Renee Li-Yen Lim (born ) is an Australian actress, television presenter, and medical doctor. She is best known for her roles as Constable Jung Lim in East West 101 (2007–2011), Mae in Please Like Me (2013–2016) and her recurring role as Vivienne Hart in The Secret Daughter (2016–2017).
Early life and education Lim was born in Perth, Western Australia to Chinese-Malaysian parents who had migrated from Malaysia to Australia in the 1970s. When she was five years old, her parents divorced. Lim was primarily raised by her single father. Her mother moved to Malaysia and remarried, with a Peranakan man. Lim would often travel to Malaysia, where she had family other than her mother, to visit her mother. Lim's father later also remarried, and had a son with his new wife when she was 12 years old.
Lim graduated as the dux of her high school Hampton Senior High School. Few from Lim's high school pursued tertiary studies, and she had initially intended to "be a doctor on weekdays, a lawyer on weekends, an actor on the holidays and a dancer at night".
At 17 years old, Lim moved to Sydney, New South Wales to commence medical studies at the University of New South Wales, graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery in 2001.
In 2000, Lim co-directed the University of New South Wales Medical Revue, American Booty (an homage to the 1999 film American Beauty), alongside Keith Lim and Jason Appleby. Also during her university studies, Lim co-authored two academic articles.Renee L. H. Lim, William J. O'Sullivan, Thomas S. Stewart. (1996.) "Isolation, characterization and expression of the gene encoding cytidine triphosphate synthetase from Giardia intestinalis", Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, 78(1–2):249–57.
Career Medical career Lim is a physician, mostly working in part-time, locum posts in emergency medicine, geriatrics, and palliative care departments, and a clinical lecturer at the University of Sydney's Northern Clinical School. She is the Director of Programs at the Pam McLean Centre, an organisation that develops communication training for medical professionals.
Lim considered leaving medical practice altogether to focus on acting; however, she realised that she "love[d] it", adding that "acting is now my job opposed to my hobby".
Entertainment career As an actor, Lim made ten guest appearances on the Australian hospital drama All Saints as Suzi Lau, and appeared as a regular cast member on SBS's police drama East West 101 as Jung Lim. Lim played Mae, the younger Thai girlfriend of Josh's father, in Please Like Me, and starred in Forget Me Not in 2014, and in The Secret Daughter, Wonderland and Pulse in 2016.
As a presenter she has appeared on the ABC's Ask The Doctors, and on Food Investigators and Destination Flavour.
Lim creates content for Nay In The Life, a multi-platform project that combines video, theatre and written content centred around well-being and personal development.
Filmography Film Year Title RoleNotes 2011 Lisa Lung 2012 Dead Moon Circus Rei Hino / Sailor Mars 2013 Dead Moon Circus 2 Rei Hino / Sailor Mars 2014 Ad Nauseam Chlorine Forget Me Not Jennifer 2019 Palm Beach Doctor Hall Fragmentary Rita Mackenzie 2020 Never Too Late Lin The Invisible Man Doctor Lee The Dry Sandra Whitlam 2021 Sydney Stories Call Girl 2022 Dark Noise Dr. Jill Croker 2024 Five Blind Dates Jing
Television Year Title RoleNotes 2003 White Collar Blue Housekeeper Episode #2.22 2007–2011 East West 101 Jung Lim Main role 2008–2009 All Saints Suzi Lau Regular role 2010 Packed to the Rafters Anh Episode: "Out of the Comfort Zone" 2011 Crownies Det. Karen Liu Recurring role 2012 Alex Regular role 2013–2014,2024 Atomic Kingdom Verity Long / Jade Long 8 episodes 2013–2016 Please Like Me Mae Main role 2014–2015 Wonderland Song Luu Recurring role 2015 Plonk Lucy Episode: "Barossa"2016 Emily TV series Deep Water Det. Ginger Miniseries, 4 episodes 2016–2017 The Secret Daughter Vivienne Hart 11 episodes 2017 Pulse Monica Lee 8 episodes 2017–2023 Little J & Big Cuz Ms. Chen 46 episodes2018 Bite Club Olivia Episode #1.6 Rake Tina Episode: "Gold and Greene v Red"2019 Secret City Helen Wu 4 episodes Diary of an Uber Driver Tess Episode #1.2 Preacher TV Anchor 2 episodes 2019–2020 Reckoning Marcy 5 episodes2021 The Unusual Suspects Detective Lim Miniseries, 3 episodes Clickbait Alice Miniseries, 4 episodes Fires Fiona Rocca Episode #1.22022 The Tourist Marnie Brown 2 episodes Bali 2002 Joy Fong 4 episodes 2022–2023 The PM's Daughter Deputy Principal Tan 6 episodes 2022–present Black Snow Senior Sergeant Angie Zang 5 episodes 2023 The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart Stella 3 episodes 2024 Prosper Jackie 3 episodes
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