Tan Kim Ching who happened to be Anna Leonowens, a young widow, looking for work to support herself and her two children. The story of the schoolteacher and the King of Siam has been made popular through the films "The King And I" (Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr) and "Anna and the King" (Chow, Yun Fatt and Jodie Foster). When the King and Queen of Siam landed in Singapore in 1890 they stayed at Tan Kim Ching's house, "Siam house", in North Bridge Road. It was reported that The King, who was expected to arrive in Singapore at Tanjong Pagar Wharf on board
Deborah Kerr an Academy Honorary Award for her career in 1994. She was also nominated four times for the BAFTA Award for Best British Actress: "The End of the Affair" (1955), "Tea and Sympathy" (1956), "The Sundowners" (1961) and "The Chalk Garden" (1964). She received one Emmy Award nomination in 1985 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Special for "A Woman of Substance". She was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama for "Edward, My Son" (1949), "Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison" (1957) and "Separate Tables" (1958). Deborah Kerr Deborah Jane Trimmer