Chen Xi (actor)

Chen Xi (born 23 May 1991), formerly known as Chen Yixi, is a Singaporean actor and artist.

Early life
Chen is the son of actors Edmund Chen and Xiang Yun, and the brother of actress Chen Yixin.

He graduated from the School of Art and Design Media of Nanyang Technological University in 2016.

Career
He starred in the 2011 anthology film Echoing Love. The following year, he starred in the web series i.Rock.

He starred in the 2017 Dick Lee film Wonder Boy. In the same year, he starred in the television drama 118 Reunion.

He appeared in Kin and Nightwatchers.

He has also appeared in We the Citizens.

He starred in My One in a Million.

He appeared in Healing Heroes and You Can Be An Angel 4.

As an artist, he released a book titled Xi the World in 2017 that compiles his sketches of Mediacorp at Caldecott Hill. He sells art prints and conducts art workshops through the brand The Xi Atelier and has a cat artwork commission service called Nekolour. He is also a partner of Clump A Dump, a cat litter brand, where he is mainly responsible for the art direction and marketing.

Personal life
Born Chen Xi (陈熙), his parents changed his name to Chen Yixi (陈一凞) when he was 9, upon the advice of a Fengshui master. To date, his name remains as Chen Yixi (陈一凞) on official documents. In November 2021, Chen announced that he is adopting his birth name, Chen Xi (陈熙), which was given by his parents, as his new stage name. He formerly used the stage name Chen Yixi (陈一熙).

Chen is a certified red belt, and black tip in Taekwando. He speaks some Japanese and Korean. In July 2023, he enrolled into a local institution to study the Enneagram of Personality.

During Chen's secondary school days, Chen's father Edmund had a friend who sponsored hard contact lenses for Chen to wear overnight to replace the hassle of wearing glasses. Chen eventually contracted a cornea infection which led to a partial loss of vision in his left eye. A doctor initially advised the removal of his left eye due to worrying that the infection might reach his brain, but later did not proceed with the suggestion. After near to eight years looking for a cure, Chen received a partial cornea transplant during his time in the army and has since recovered 75 per cent of his vision in his left eye.

At the Star Awards 2023, Chen's mother Xiang Yun revealed that Chen will be heading to the United Kingdom in September 2023 to further his studies, when accepting the Evergreen Artiste award. Chen expressed shock and later said that he had actually wanted to "quietly fade away to the UK" without making any media announcements. In an interview in August 2023, Chen estimated that he would be spending near to sgd100,000 on his 1-year King's College London arts management masters course including accommodation and living expenses. He was accepted for the course in 2019 but COVID-19 had disrupted his plans. Chen said he would still be working with Mediacorp on a project-by-project basis upon completing his masters.

Filmography
Chen has appeared in the following programmes and films:

Television series

 * Life Less Ordinary (2017)
 * 118 Reunion (2017)
 * While We Are Young (2017)
 * 29th February (2018)
 * Fifty & Fabulous (2018; cameo)
 * Reach for the Skies (2018)
 * My One in a Million (2019)
 * Dear Neighbours (2019)
 * Hello From The Other Side (2019)
 * Kin (2020)
 * Terror Within (2020)
 * In the Wind (2020)
 * Reunion (2021)
 * You Can Be An Angel 4 (2021)
 * Nightwatchers (2021)
 * Soul Doctor (2022)
 * Healing Heroes (2022)
 * Fix My Life (2023)

Web series

 * I-Rock (2015)
 * A Lonely Fish (2018)
 * Love at Cavenagh Bridge (2018)

Film

 * Echoing Love (2011)
 * Wonder Boy (2017)

Variety and reality show

 * The Nationals (2019)
 * The Backward Race (2019; children's programme)

Book

 * Xi the World (2017)