Pete Teo: Sabahan Musician and Filmmaker

Pete Teo at a glance

Sabah's creative reach extends to film and music through Sabah-born Pete Teo (New Straits Times, checked 7 October 2026). He has built a varied career as an independent singer-songwriter, a filmmaker and an actor, working both in Malaysia and on international productions.

For many, his most visible moment came in 2017, when he appeared in the Hollywood adaptation of Ghost in the Shell. But his contribution to Malaysian culture runs deeper, taking in original music and an influential short-film project.

From Sabah to a creative career

Pete Teo was born in Sabah. He later studied at the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom, where he played guitar in student bands, before returning to Malaysia to pursue a creative life that would eventually span music, film and acting (New Straits Times, checked 7 October 2026).

That mix of Sabahan roots and an international education helped shape a career that moves comfortably between local and global contexts. Like Tawau-raised Amber Chia, he is an example of a Sabahan reaching audiences far beyond Borneo.

An award-winning singer-songwriter

At the core of Pete Teo's work is his music. As an independent singer-songwriter, he became the first indie act to win big at the Anugerah Industri Muzik in 2007, when his album Television won all three categories it was nominated for (New Straits Times, checked 7 October 2026).

He also composed soundtrack music for director Yasmin Ahmad, most notably for Talentime. The film's song I Go, in its Malay version Pergi, won the main prize at Anugerah Juara Lagu 2009 (New Straits Times, checked 7 October 2026). His music earned him a respected place in Malaysia's independent scene and laid the groundwork for his later moves into film.

Acting and a Hollywood role

Pete Teo's creative range includes acting, and his highest-profile screen credit came in the 2017 Hollywood film Ghost in the Shell, in which he played a villainous bar owner opposite Scarlett Johansson. He got the part after an audition arranged by his agent in Hong Kong (New Straits Times, checked 7 October 2026).

Appearing in a major international film is a notable achievement for any Malaysian performer, and it brought a Sabahan-born artist to a global cinema audience. It also reflected the international dimension that has run through much of his career.

The 15Malaysia film project

Among Pete Teo's most discussed contributions is 15Malaysia, a short-film project he produced and released in 2009. It gathered 15 short films by Malaysian filmmakers, including works by Yasmin Ahmad, and the Japan Foundation later screened it in a programme devoted to his work (Japan Foundation, checked 7 October 2026).

The project highlighted his role not only as a performer but as a producer and organiser able to bring creative talent together. It remains one of the works most associated with his name, underlining his place in Malaysia's wider arts landscape.

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