Soo Wincci (Chinese: 苏盈之; born 26 October 1985) is a Malaysian singer, actress, beauty pageant titleholder and model. She crowned Miss World Malaysia in 2008 and represented Malaysia in the Miss World 2008 beauty pageant.[1] In 2013, she was selected by Hollywood's Independent Critics as one of the 100 most beautiful women in the world.[2] In 2016 she was awarded the "Top 10 Most Outstanding Young Malaysian Award".[3] In 2018 the Chinese media nicknamed her "The Most Beautiful Dr".[4] She has four entries in the Malaysia Book of Records.[5]
In 2016, she managed to complete her Ph.D. research and passed her viva voce on 31 May 2016.[6]
In 2017 she was accepted by Berklee College of Music Valencia to pursue her second master's degree. She graduated with her second master's & was awarded her post-master's fellowship .[8]
In 2018, she graduated with a master's degree in music production, innovation and technology and later 2019 on with a Post master's degree Fellowship from Berklee College of Music in 2019.[9]
In 2019 upon graduation, she was awarded 2 records by the Malaysia Book of Records, "Beauty Queen with the Most Achieved Degrees" and "Recording Artist with the Most Achieved Degrees".[5] She was also accepted to the University of Polytechnic Valencia in order to pursue her second Ph.D.[10]
Career
2004–2008: Beauty pageant
Soo Wincci spent almost six years modelling and participated in over twenty pageants until she won her most desired title: Miss World Malaysia in 2008.[11]
In 2004, Wincci won second place in the Miss Malaysia Intercontinental pageant. However, the winner could not join the world pageant so she represented Malaysia in the Miss Intercontinental Pageant in China.[12] She came third in the Miss Malaysia Oriental World pageant in the same year.[12]
In 2005, she was the first runner-up in the Miss Chinatown pageant.[11]
In 2009, Soo began her acting career in a local NTV7 Chinese sitcom, titled Mr. Siao's Mandarin Class.[15] On 18 August 2009, Soo released her self-composed singing album Soo Wincci.[13]Samsung appointed her song "Beauty With a Purpose"[16] (which was sung in English, Malay, and Chinese) as the theme for Samsung LED.
Soo released her first full Chinese album titled Ying Guang in 2011.[17] She acted as Hui Ying in the Mediacorp drama Destiny in Her Hands" and NTV7's legal drama Justice in the City.[18] She also starred in Asia's first 3D thriller Hunter playing the role of a host named Hu Jing, aired in Asia in 2012. She composed and sang the movie's theme song.[19]
In 2011, she went to the London Media and Film Academy to attend the Acting Masterclass, and the Hosting Masterclass.[19] She also worked on her vocal skills with famous UK singing coach, Kim Chadler.[19]
In 2012, she released her third Chinese album (with her own magazine) titled, In My Heart.[19]
Soo joined the celebrity edition of MasterChef Malaysia, reaching the top-five finalists and became known as the Queen of Desserts.[20] After MasterChef, she launched her Malay EP titled Terus Teranglah.[21]
She launched her first Chinese international album titled Happiness in Taiwan.[22]
In 2013, Soo was selected by Hollywood's Independent Critics for its list the 100 Most Beautiful Face of 2013. She was number 91.[23] In 2014, Soo founded her own talent management company, Beyond Artistes.[24] She acted as the main lead for the drama The Injustice Stranger.[25]
2017–present: Composing, public appearance and acting career
She also became a music producer by writing, composing and producing her self-created first motivational pop song titled "I Am X A Loser".[26] She held her first motivational speaking tour giving talks at over twenty universities across Malaysia.[27] Her villain role inside "Kau Yang Satu" received good reviews and was successfully released in cinemas.[28]
She also attended variety shows in China and was being nicknamed by the China media as "The Most Beautiful Dr".[4]
In mid-2020, she broke the news of her new comeback song with a Latin Grammy-winning Producer.[29]
She returned back to acting in a Astro new originals series titled "The Queens's Ploy". Besides acting, she will be producing and composing for the drama theme songs.[30] Apart from that, Soo also a participant The Masked Singer Malaysia in season 4 as Kak Cat.
