Steph Song

Arts & Expression, East Asian, Media

Voted "Sexiest Woman in the World 2006" by Asian FHM magazine readers, Steph Song is typically dismissive of the title, and prefers hard work to hard bodies.

This is evident in how many times she has been nominated for her performances since arriving back in Canada -- four times in the last two years at the Gemini and Leo Awards: Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Feature Film for 'Everything's Gone Green'; Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Dramatic Series for 'Dragon Boys'; Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Dramatic Series for 'j-Pod'.

Her lead role in 'Dim Sum Funeral' (also starring Kelly Hu, Russell Wong, Bai Ling and Talia Shire) is currently attracting attention. The film enjoyed its world premiere at Pusan and will be seen at the AFI Fest in Los Angeles. It will be released in 2009.

She has appeared with Jet Li and Jason Statham in the action film 'War' in 2008 and Val Kilmer in 'The Thaw', set for release in 2009.

She became author Douglas Coupland's muse, starring in his debut screenplay 'Everything's Gone Green' and TV series 'j-Pod' in 2007. Both are now multiple award-winning shows.

And she learnt Cambodian from scratch in CBC's gritty 'Dragon Boys' in 2006.

Her work ethic has had her named as one of the "Top ten people to watch out for" by Playback Magazine, Canada's leading film and entertainment rag. And Chatelaine, the country's number one-selling magazine, labelled her "The new face of Canadian film".

Quite a ride for the kid who attained a double degree in Journalism and Nursing to please her parents, and then decided to please herself by not using those skills.

Her rise will be no surprise to Asian audiences. After starring in her debut film, 'The Long Lunch', released in 2003, Steph moved to Singapore and quickly starred in many English TV dramas, including 'Singapore Short Stories' - winner of Best Drama at the 2004 ATV Awards.

In 2003, Steph set a new standard with her role in the sitcom 'Achar!'. The series was the breakout comedy of the year and went on to win second prize at the New York International Television Festival 2005 behind NBC's 'Frasier'. The series has since been broadcast in 10 countries, including Australia and the United States.

Knowing how hard it is to find and nurture great scripts, she is also using what she has learnt working with the best people around the world, to help develop innovative projects for Island Films.