Malaysia’s Yong Zheng Xi on the ‘95% hard work’ behind his Bridgerton fame

From a law lecture hall to Barbie and later the glitzy ballroom of Bridgerton, Malaysian-born actor Yong Zheng Xi is quietly carving out a place for himself on the international stage.He appeared in the period drama as Lord Barnaby, a role that marks another milestone in a journey shaped as much by persistence as by talent.Yong, 32, began as a singer but it was only after moving to London to pursue a law degree that his career trajectory shifted.“When I came to London to pursue my undergraduate degree in law, my then singing teacher encouraged me to consider pursuing musical theatre and to watch more shows,” said the Miri-born who has a law degree from King’s College London.“I became inspired when I saw that. In musical theatre, you could act, sing and dance all at once, which satisfied my multiple interests, so I decided that was what I wanted to do,” he said.What began as curiosity soon evolved into a commitment to storytelling, a craft he describes as complex and rewarding.