4 movies and a musical about Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first Prime Minister

Singaporean actor Lim plays Lee in the movie, 1965. Photo: Stardust Pictures

A look at the portrayal of the former Singaporean leader on the big screen and on the theatre stage.

1965
Veteran Singaporean actor Lim Kay Tong takes on the role of his country’s first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, in this film due out in August, in conjunction with Singapore’s 50th National Day celebration. 1965 was a pivotal year as it marked Singapore’s separation from Malaysia. In an interview with The Strait Times, Lim confessed that he was scared to take on the role. He changed his mind after reading the script. “Lee Kuan Yew is a corner of the story. He frames the timeline as to when the events take place. It is not overwhelmingly undoable. I overcame my cowardice and said ‘Let’s give it a go and see what happens.’” The film also stars Joanne Peh, Qi Yuwu and Deanna Yusoff.