Information AboutZoe Tay |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT ZOE TAY | |
| 1968 births | |
| chinese singers | |
| living people | |
| singaporean female singers | |
| singaporean film actors | |
| singaporean television personalities | |
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Zoe Tay Hui Gek (; born 10 January 1968 ) is a Singaporean actress in MediaCorp . She is known as the Queen (''Ah jie'') of Caldecott Hill. She is also known as the Thousand-Faced Lady. She is married to pilot Philip Chionh and has a son, Brayden. CAREER LIFE Early days Zoe Tay was born to Pig farming parents in 10 January 1968 and was the second youngest child in her family who lived in Lim Chu Kang in her childhood. She entered the now defunct Kay Hua Primary School and later Yuan Ching Secondary School for her secondary education. A Tomboy in her youth, she enjoyed Football and climbing Tree s, or challenging other children who did bicycle race. Zoe became a model at the age of 16, much to her father's disappoval. She was first groomed at IMP International and David Gan in 1986 . During her modeling stint, she became Model of the Year 1987 . She would have carried on to Hong Kong to become a model, if not for Patricia Chan and her other friends who persuaded Zoe to join the then Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (now MediaCorp) bi-annual talent Star Search in 1988 . Zoe put up a comparatively superb performance; however, she also mentioned in latter years that if she were to enter Star Search later, she would not have stood a chance as the standards and judging criteria were rising. Zoe also believes that her modeling background helped her to be more confident and project her personality better. Difficult Times Zoe Tay did not enjoy being an actress when she first started out. In fact, she was so down in the dumps that she had actually wanted to become a production assistant instead. Nonetheless, Zoe did not become a production assistant due to kind words from an acting coach, who assured her that she would become an outstanding actress if she was willing to persevere through the early days. It was only in 1991 when Zoe realized that she actually did like acting. She was given a role as a simple village girl who was torn between two men in ''Crime and Passion'', and it was through this role where she found herself appreciating the colorful life of an actress. Her first TV serial was ''My Fair Ladies'' that was played in 1988. In it, she acted together with the other winners from Star Search, Jazreel Low and Aileen Tan . Ascendance To Popularity Zoe carried on playing a myriad of characters in countless television series ranging from contemporary to period dramas. Due to her natural flair in acting and her versatility, she is labeled by the media as the “Thousand-Faced Lady”. In 1990 , Zoe joined the scintillating company of international celebrities such as Sophia Loren, Michelle Pfeiffer and Joan Chen where she became the first local star to be featured in the Lux commercials. After being the Lux girl, further endorsement products came knocking on her door, making her the favorite star for their endorsements. Zoe’s breakthrough came in 1991 when she was cast as a materialistic and malicious woman in ''Pretty Faces'', a serial in which she stamped her mark with her versatility and sex appeal. Because of Zoe’s superlative acting, it set a record with over a million viewers tuning in for the episode where Bobo was raped. The role “Bobo” won Zoe copious accolades and critical compliments. It was nominated as one of the most memorable roles in the Star Awards in 2003 ! In 1993 , Zoe performed together with Li Nan Xing in ''The Unbeatables'', a serial that focused on the gambling table. The chemistry between them in this serial resulted in the series hitting the top of the viewers ratio, settting records that were raised through the roof that that period of time. Even as of now, the duo are still deemed as one of the most compatible on-screen lovers. At her peak, there was a widespread agreement in the media industry that putting Zoe's picture on the cover will revive the plummeting sales of any magazine. Hence, it is not surprising that Zoe has earned herself the title, “Queen of Caldecott Hill” or the “Queen of Viewers Ratio”. This undisputed Queen of Caldecott Hill has certainly lived up to her status with her consistent placement among the Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes in the annual Star Awards, an award ceremony for TV personalities, since its inception in 1994 . She also clinched the Best Actress Award in Star Awards 1996 for her stellar performance in Golden Pillow. This is the one and only serial in which Zoe has starred with Fann Wong, one of the uprising stars who scored a hat-trick by sweeping away three of the main awards in 1995 . Her portrayal of a modern-day career woman in Home Affairs also earned her a nomination for Best Leading Actress at the Asian Television Awards 2000 , which is one of the most anticipated events annually in the media. Zoe's professionalism has gained her respect amongst her colleagues and recognition at home. Zoe was also the first local female artiste to launch a coffee table book, Zoe's Pictorial, back in 1995, that displayed her smolderingly sexy, demurely alluring or glamorous and stylish look. That was followed by the release of her solo album a year later. Silver Screen Debut In 1999 , Zoe started to venture out into the silver screen. Her first role in the movie, ''Liang Po Po'', directed by Jack Neo , was to star as herself. Though there is a difference between performing in a drama and a movie, nevertheless, Zoe always strives to put up her best possible performance. 2001 was a memorable year for Zoe as she was given the main lead actress role in the movie, ''The Tree'', where Zoe portrayed a mother who was suspected to have murdered her husband. Other artistes who starred in this touching movie are the 'Golden Horse Best Actor' Francis Ng and local artiste Phyllis Quek. Zoe has contributed to charity organizations by performing in a large number of charity fund-raising shows. Her performances have always brought in large numbers of calls. Zoe trains hard for every performance, and there was an occasion where she sprained her back while rehearsing for such fund-raising stunts. However, she is not daunted and continues to bring participates in such events. Having experienced many wedding scenes, 22 September 2001 was finally no act but Zoe’s wedding with Philip Chionh, a pilot. The day was widely-anticipated and was given much coverage in the local media. 2004 marked the 10th year that Zoe Tay was cconsecutively voted in the Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes; and in order to allow vacancies for the younger cohort of actresses to fill; she was awarded a special award, All Time Favorite, together with Li Nan Xing and Chew Chor Meng. Zoe is the first female artiste to receive this award. In recent years, Zoe is said by many to be over-the-hill due to her roles gradually changing to include characters like an ugly duckling and a barbaric hooligan in ''Man in Forty'' and ''My Mighty-In-Laws'' respectively. Recent Years Zoe gave birth to her first born, a boy, named Brayden (A Gaelic word that means bravery and courage) on 24 February 2005 at Thomson Medical Centre. Though her husband was not with her, her good friends, Pan Ling Ling and some of the other artistes were there anyway. Due to her pregnancy in 2005, Zoe was not able to participate in any serials, and thus was not nominated for anything in this year's Star Awards. Nevertheless, Zoe tried to explore different avenues in showbiz by hosting several educational programs catered to mums-to-be. However, she has created some controversy with her immediate post-pregnancy slimming endorsment and some personal hygiene issues as well. In this year's Star Awards, Zoe made the headlines as well. Her sudden appearance on the stage during the thank-you speech of her good friend, Chen Hanwei, has incurred much debate in various forums. Zoe's attempted matchmaking -through much cajoling and teasing on stage- for Christopher Lee and Fann Wong during the very same programme, caused much controversy as well, with many people in both the media circle and public alike speculating that Zoe's sudden appearance was to steal the limelight or to emphasise her position in MediaCorp. In early December 2005, Zoe snagged her first sitcom after her pregnancy, ''Lady of Leisure'', opposite Singapore actor, Edmund Chen. In this serial (aired on 29th April 2006), she will portray as a fashionable and modern woman who was once a magazine editor. On top of that, Zoe will surprise the audience by speaking a foreign language and by wearing a variety of traditional costumes. SPOKESPERSON
AMBASSADORIAL DUTIES
PUBLICATIONS
MUSICAL ACHIEVEMENTS Self Titled Albums
Compilations
Soundtracks
Drama Serial Songs
FILMOGRAPHY TV Programmes
Movies
Telemovies
TV HOSTINGS Variety Shows
Travelogue
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS
Friday Weekly Most Popular Artiste (TV Group) First Runner-Up
CONTACTS Artiste Management Unit Artiste Management Division MediaCorp Studios Pte Ltd Caldecott Broadcast Centre East Wing Building Level 3 Andrew Road Singapore 299939 Attn: (Zoe Tay) Artiste Gifts Unit MediaCorp Studios Pte Ltd Artiste Management Division Caldecott Broadcast Centre East Wing Level 3, Room 330 Andrew Road Singapore 299939 EXTERNAL LINKS
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