Collin Chee

{{Short description|Singaporean businessman and actor (born 1967)}}

{{infobox person

| name = Collin Chee

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|1|24|df=y}}

| birth_place = Singapore

| education = St. Teresa's High School

| alma_mater =

| spouse = {{marriage|Irene Rahardja|1997|2020|end=div}}

| children = 4

| occupation = {{hlist|Businessman|actor|former football manager|football coach|model|radio DJ|writer}}

| other_names = {{ubl|Colin Chee|Qian Hanqun|Qian Changjun}}

| years_active = 1993−present

| module = {{Infobox model|child= yes

| height = {{height|m=1.81}}{{cite news |title=Street-smart Collin |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19930405-1.2.77.5.3 |access-date=18 July 2023 |issue=Page 6 |publisher=The Straits Times |date=5 April 1993 |archive-date=18 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718063858/https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19930405-1.2.77.5.3 |url-status=live }}

| haircolor =

| eyecolor =

}}

| module2 = {{Infobox Chinese |child= yes|hide= no |headercolor=lightblue

| name1 = Stage name

| t = 錢昶均

| s = 钱昶均

| p = Qián Chǎngjūn

| altname = Birth name

| t2 = 錢翰群

| s2 = 钱翰群

| p2 = Qián Hànqún

}}

Collin Chee (born 24 January 1967) is a Singaporean businessman, actor and former Singapore national football team assistant manager.{{cite web |last1=Syazanna |first1=Mirta |title=Happy Father's Day to the world's 2nd most important parent |url=https://pride.kindness.sg/happy-fathers-day-most-important-parent/ |website=The Pride |access-date=18 July 2023 |date=16 June 2017 |archive-date=18 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718063857/https://pride.kindness.sg/happy-fathers-day-most-important-parent/ |url-status=live }}

Early life and education

Chee is of Hainanese descent. He has a sister who is three years younger. His father was a restaurant manager and his mother, a homemaker who used to run a hair salon.{{cite news |title=NewspaperSG - Like when love dies |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/newpaper19960710-1.2.31.1 |access-date=18 July 2023 |work=eresources.nlb.gov.sg |issue=22 |publisher=The New Paper |date=10 July 1996 |archive-date=18 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718063859/https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/newpaper19960710-1.2.31.1 |url-status=live }}

Chee was educated at St. Teresa's High School where he took his N-levels.{{cite news |title=学生被帮派骚扰校长当"老大"谈判 {{!}} 早报 |url=https://www.zaobao.com.sg/special/report/singapore/gamsia365/story20160924-695680 |access-date=18 July 2023 |work=www.zaobao.com.sg |date=24 September 2016 |language=zh-Hans |archive-date=27 December 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241227093439/https://www.zaobao.com.sg/special/report/singapore/gamsia365/story20160924-695680 |url-status=live }} In his teenage years, Chee was an aspiring football player. While he was advised not to pursue the sport competitively due to childhood asthma, he has played club football for Labrador Juniors in the Singapore National Football League.

Career

= Media career =

Upon finishing National Service, he did some modelling and ran a modelling agency before becoming a finalist in SBC's Star Search in 1993.{{cite news |title=NewspaperSG - THE 12 STAR SEARCH FINALISTS |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/newpaper19930308-1.2.21.3 |access-date=18 July 2023 |work=eresources.nlb.gov.sg |issue=17 |publisher=The New Paper |date=8 March 1993}}

Chee left showbiz in 1996 after making headlines a year prior for his controversial performance in the local series The Teochew Family. In an interview several years later, Chee recalled that he had "screwed up big time" and once had to repeat a scene for more than 30 times until a cameraman from Hong Kong shouted at him in Cantonese - "What's wrong with you? Film all finished up already!" (sic). His co-star, late veteran Hong Kong actor Kenneth Tsang, was also "super" critical of him to the press upon the release of the series. Chee also revealed that on the set, Tsang had initiated conversations with him and questioned him if he had any intention to make acting his lifelong vocation at that point in time.

Chee then switched his focus to running Talents and Models, a sports event company which was converted from a modelling company, and Wembley Steak House, a football concept restaurant that was located in Northpoint Shopping Centre. He also co-hosted two Mandarin programmes on NTUC Radioheart with Lin Youfa and Renee Yip and made occasional guest appearances on Capital 95.8FM to speak on soccer, and was a part-time football columnist for Lianhe Wanbao.{{cite news |date=4 January 1996 |title=NewspaperSG - 钱翰群负笈英伦学习足球管理法 |work=eresources.nlb.gov.sg |publisher=联合晚报 (Lianhe Wanbao) |issue=21 |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/lhwb19960104-1.2.42.1.2 |access-date=18 July 2023 |archive-date=18 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718063857/https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/lhwb19960104-1.2.42.1.2 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |date=28 June 1998 |title=NewspaperSG - 7 days in the life of... COLLIN CHEE |work=eresources.nlb.gov.sg |publisher=The New Paper |issue=Page 9 |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/newpaper19980628-1.2.13.2 |access-date=18 July 2023 |archive-date=18 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718065412/https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/newpaper19980628-1.2.13.2 |url-status=live }}

On 20 June 2023, it was announced that Chee was cast in the film I Not Stupid 3, directed by Jack Neo. He will also appear in the Kelvin Sng film King of Hawkers, scheduled to be released during Chinese New Year in 2024.{{cite web |last1=林 |first1=家豪 |title=27年后复出连拍两部电影钱昶均也乐意再拍本地剧 |url=https://entlife.8world.com/movies-shows/collin-chee-2275286 |website=8world Entertainment Lifestyle |access-date=29 October 2023 |language=zh-SG |date=24 October 2023 |archive-date=29 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231029162638/https://entlife.8world.com/movies-shows/collin-chee-2275286 |url-status=live }}

= Football career =

Around 1993, Chee was also Singapore national football team's assistant manager on a volunteer basis and coached football at Chung Cheng High School (Main) and St. Gabriel's Secondary School, and was also the assistant secretary of the Singapore Soccer Coaches Association.{{cite news |date=13 March 1993 |title=COLLIN CHEE |pages=37 |work=The New Paper |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/newpaper19930313-1.2.46.1.3 |access-date=18 July 2023 |via=NewspaperSG |archive-date=18 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718065409/https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/newpaper19930313-1.2.46.1.3 |url-status=live }}

In the late 1990s, he was president of Tampines Rovers in the National Football League (NFL) Division One and a council member of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS). He also managed the Singapore National Under-19 squad and coached soccer at Temasek Polytechnic.{{cite news |last1=Tan |first1=Kenneth |title=Turning full circle: Family man Collin Chee opens up on abrupt departure from Singapore football and coming back with Dads for Life |url=https://www.junpiterfutbol.com/turning-full-circle-family-man-collin-chee-opens-up-on-abrupt-departure-from-singapore-football-and-coming-back-with-dads-for-life/ |access-date=18 July 2023 |work=Junpiter Futbol |date=10 March 2019 |archive-date=18 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718063857/https://www.junpiterfutbol.com/turning-full-circle-family-man-collin-chee-opens-up-on-abrupt-departure-from-singapore-football-and-coming-back-with-dads-for-life/ |url-status=live }} In 1999, he left FAS and dissolved his business ventures. Shortly after, he established TouchWood, an official football pub for Liverpool F.C. supporters located at Maxwell Road, and launched Football Update (足球至尊), a bilingual magazine that published tips for punters which ended its operations in 2006.

In the 2000s, Chee was involved in the controversial Sporting Afrique venture, which was proposed by him to Ho Peng Kee, then Football Association of Singapore president. The team was made up of players with African descent to participate in the 2006 S.League but the players allegedly received ill-treatment where a local media outlet labelled the venture as "slavery". Chee later had to turn to bank loans and mortgaging his house in order to keep the club afloat. The club was eventually rejected by the FAS to participate in the 2007 S.League and subsequently dissolved.{{cite news |title=Hopes dashed in Singapore |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/5079434.stm |access-date=19 July 2023 |publisher=BBC |date=14 June 2006}}{{cite news |title=Sporting Afrique set to disband |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/6136378.stm |access-date=19 July 2023 |publisher=BBC |date=10 November 2006 |archive-date=19 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719042029/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/6136378.stm |url-status=live }}

In August 2015, Chee was asked by a former footballer from Tampines Rovers FC to set up a football team for the movement Dads for Life, which he managed and launched in June 2016.{{cite news |date=20 June 2016 |title=Football team's goal: Being dads for life |language=en |work=AsiaOne |url=https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/football-teams-goal-being-dads-life |access-date=18 July 2023 |archive-date=18 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718063856/https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/football-teams-goal-being-dads-life |url-status=live }}

= Business career =

In 2007, Chee decided to leave the football scene and later began a job at an international headhunting firm, SearchWorks. He left three years year and moved to Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia in 2009, working in the marketing department of food distribution company PT Alamjaya Wirasentosa.

In recent years, he started Spikes of Love with his two sons, which organises outings for people to sample durians together.{{cite web |title=Hugo Ng, Cherie Lim and Collin Chee reunite 29 years after 1990s telemovie Strike Back |url=https://www.asiaone.com/entertainment/hugo-ng-cherie-lim-collin-chee-reunite-29-years-after-1990s-telemovie-strike-back-zheng-geping-hong-huifang |website=AsiaOne |access-date=18 July 2023 |language=en |date=21 April 2023 |archive-date=27 December 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241227093444/https://www.asiaone.com/entertainment/hugo-ng-cherie-lim-collin-chee-reunite-29-years-after-1990s-telemovie-strike-back-zheng-geping-hong-huifang |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Zhu Houren meets ex-TV idol Madeline Chu: Which former celebs can you also follow on Instagram? |url=https://www.asiaone.com/entertainment/zhu-houren-meets-ex-tv-idol-madeline-chu-which-former-celebs-can-you-also-follow |access-date=18 July 2023 |work=AsiaOne |date=26 March 2021 |language=en}}

Chee was a partner with international trade company Alliance Experts from August 2017 to January 2019.{{cite web |title=Collin Chee |url=https://sg.linkedin.com/in/collin-chee-8456354 |website=LinkedIn |access-date=19 July 2023}}

Personal life

Chee resided in Medan in Sumatra, Indonesia for six years, from 2009 to 2015, to help managed his father-in-law's food business.

In November 2016, he released an autobiography book, Roots - Memoirs From Two Cities, a collection of 21 short stories about his life and experiences in Singapore and abroad.{{cite news |date=17 November 2016 |title=Chee backs Lions to surprise |language=en |work=The New Paper |url=https://tnp.straitstimes.com/sports/singapore-football/chee-backs-lions-surprise |access-date=18 July 2023 |archive-date=27 December 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241227093455/https://tnp.straitstimes.com/sports/singapore-football/chee-backs-lions-surprise |url-status=live }}

Chee was married to Indonesian-Chinese Irene Rahardja, a public administration officer, from 1997 to 2020.{{cite news |title=NewspaperSG - The Straits Times, 22 May 1997, Page 1 |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/page/straitstimes19970522-1.1.1 |access-date=18 July 2023 |work=eresources.nlb.gov.sg |issue=Page 1 |publisher=The Straits Times |date=22 May 1997}}{{cite news |title=父子兵组公司钱昶均"卖"榴梿团 {{!}} 早报 |url=https://www.zaobao.com.sg/zentertainment/celebs/story20190113-923618 |access-date=18 July 2023 |work=www.zaobao.com.sg |date=13 January 2019 |language=zh-Hans |archive-date=27 December 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241227093458/https://www.zaobao.com.sg/zentertainment/celebs/story20190113-923618 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Navigating the Teen Years Workshop – Centre for Fathering Ltd |url=https://fathers.com.sg/navigating-the-teen-years-workshop/ |access-date=18 July 2023 |work=Centre for Fathering Ltd |date=12 January 2017}}{{cite news |title=提防熟龄婚姻隐形杀手 |url=https://www.zaobao.com.sg/lifestyle/familynlove/story20210509-1145394 |access-date=18 July 2023 |work=www.zaobao.com.sg |date=9 May 2021 |language=zh-Hans}} They have two sons and two daughters.{{cite news |title=Centre for Fathering honouring dads with month-long campaign |url=https://tnp.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/centre-fathering-honouring-dads-month-long-campaign |access-date=18 July 2023 |work=The New Paper |date=18 May 2018 |language=en}}

In an interview in October 2023, Chee revealed that he has been in a relationship with a Ipoh-born finance consultant since 2021, who is also divorced and has two sons.{{cite web |title=57岁钱昶均结束22年婚姻再觅第二春 {{!}} 联合早报 |url=https://www.zaobao.com.sg/entertainment/story20231007-1440305 |website=www.zaobao.com.sg |access-date=8 October 2023 |language=zh-Hans |date=7 October 2023}}

He plays badminton and is a durian lover.

Filmography

Chee has appeared in the following television series and films:{{cite web |title=Colin Chee |url=https://www.mewatch.sg/cast-crew/Colin-Chee |website=mewatch |access-date=18 July 2023 |language=en}}

=Television series=

That Moment In Time (1993)
Twin Bliss (1993)
Dr Justice (1994)
Dreams Come True (1994)
The Teochew Family (1995)
Dr Justice II (1995)
Beyond Dawn (1995)
Of Cops And Men (1996)
The Gentlemen (2016)

=Film=

The Strike Back (1994; telemovie)
War Roses (1996; telemovie)
Dark Obsession (1996)
Second Chance (2016; short film){{cite web |title=Second Chance by Ellie Ngim - Singapore Drama Short Film |url=https://www.viddsee.com/video/second-chance/txw5i |website=Viddsee |access-date=18 July 2023 |language=en |archive-date=18 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718063900/https://www.viddsee.com/video/second-chance/txw5i |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Xu |first1=Terry |title=Second chance: A second try at love |url=https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2016/02/12/second-chance-a-second-try-at-love/ |access-date=18 July 2023 |work=The Online Citizen Asia |date=12 February 2016 |archive-date=18 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718063857/https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2016/02/12/second-chance-a-second-try-at-love/ |url-status=dead }}
I Not Stupid 3 (2024){{cite web |title=I Not Stupid 3: Jack Neo reveals cast comprising Collin Chee, Terence Cao, Patricia Mok, Glenn Yong |url=https://www.asiaone.com/entertainment/i-not-stupid-3-jack-neo-reveals-cast-collin-chee-terence-cao-patricia-mok-glenn-yong-mm2 |website=AsiaOne |access-date=18 July 2023 |language=en |date=21 June 2023}}
King of Hawkers (2024){{cite web |title=Local CNY 2024 movie King of Hawkers to star Hugo Ng, Liu Lingling, Dawn Yeoh |url=https://www.asiaone.com/entertainment/local-cny-2024-movie-king-of-hawkers-star-hugo-ng-liu-lingling-mimi-chu-dawn-yeoh |website=AsiaOne |access-date=2 October 2023 |language=en |date=29 September 2023 |archive-date=3 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003064646/https://www.asiaone.com/entertainment/local-cny-2024-movie-king-of-hawkers-star-hugo-ng-liu-lingling-mimi-chu-dawn-yeoh |url-status=live }}