People born in the year of the monkey are of great intellect and skillful. Quick and intelligent, they usually make good leaders.
Monkeys are typically fun and loving persons; always cheerful and energetic. They are talented, creative and generous, and often the centre of attention thanks to their charm and humour.
Monkey people are naturally clever and confident, so it’s no wonder you’ll find a long list of writers, artists and statesmen fall under this creative sign. Think Julius Caesar, Leonardo Da Vinci, Charles Dickens. Their high-spirited love of life helps other feel good as well.
It’s no wonder these stars are all born in the year of the monkey!
Wood Monkeys (born in 1944, 2004)
Diana Ross: Born in Detroit, Michigan, the American singer rose to fame as the founding member and lead singer of The Supremes. In 1993 the Guinness Book of World Records proclaimed Ross the best female musician in history. Arguably a bit of a diva (ask her Supremes cohorts), there’s no denying Ross always got the lion’s share of attention.
Erno Rubik: Who? Born in Budapest, Hungary, Rubik is the Hungarian architect and a professor who invented the Rubik’s Cube in 1974. Yep, pretty clever.
Mana Ashida: Mana, born in 2004 in Japan, is a Japanese child actress and singer. She became the youngest star in a Japanese drama after starring in Sayonara Bokutachi No Youchien. In 2011 she sang the hit song Maru Maru Mori Mori, the theme song for the television drama Marumo No Okite, with her co-star Fuku Suzuki.
Fire Monkeys (born in 1956)
Tom Hanks: Tom Hanks was born in Concord, California. The actor won back-to-back Academy Awards for Best Actor for his role in Philadelphia (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994). While he’s starred in his fair share of dramas (Cast Away, The Green Mile, Saving Private Ryan and Apollo 13), Hanks also has a fun-loving side (Splash, Big, Turner and Hooch). Plus, he also is the voice of Woody in Toy Story.
Mel Gibson: Gibson was born in Peekskill, New York. His claim to fame came from starring in the Mad Max post-apocalyptic films, and then later as Martin Riggs in Lethal Weapon.
Anil Kapoor: Even if you’re not a Hindi movie aficionado, you’ll probably know this Indian actor/producer for his role in the award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire.
Earth Monkeys (born in 1968)
Will Smith: The American actor/rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, got his breakthrough role on the sitcom The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air. And then a whole slew of box office hits came after – Men In Black, Independence Day, Pursuit Of Happyness and I Am Legend. In the year 2007, Newsweek named him the most powerful actor in Hollywood. He also had a solo album, Big Willie Style, that was released in 1997 and sold over 10 million copies worldwide.
Hugh Jackman: This Australian needs no introduction. From playing Wolverine in the X-Men to singing his way through Les Miserables, Jackman is the quintessential Monkey personality, full of charm, wit and very handsome to boot.
Celine Dion: The Canadian singer-songwriter rose to fame after singing the theme from Titanic, My Heart Will Go On. Although her recordings are mainly in French and English, she can sing in many different languages such as Italian, Spanish, German, Japanese and Mandarin Chinese. She won the Chopard Diamond Award for selling over 200 million albums. Versatile and super successful.
Lucy Liu: This Angel (Charlie’s Angel, that is) has made her mark both on the silver screen and on TV.
Datuk Bernard Chandran: Our very own Bernard is not just a fashion designer, he is also a TV personality and was the chief designer on Project Runway Malaysia.
Ziana Zain: The pop singer-songwriter, model, entrepreneur and actress from Merlimau, Malacca, took the local music scene by storm in the early 1990s, with songs such as Madah Berhelah. and Puncak Kasih. Also under her belt is the title of “Voice of Asia” which she won in Kazakhstan in 1995.
Awie: From Kramat, Selangor, Awie’s claim to fame was as the frontman for the rock band Wings. He’s gone on to become quite a sensation on the silver screen (think Sembilu, Baik Punya Cilok, Zombi Kampung Pisang, Sumolah, Cuci).
Metal Monkey (born in 1980)
Ronaldinho: Brazilian Ronaldo de Assis Moreira was an attacking midfielder who became a star for the Brazilian national team after debuting in 1999. From 2003 to 2008, Ronaldinho played for FC Barcelona and was named the 2004-05 Fifa World Player of the Year.
Kareena Kapoor: This Bollywood actress has starred in many hit films, including the 2001 blockbuster film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. The 10-time Filmfare Award Nominee and six-time winner also starred in the popular 3 Idiots.
Gisele Bundchen: The Victoria’s Secret Angel was named the highest paid model in the fashion industry in 2012; she ranked #1 on Forbes’ list of Top Earning Models with an estimated US$45mil earned.
Cecilia Cheung: Hong Kong actress and Cantopop singer Cheung rose to fame after starring alongside Stephen Chow in King Of Comedy. In 2014, she came in ninth place, in the Top 10 of highest celebrity incomes in Hong Kong.
Marion Caunter Abdullah: This Penangite became famous as the host of The 8TV Quickie, a daily 15-minute talk show on 8TV. She, alongside Awal Ashaari, also hosted three seasons of One In A Million, 8TV’s reality singing contest. Marion was also the host on The Biggest Loser Asia (Season Two in 2010). She is now married to SM Nasarudin, chairman of Naza Group of Companies.
Water Monkey (born in 1992)
Selena Gomez: The girl from Texas made her debut on Disney’s Barney And Friends. In 2008, she formed her band Selena Gomez & the Scene. After three successful albums with her band, she released her solo album Stars Dance, which reached #1 on the US Billboard chart in 2013.
Neymar: This Brazilian footballer was one of FC Barcelona’s top scorers soon after he joined the team in 2009. He debuted with the Brazilian national team in 2010 and won the South American Footballer of the Year Award in 2011 and 2012.
Hyuna: Hyuna from South Korea is a dancer, songwriter and model. She is the main rapper and singer of the Korean girl group, 4Minute.
She rose to fame as the lead rapper in the girl band Wonder Girls and left in 2007 due to health issues. In 2008, she signed with Cube Entertainment and subsequently debuted with 4Minute a year later. Later she also became popular for her solo career, with her debut single Change. And you might remember her from Psy’s Gangnam Style music video.
Ayda Jebat: This songbird from Malacca kickstarted her entertainment career after taking part in Season Nine of reality TV show Akademi Fantasia. She doesn’t just sing, she acts too, and has made a name for herself as an entertainer in Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia.
Vanessa Tevi: Malaysian model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe Malaysia 2015, and recently represented her country at the 64th Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas.
Syafie Naswip: The young actor made his debut as the title character in Yasmin Ahmad’s 2007 film Mukhsin. He won the Best Child Actor award at the 20th Malaysian Film Festival, and continues to make his presence felt at the movies till today. His most recent movie was Sofi Jikan’s Gangsterock Kasi Sengat.
Izara Aishah: This Malaysian actress and model from Johor made her debut in 2011 and since then has starred in TV dramas and movies. – Compiled by Jena Ravi
Sources: www.horoscope.com; chinahighlights.com; horoscope.com; travelchinaguide.com
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