years I’ve found my voice and I try to keep it as authentic as possible. I think people know me for that now and that’s the highest compliment, especially since social media is often seen as quite fake. For fashion, it can get complicated because you do have to look a certain way sometimes, but it comes naturally to me. I like sharing how I dress, but also using it to give a cerebral point of view. In my recap videos, instead of focusing on the superficial aspects, I use them for reflection—more critical, more intimate thoughts. It becomes like a small film of my experience, including why I connect with a collection and how it sits between reality and fiction, and is very much about characters.
If someone walks away from a project you’ve done, what do you want them to take away?
I guess every project would be different, but I like to think that I disappear into my characters, that they see it’s me but also don’t. I want to be able to transform. Not that it’s Lim Shi-An, that they can believe every single character that I play wholeheartedly.
Any projects you’d love to do with your parents?
Oh, I would love to. I would love to work on a local movie. I mean something that tackles local issues that’s set in Singapore, if the right opportunity arises. There are only so many actors in Singapore, so obviously our paths have crossed on many projects. I think we’re able to draw that professional boundary.
What are your biggest triumphs and challenges in your career?
I like to think of every piece of work I get as a triumph, to be honest. As a freelancer, any job could be your last, so every new job feels significant. I do feel that in acting, one project often leads to another—when you work hard and prove yourself in one, it inevitably opens doors to the next—so it reassures me that I’m on the right track. The work I am most proud of at the moment is Amoeba. I’m able to watch it with a clear sense of objectivity and I like my performance. I feel proud. Kudos to my director, but I’m proud of what I brought to it. Challenges? There are many. Learning Mandarin. Not in the basic sense because I can speak it, but acting in Mandarin is another level of fluency. In English, you can stress certain words to convey emotion, but in Mandarin it requires a different kind of nuance. I would say I’m still working through that.
What would your dream project be?
There are a lot. I’m trying to broaden my reach into the international space, so working with people overseas would be a dream for me. I don’t want to narrow it down too much, but I would love to be in an A24 film, any of them. I want to keep my horizons open.
Photography Nikolai Ahn
Styling Nicholas See
Hair and make-up Kat Zhang using Chanel Beauty
Executive producer David Bay
Producer Hee Woong Kang/Thiziscompany
Dance artistic director KimHyeyeon/Yonist Company
Dancers Lee Surim, Kim Sihyeong, Lee Yeonggyo, Yoon Daeun and Lee Hyunyoung
Photographer’s assistants Song Nangsae and Inhwan Jeong
Stylist’s assistant Yulia Gladkih
Production assistant Eunjin Hong
Location Seoul Namsan Gugakdang
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