Pik-Sen Lim (, 15 September 1944 – 9 June 2025) was a Malaysian-British actress. Born to Malaysian Chinese parents in Penang, she moved to the United Kingdom in 1961 to attend the London School of Dramatic Art. According to the BFI, Lim was "the most familiar Chinese actor on British television screens in the 1970s and 80s."
Lim's notable roles include Chin Lee in the 1971 Doctor Who serial The Mind of Evil, Chung Su-Lee on the ITV sitcom Mind Your Language (1977–79), Tsai Adams on the military drama Spearhead (1978–81), and the killer cleaner in Johnny English Reborn (2011). She was also the narrator for the Dark Souls video game series.
Early life Lim was born to Malayan Chinese parents in Penang, Straits Settlements (occupied by Japan at the time), and was the daughter of the palm oil millionaire Lim Cheng-Teik. She attended convent school in Penang, where she was nicknamed "Pixie". From a young age, Lim found a love for acting, but her parents and relatives were not supportive of her desire to pursue it as a profession. Against the wishes of her family, she moved to the United Kingdom in 1961 at the age of 16 to study at the London School of Dramatic Art.
Her birth name was romanised Lim Phaik-Seng, but she changed her given name to "Pik-Sen" since her British friends would mispronounce "Phaik" as "fake".
Career In 1964, she appeared in the hospital drama series Emergency Ward 10, playing a nurse. There she met scriptwriter Don Houghton, whom she married in 1968. The couple's daughter, Sara Houghton (born 1971), is also an actress; the two women once portrayed a mother and daughter in the stage play Three Thousand Troubled Threads. Sara also appeared in a serial of Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures called The Curse of Clyde Langer.
Lim appeared in the Don Houghton-scripted Doctor Who serial The Mind of Evil in 1971 as Chin Lee (a role she later reprised in an audiodrama from Big Finish Productions), and the first three seasons of the sitcom Mind Your Language speaking Penang Hokkien as her Chinese language. Here, she was obliged to speak in an exaggerated, stereotyped Chinese accent. Her later appearances are roles in the short lived soap operas Albion Market (1985) and Night and Day (2003), as well as Arabian Nights (2000), The Bill (2005), and as a character in the comedy series Little Britain (2004).
She is the narrator of the Dark Souls series of video games.
In 1966, she was invited to be Rye Fawkes at the Rye Bonfire celebrations. This involved being seated in a sedan chair, hoisted aloft and being carried down from the Landgate in Rye to the bonfire, where she was presented with a burning torch with which she set the bonfire alight.
In 2024, Lim voiced her final film role as the narrator of The Wedding Veil of the Proud Princess, a fantasy animated short film based on a passage from the fourth chapter of L.M. Montgomery's novel The Story Girl; the short film is dedicated to Lim's memory.
Personal life Lim married screenwriter Don Houghton in 1968. Their daughter, Sara Houghton, is also an actress. The couple divorced sometime in the 1980s.
Death Lim died on 9 June 2025, at the age of 80.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 1969 The Gladiators C-21985PlentyMadame Aung2002MirandaMrs. Wang2007Monkey Nut TalesGrandma WuShort film2008Granny's GhostGranny2011Johnny English RebornKiller Cleaner2012Healthy MotherShort film2014Balsa WoodBebing2016The Sea, the God, the ManGrandmother2018Dim SumNai Nai ChenThe CrackFilm Developer2020British PeopleLinda2021I Am a UnicornCynthia2024The Wedding Veil of the Proud PrincessNarrator (voice)
Television Year Title Role Notes 1964 Das Mädchen aus dem Dschungel Amina Miniseries; 3 episodes1964–67Emergency Ward 10Nurse Kwei-Kim YenSeries regular1967Hugh and IEpisode: "A Touch of the Rising Sun"Who is Sylvia?Episode: "The Man from C.L.U.N.K."Sorry I'm SingleSuzySeries regular 1970 The Flaxton Boys Su Ling3 episodes 1971 Doctor Who Cpt. Chin Lee Serial: "The Mind of Evil" (3 episodes) 1972 Madame Sin NikkoTV movie 1972, 1975 General Hospital Prem. Unit Nurse, Rubia Mosley2 episodes 1974 Within These Walls Sister Ling3 episodes 1976 The New Avengers Sing Episode: "The Midas Touch" 1977–79 Mind Your Language Chung Su-Lee Series regular 1978–81 Spearhead Tsai Adams Series regular 1979 Angels Dr. Yeo 1980 The Professionals Chai Ling "Take Away" 1980 Shoestring Phone Girl "Mocking Bird" 1985 Albion Market Ly Nhu Chan 1996 Cracker Wei Wei "White Ghost" 1998 London's Burning Mrs. Lau 2000 Arabian Nights Aladdin's Mother Mini-series 2003 Fortysomething Chinese waitress 2004 Little Britain Simone 2005 The Bill Dora Sim 2006 The Ruby in the Smoke Madame Sheng 2010 Spirit Warriors Beggar Woman 2010 Casualty Reiko Reid Episode "Clean Slate" 2012 A Civil Arrangement Madam Rene TV movie 2013 Holby City Amy Cardle "The Journey Home" 2015 Roald Dahl's Esio Trot Mrs Wu 2015 The Dumping Ground PoPo 1 episode: "Coming Round" 2019 This Way Up Chien 2022 Vampire Academy The Queen 9 episodes 2023 The Nevers Madame Tam 1 episode: "It's a Good Day"
Video games Year Title Role Notes 2011 Dark Souls Narrator (voice)2012Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss2016Dark Souls III
Theatre Year Title Role Notes 1964 The Bacchae of Euripides Chorus 2012 The Sugar-Coated Bullets of the Bourgeoisie Mrs Gao Produced by Finborough Theatre.
References
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