'Mind Your Language' actress Lim Pik-Sen passes away at 80

BRITAIN: The Star just reported that Lim Pik-Sen, a wonderful Penang-born actress many of us remember fondly from the British sitcom Mind Your Language, passed away this past Monday, Jun 9. [caption id="attachment_675955" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Photo: YouTube/Lim Pik-Sen[/caption] She was born back in 1944, making this wonderful British actress 80 years old now. Her father was the businessman, Lim Cheng-Teik. She pursued her early education in Penang before heading to the United Kingdom to study acting at the age of 16.

Interestingly, her birth name was Lim Phaik-Seng, but because her British friends often mispronounced "Phaik" as "fake," she decided to change it to "Pik-Sen" — a name that’s easier for them to pronounce correctly.

Well-known for Mind Your Language role

Lim was extremely well-known for her role in the sitcom Mind Your Language from 1977 to 1986.

She played Chung Su-Lee, a Chinese student, and for the show, she spoke in a pretty exaggerated, broken English with a Chinese accent. The funny thing is, in real life, she was totally fluent in English! She even had this absolutely classic running gag in the sitcom: her character, Chung Su-Lee, was completely devoted to Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong, almost to a hilarious extreme. She was famous for pulling out her "little red book" at the drop of a hat and, in a remarkably humorous way, starting to recite verses about communism. It was quite a memorable part of her performance!

Over 30 films, dramas, and TV programs

Also, who could forget her scene-stealing role in the 2011 movie Johnny English Reborn? She played that unforgettable "killer cleaner" alongside big names like Rowan Atkinson, Gillian Anderson, and Dominic West.

On Sep 15, 1944, a talented Malaysian-British actress named Lim Pik-Sen (real name Lim Phaik-Seng) was born.

The most recognisable Chinese actor on British TV

Lim left such a lasting mark on the industry that the British Film Institute honoured her as “the most recognisable Chinese actor on British television throughout the 1970s and 1980s.”

Her career began even earlier, in the 1960s, when she broke new ground by playing Nurse Kwei in Emergency Ward 10—one of the first prominent roles for an East Asian actress on British TV.

Now, this was one of Britain's very first medical dramas, so it was a pretty big deal. What made her role so pioneering was that she portrayed a Chinese nurse who not only spoke fluent English but also fell in love with a doctor.

Her career was incredibly varied! Even fans of Doctor Who might remember her! She played Captain Chin Lee in the 1971 serial The Mind of Evil.

Beyond that, she was a familiar face across so many classic British TV shows. You might have spotted her in beloved staples like Coronation Street, Casualty, Holby City, and The Bill. She also popped up in Spearhead, Albion Market, Night and Day, and even the more recent Little Britain.

If you're a gamer, you've probably heard her, even if you didn't know it was her! Lim's distinctive voice was actually the narrator for the super popular Dark Souls video game series.

Bold move

At just 16, Lim made a bold move. She decided to pack her bags and head to the United Kingdom to follow her dream of acting, enrolling at the London School of Dramatic Art. What's even more impressive is that she did this against her family's wishes—a true testament to her dedication.

In her personal life, she was married to the talented writer and screenwriter Don Houghton, who passed away in 1991. She leaves behind their daughter, Sara Houghton, who has followed in her mother's footsteps as an actress.