Steven David Lim
Birth date4 September 1974 (age 51)
Birth placeMalaysia
EducationRaffles Institution
Occupation
  • Actor
  • photographer
  • businessman
Years active1996−present
Websitewww.stevendavidlim.com

Steven David Lim (born 4 September 1973), also known as Steven Lim, is a Singaporean actor, photographer, and restaurateur best known for his role as David Tay in the long-running drama series Growing Up on MediaCorp TV Channel 5. He is of Peranakan origin.[1][2]

Career

Acting career

Lim gained prominence for his role in Growing Up, where he appeared in all six seasons of the show.[3] In 1998, Lim appeared in the Malay drama series Soldadu as National Service member Su Kiong and appeared speaking in Malay.[1] His command of Malay in the drama improved during the drama's five-episode run.[1] He reprised his role in the second season in 2000.

In 1998, Lim made his film debut in Forever Fever.[4] In the same year, he starred in The Teenage Textbook Movie.[5]

In 2001, Lim left Singapore to attend London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in England. After completing his drama school education, he took on acting jobs over the years in the United Kingdom.[3] He played the lead role in the 2005 feature film Cut Sleeve Boys,[6] and made a guest appearance on the British sketch comedy series Little Britain.[7]

In 2013, Lim left the United Kingdom for Bangkok, Thailand, Lim continued with acting.[3]

Additionally, he took on supporting roles in the gay web series People Like Us and Getaway.[3][8] For his performance in People Like Us, Lim was honored with the Best Supporting Actor award at the 2017 Indie Series Awards.[9]

In 2023, Lim opened up about the bullying he endured on the set of Growing Up, after becoming the target of a co-star's animosity. Lim suspects the co-star tried to get him fired at the end of the first season.[10] Although he refrains from naming the co-star, he praises co-star Jamie Yeo for rallying behind him.[11]

Other career

After moving to Bangkok, Lim opened a cafe, Luka Bangkok, and a restaurant, Luka/Quince at Siri House.[3][12] He also took on photography.[3]

Filmography

TV series

YearTitleRoleNotesRef
1996 – 2001Growing UpDavid Tay[3]
1998-2000SoldaduSu Kiong[1]
2016People Like Us[3]
2022GetawaySam's dadWeb series[3]

Film

YearTitleRoleNotesRef
1998Forever FeverBoon[4]
The Teenage Textbook MovieDaniel Boon[5]
2005Cut Sleeve BoysMelvin Shu[6]
2025The ClientRichardShort film[13]

Personal life

Lim spent his childhood and early teenage years in Kuala Lumpur until he moved to Singapore at age 15. Taking Malay as the second language instead of Mandarin, he excelled in the O- and A-level examinations.[2] His Malay worsened when he studied at the National University of Singapore.[1]

During season 2 of Growing Up, Lim successfully applied for Singapore permanent residence status and was enlisted to National Service.[1]

He speaks in English, Malay, and Hokkien and Teochew dialects.[2]

In 2019, Lim came out publicly on Dear Straight People, becoming one of Singapore's first openly gay actors.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Steven Lim 'masuk Melayu'". Berita Harian (Singapore). 17 July 1998. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Growing up into a Pisang Goreng". The New Paper. 22 July 1998.
  3. ^ "What has Steven Lim been up to? Growing Up actor's latest project is Singaporean gay drama". AsiaOne. 18 June 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  4. ^ Elley, Derek (1998-08-03). "Forever Fever". Variety. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  5. ^ "Oh dreamy teacher, please don't go away". The Straits Times. 14 October 1998. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  6. ^ "CUT SLEEVE BOYS | Film Threat". 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2019-11-12.
  7. ^ Tseng, Douglas (11 June 2020). "Little Britain Dropped From Streaming Services In Singapore". Today. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  8. ^ "Singapore's Dear Straight People drops gay drama set in Bangkok: Coconuts". Coconuts. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  9. ^ "8th Annual Indie Series Awards Winners". Indie Series Awards. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
  10. ^ "Growing Up actor Steven Lim suspects fellow cast member tried to get him fired from show". AsiaOne. 18 September 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  11. ^ "Steven David Lim Opens Up About The Bullying He Endured On Growing Up". Dear Straight People. 18 September 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  12. ^ "Out Of The Closet: Steven David Lim Shares His Story: Dear Straight People". Dear Straight People. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  13. ^ "The Client (Short Film) – starring Steven David Lim & Chris Fitnoyz". YouTube. Dear Straight People. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
  14. ^ Lim, Bryan (2022-07-04). "'I was in love with somebody, I couldn't tell my parents': Growing Up actor Steven Lim on coming out to family". AsiaOne. Retrieved 2024-11-25.