Jaspers Lai
{{Short description|Malaysian actor (born 1987)}}
{{family name hatnote|Lai|lang=Chinese}}
{{infobox person
| name = Jaspers Lai
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|3|7|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| nationality = Singaporean{{Cite web|url=https://jteam.com.sg/artistes/jaspers-lai-yit-hann/|title=JASPERS LAI – J Team Productions}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|host|comedian}}
| education = Nanyang Junior College
| alma_mater = National University of Singapore
| othername = {{ubl|Lai Yuhan|Wei Shaofang}}
| module = {{Infobox Chinese |child= yes|hide= no |headercolor=lightblue
| name1 = Stage name
| s = 赖宇涵
| t= 賴宇涵
| p = Lài Yǔhán
| altname = Birth name
| p2 = Wèi Shǎofāng
}}
}}
Jaspers Lai Yit Hann (born 7 March 1987){{cite web|title=Profile of Jaspers|url=http://jteam.com.sg/jm-artistes/jaspers-lai-yit-hann/|access-date=2017-02-18|archive-date=2017-02-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218144219/http://jteam.com.sg/jm-artistes/jaspers-lai-yit-hann/|url-status=live}} is a Malaysian actor and comedian.
Early life
Lai attended Nanyang Junior College.{{Citation|title=3. How to step out and be your own kind of beautiful – Jasper Lai - The #HighlySoughtAfter Talk Show|date=January 2021 |url=https://www.buzzsprout.com/1550632/7072792-how-to-step-out-and-be-your-own-kind-of-beautiful-jasper-lai|language=en|access-date=2022-01-16|archive-date=2022-01-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116223631/https://www.buzzsprout.com/1550632/7072792-how-to-step-out-and-be-your-own-kind-of-beautiful-jasper-lai|url-status=live}} Thereafter, Lai went to Hong Kong to be trained in acting, hosting, singing and songwriting when he was 18, and was in training for 5 years, along with Romeo Tan and Andie Chen.{{Cite web|title=Jasper Lai Yit Hann 赖奕翰|url=http://www.in988.com/jasper/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120130140036/http://www.in988.com/jasper/|archive-date=30 January 2012}}{{Cite web|title=Not just your everyday comedian or actor: How Jaspers Lai's first-ever movie script became the hit movie Number 1 {{!}} Youthopia|url=https://youthopia.sg/read/not-just-your-everyday-comedian-or-actor-how-jaspers-lais-first-ever-movie-script-became-the-hit-movie-number-1/|access-date=2022-01-16|website=youthopia.sg|date=16 November 2020 |language=en-US|archive-date=2022-01-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118182334/https://youthopia.sg/read/not-just-your-everyday-comedian-or-actor-how-jaspers-lais-first-ever-movie-script-became-the-hit-movie-number-1/|url-status=live}} However, the artiste management company shuttered when he was 23 before he could debut. He returned to Singapore and enrolled into National University of Singapore, studying at the School of Computing.{{Cite web|title=演艺生涯中第一个奖！赖宇涵获颁"最有才华艺人奖"|url=https://entlife.8world.com/e-news/jaspers-lai-first-award-in-showbiz-career-1686861|access-date=2022-01-16|website=8world Entertainment Lifestyle|language=zh-SG|archive-date=2022-01-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118185648/https://entlife.8world.com/e-news/jaspers-lai-first-award-in-showbiz-career-1686861|url-status=live}}
Career
While studying in NUS, he was a VJ in in988, an internet radio station.
In 2014, Lai made his film debut in The Lion Men. In the movie, he was cast as Sam, the leader of a rivalling lion dance troupe and the main villain of the film.{{Cite web|date=2014-06-20|title=Newcomer Jaspers Lai stars in Jack Neo's action-comedy|url=https://www.asiaone.com/entertainment/newcomer-jaspers-lai-stars-jack-neos-action-comedy|access-date=2022-01-16|website=AsiaOne|language=en|archive-date=2022-01-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116223630/https://www.asiaone.com/entertainment/newcomer-jaspers-lai-stars-jack-neos-action-comedy|url-status=live}} He was selected for the role after passing an audition during his final university semester, and was also signed with Jack Neo's J-team Productions. However, acting jobs were scant for Lai, with him filming a movie once a year.
While attending a scriptwriting course, Lai started to develop the script, for what would eventually become the 2020 film Number 1, based on his personal experiences. While developing the script still, his co-actor, Mark Lee found out about the script and immediately staked for a role in the film. After the movie was released in 2020, the film received two nominations at the 57th Golden Horse Awards. It won one award for Best Costume & Makeup Design.{{Cite web|title=金馬獎第57屆 入圍暨得獎名單 {{!}} 娛樂 {{!}} 重點新聞 {{!}} 中央社 CNA|url=https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/202009305004.aspx|access-date=2022-01-16|website=www.cna.com.tw|date=30 September 2020 |language=zh-Hant-TW|archive-date=2020-11-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201122102443/https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/202009305004.aspx|url-status=live}}
In 2021, Lai received the Most Talented Chinese Artiste Award (最有才华艺人奖) from the World Chinese Economic Forum.
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable"|Notes | ||
|---|---|---|
| rowspan="2"|2014 | The Lion Men | rowspan="2" | Sam
| |
| The Lion Men: Ultimate Showdown
| | ||
| 2015 | Ah Boys to Men 3: Frogmen | rowspan="3" | CPL Handsome
| |
| 2016 | Long Long Time Ago
|Cameo | |
| 2017 | Ah Boys to Men 4
| | |
| 2018 | Wonderful! Liang Xi Mei | Merlion King
| |
| 2020 | Number 1 | Money
| |
| 2022 | What! The Heist | Bao Ya Gu
| |
= Television series =
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable"|Notes ! class="unsortable"|Ref | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | On the Fringe | |
| |
| rowspan=2| 2015 | Tiger Mum | Peter
| | |
| The Dream Makers II | Steve Lim
| | | |
| 2021
|Mr Kiasu 2.0 |Mr Kiasu | | ||
| 2023
|Ray | | |
= Variety series =
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable"|Notes ! class="unsortable"|Ref | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Happy Can Already! | |
| |
| rowspan=2| 2017 | Happy Can Already! 2 | |
| |
| Happy Can Already! 3 | |
| | |
| 2018 | Happy Can Already! 4 | |
| |
Discography
=Singles=
| class="wikitable sortable" | |||
| Year
!Title !Album !class="unsortable"|Notes !class="unsortable"|Ref | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 唯一的王 | Non-album single | OST for The Lion Men: Ultimate Showdown
| |
| 2015 | 感觉心跳为爱情喝彩 Heartbeat | Non-album single | | |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lai, Jaspers}}
Category:Singaporean people of Hakka descent
Category:Singaporean screenwriters
Category:21st-century Malaysian male actors
Category:21st-century Singaporean male actors
Category:Singaporean comedians
Category:Malaysian people of Hakka descent
Category:Malaysian screenwriters