Herman Keh (郭坤耀)

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Herman Keh ‘郭坤耀’ (born 14 May 1996) is a Singaporean actor, currently contracted under local entertainment company Mediacorp. He is also widely famous on TikTok, with 170,600 followers.[1] As of June 2022, he has gained over 15,700 followers on Instagram.[2]

Herman Keh, Mediacorp Actor.
Herman Keh
Herman Keh.jpg
Born14 May 1996
EducationDiploma in Dance
Alma materLASELLE College of the Arts

Background

Education

After graduating from junior college, Herman pursued a Diploma in Dance at the LASELLE College of the Arts. In an interview, he stated that he wanted to pursue dance full-time as it was something that he believed in.

“So I went to audition at LASALLE on my own without telling anyone. It was only after I secured a place in LASALLE that I informed my parents. I reassured them that I was passionate and committed to pursuing dance.”[3]

Professional Career

Professional Model

 
Herman Keh’s modelling profile. Photo from NOW Model Management.

Prior to taking part in Star Search 2019, Herman was signed to professional modelling agency NOW Model Management. His contract is set to expire in 2022.[4]

 
A meme of Herman’s exaggerated expression during his finals skit at Star Search 2019. Photo from 8 Days.

Star Search 2019

Herman took part in local talent competition Star Search in 2019. He eventually came in second place, losing out to eventual winner Teoh Zetong.[5] As part of the top 3 contestants in the competition, Herman subsequently secured an acting deal with Mediacorp.

In the finals, Herman acted in a skit based on a 1997 Channel 8 drama The Guest People, alongside winner Teoh Zetong. Herman’s exaggerated expression at one moment during the skit caught the attention and criticism of netizens, and a screenshot of his face quickly circulated online soon thereafter.[6]

Nevertheless, his performance was well received by the audience, and even earned him the praise of veteran Hong Kong actress Carina Lau, who complimented him for “stealing the spotlight from everyone else”.[4]

Mediacorp Career

 
A photo of HST. Photo from Gen Z Magazine.

Following his second-place finish in Star Search 2019, Herman landed his first major acting role with Mediacorp, playing the second male lead in crime drama Mind Jumper[7]. He has also been involved with variety programmes such as Curious City and Just Swipe Lah, as well as the online show Intern Survival Guide.[7]

As part of branding efforts, Herman, together with fellow Star Search 2019 alumni Tyler Ten and Zhai Siming, are collectively marketed as “HST”, which was a band name that was coined by their fans. According to a report, the three of them “will officially team up as HST to explore different collaboration opportunities”.[7]

The three of them also have a strong TikTok presence, regularly appearing on each others’ social media accounts and creating lighthearted dances and comedic videos.

Herman’s latest project is a dialect drama titled “I Want To Be A Towkay”《亲家,冤家做头家》. The 20-episode drama is a joint collaboration between Mediacorp and the Ministry of Communications and Information, and will see Herman star alongside other young cast members like Romeo Tan and Denise Camillia Tan.[8]

In 2021, Herman was a nominee for the 2021 Star Awards Best Newcomer Award, for his role in Interns Survivors’ Guide.[9]

Filmography

Year Channel Title Character Refs.
2022 TBC What's Wrong Doctor? TBC [10]
2021 Channel 8 The Peculiar Pawn Broker 人心鉴定师 [11]
Channel 8 The Heartland Hero 邻里帮 [9]
Web series I want to be Towkay 冤家、亲家做头家 Wang Yu [12]
2020 Channel 8 Jungle Survivor 森林生存记 [9]
Channel 8 Jungle Survivor Extension 实习生的生存记 [9]
Channel 8 Mind Jumper  触心罪探 Xiao Wang Zi [13]
2019 Channel 8 All Around You  回路网 Han Feng Jie [14]

TikTok presence

Speaking with Singaporean magazine 8 DAYS, Herman Keh spoke of how he was fine with being known as the “TikTok guy”.[15] To date, he has several viral TikTok videos under his belt, many of which include fellow Mediacorp actors, Zhai Siming and Tyler Ten.

On 4 June 2022, a TikTok of him taking part in the Jiggle Jiggle trend went viral.[16] From the variety of languages that appeared in the video’s comments section, it was evident that Herman’s TikTok had managed to reach countries like Indonesia, Korea, and even Russia.

In the clip, Herman is seen dancing with fellow actress, Kiki Lim.[15] Both were dressed as doctor and patient, as they were in the midst of filming for Channel 8’s upcoming drama, What’s Wrong Doctor?, 医生不是神.[10] As of June 2022, the TikTok has exceeded 23 million views.

References / Citations

  1. iamhermankeh. “iamhermankeh”. Tiktok. n.d. Accessed 5 May 2022.
  2. Herman Keh. “iamhermankeh”. Instagram. n.d. Accessed 10 June 2022.
  3. Features. “In Conversation With: Herman Keh On Taking The Path Less Trodden”. LASELLE College of the Arts. n.d. Accessed 5 May 2022.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Tan, Kendra. “Star Search First Runner-up Herman Keh Wants To Be “Singapore’s First Mr Bean””. Today Online. November 4, 2019. Accessed 5 May 2022.
  5. Lee, Jan. “Malaysia's Teoh Ze Tong, 26, crowned as winner of Star Search 2019”. Straits Times. November 4, 2019. Accessed 5 May 2022.
  6. Zheng, Zhangxin. “Hong Kong actress Carina Lau praises Star Search runner-up Herman Keh's jaw-dropping act”. Mothership. November 5, 2019. Accessed 5 May 2022.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Seah, May. “Meet Herman Keh, Zhai Siming and Tyler Ten: Star Search's new celeb trio is ready for the big time”. CNA Lifestyle. November 15, 2021. Accessed 5 May 2022.
  8. Ministry of Communications and Information Pressroom. “New dialect drama “I Want To Be A Towkay”《亲家,冤家做头家》 to debut in February 2022”. Ministry of Communications and Information. February 9, 2022. Accessed 5 May 2022.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Herman Keh. “Herman Keh”. Mediacorp. n.d. Accessed 5 May 2022.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Kalaichalvan, Kishore. “Herman Keh’s TikTok goes viral: Actor ‘shocked’ by its global reach”. CNA. June 8, 2022. Accessed 10 June 2022.
  11. meWatch. “The Peculiar Pawnbroker”. meWatch. N.d. Accessed 6 May 2022.
  12. Govsg. ““I Want To Be A Towkay” Episode 9 Trailer 《亲家,冤家做头家》第九集预告”. YouTube. April 12, 2022. Accessed 6 May 2022.
  13. Mind Jumpers”. IMDb. n.d. Accessed 5 May 2022.
  14. "All Around You”. IMDb. n.d. Accessed 5 May 2022.
  15. 15.0 15.1 8 DAYS. “Mediacorp Actor Herman Keh, Whose Recent TikTok Got Over 16 Million Views, Says He’s Okay With Being Known As ‘The TikTok Guy’… For Now”. 8 DAYS. June 7, 2022. Accessed 10 June 2022.
  16. Herman Keh. “iamhermankeh”. TikTok. June 4, 2022. Accessed 10 June 2022.