Zoe Tay
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Zoe Tay Hui Gek (Simplified Chinese: 郑惠玉; pinyin: Zhèng Huìyù; born 10 January 1968) is a Singaporean actress in MediaCorp. She is known as the Queen (Ah jie) of Caldecott Hill. [citation needed] She is also known as the Thousand-Faced Lady. [citation needed] She is married to pilot Philip Chionh and has a son, Brayden.
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Career
Early days
Zoe Tay was born to farming parents, their second youngest child. During her childhood, her family lived in Lim Chu Kang. 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 trees, and bicycle racing. [citation needed]
Tay became a model at the age of 16, much to her father's disapproval. [citation needed]She was first groomed at IMP International and David Gan in 1986.
During her modeling stint, she became the 1987 Model of the Year. In 1988 she joined the then Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (now MediaCorp) bi-annual talent Star Search .
Tay 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. She also believes that her modeling background helped her to be more confident and project her personality better. [citation needed]
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. [citation needed]
Nonetheless, she 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 which played in 1988. In it, she acted together with the other winners from Star Search, Jazreel Low and Aileen Tan.
Rise to popularity
Tay played a myriad of characters in several television series ranging from contemporary to period dramas. In 1990, she became the first local star to be featured in the Lux commercials. After being the Lux girl, further product endorsements came to her, making her a favorite star. [citation needed]
Her breakthrough came in 1991 when she was cast as a materialistic and malicious woman in the television series Pretty Faces. She set a record with over a million viewers tuning in for the episode where her character, Bobo, was raped. The role “Bobo” won her many accolades and critical compliments. It was nominated as one of the most memorable roles in the Star Awards in 2003.
In 1993, Tay performed 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, setting vontemporary records. 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 Tay's picture on the cover would revive the plummeting sales of any magazine. [citation needed]
Zoe Tay has maintained a 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 performance in Golden Pillow. 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.
Tay was also the first local female artist to launch a coffee table book, Zoe's Pictorial, in 1995, which portrayed her in a variety of poses, including sexy, demurely alluring or glamorous and stylish. That was followed by the release of her solo album a year later.
Movie debut
In 1999, Tay started to venture out into movies. Her first role in the movie, Liang Po Po, directed by Jack Neo, was to star as herself. 2001 was a memorable year for her, as she was given the main lead actress role in the movie, The Tree, where she portrayed a mother who was suspected of murdering her husband. Other actors who starred in this movie are the Golden Horse Best Actor Francis Ng and local actress Phyllis Quek.
Tay has contributed to charity organizations by performing in a large number of charity fund-raising shows.
2004 marked the 10th year that Zoe Tay was consecutively 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. She is the first actress to receive this award.
Recent years
Zoe Tay 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, several friends, including Huang Biren, were there anyway.
Due to her pregnancy in 2005, Tay was not able to participate in any serials, and thus was not nominated for anything in that year's Star Awards. Nevertheless, she tried to explore different avenues in show business by hosting several educational programs catered to mothers--to-be.
In early December 2005, she snagged her first sitcom after her pregnancy, Lady of Leisure, opposite Singapore actor, Edmund Chen. In this serial (aired on 29th April 2006), she portrayed a fashionable and modern woman who was once a magazine editor.
In August 2006, Tay got in the limelight again with an Imedeem ad with the tagline, "My secret to beautiful skin? I swallow". It attracted a lot of attention and media coverage. The sales figures of Imedeem's products have since moved up tremendously.[citation needed]
Spokesperson
- Lux (First Asian LUX Girl)
- Poh Kong Chye
- McDonald's
- De Beers
- Phillip Wain
- Fujitsu
- Bee Cheng Hiang
- Mili
- Wai Pai
- Imedeen
- Ebel Watch
- Olympus
- Super Coffee Mix(brand)
- MTM Skin Care
- Drypers
- Similac
- Extrim Slimming Pills
- Rustic Nirvana Spa
- Gain
Ambassadorial duties
- 1996 : Ambassador of Swatch
- 1996 : Ambassador of Anti-Smoking Campaign
- 2000 : Ambassador of The Green Label
- 2001 : Ambassador of National Blood Recruitment
- 2003 : Ambassador of World Vision Singapore (Cambodia)
- 2003 : Ambassador of World Vision Singapore (Mongolia)
- 2004 : Ambassador of World Vision Singapore (Africa)
Publications
- 1995 : Zoe's Pictorial (Being the first actress to launch a coffee table book)
- 2004 : “A Toast to Life” (Exclusive 2005 calendar that was in production during her pregnancy)
Musical achievements
Self-titled albums
- 1996 : 10th Anniversary Zoe Tay <Extended Play> (十分…郑惠玉)
- 1998 : Thank You (Personal Album)（十分。。。感谢）
Compilations
- 1995 : TCS All Stars Compilation (新视红星歌影集)
- 1996 : Only
- 1996 : Gems (晶粹)
- 1996 : TCS/Rock Compilation - The Unbeatables (唱作剧佳)
- 1997 : Morning Express II (阳光系列II)
- 1998 : TCS/Warner Compilation (星势精彩十六首)
- 1998 : Liu Lian Compilation (流连)
- 1999 : Lunar New Year Compilation (群星贺岁)
- 2000 : Morning Express IV (阳光系列IV)
- 2000 : Singapore One Voice-National Songs Collection
- 2001 : Morning Express V (阳光系列V)
- 2002 : Morning Express VI (阳光系列VI)
- 2003 : Lunar New Year 2003 VCD
- 2004 : Lunar New Year 2004 (花开富贵迎新春)
- 2005 : Lunar New Year 2005 (迎春接福喜临门)
Soundtracks
- 1998 : The Unbeatables II (双天至尊II)
- 1999 : Lost Soul（另类佳人）
- 1999 : Millennium Bug （千年虫）
Drama serial songs
- Unbeatables II (双天至尊Ⅱ) Main Theme : 《当爱擦身而过》
- Unbeatables II (双天至尊Ⅱ) Interlude : 《就是你》
- Love in A Foreign City (富贵双城) Main Theme : 《花不语》
- The Millennium Bug (千年虫) Interlude : 《Long Long Ago》
- The Millennium Bug (千年虫) Interlude : 《如果智慧能迁移》
- The Strategem (世纪攻略) Main Theme : 《你的世界》
- The Hotel (大酒店) Main Theme : 《分享》
- Katong Miss Oh (加东Miss Oh) Main Theme : 《童话狂想》
- Unbeatables III (双天至尊Ⅲ) Interlude :《不一样的我们》
- Baby Boom (我家四个宝) Main Theme : 《我家四个宝》
- My Mighty In-Laws (野蛮亲家) Main Theme : 《爱要说出来》
Filmography
TV programmes
- 1988 : My Fair Ladies Fu Guihua (窈窕淑女)
- 1988 : Strange Encounters II (奇缘之怨偶天成)
- 1989 : Patrol (铁警雄风)
- 1989 : A Mother's Love Yi Ning (亲心唤我心)
- 1989 : Finishing Line Ye Bei (出人头地)
- 1990 : Navy Series (壮志豪情)
- 1990 : Friends Next Door (我爱芳邻)
- 1991 : Crime and Passion (执法先锋)
- 1991 : The Last Swordsman Hongxiu (最后一个大侠)
- 1991 : Pretty Faces BoBo (三面夏娃)
- 1992 : Ladies In Action Ni Jie (霹雳红唇)
- 1992 : Terms of Endearment (戏剧人生)
- 1993 : Ride The Waves (卿本佳人)
- 1993 : Angel of Vengeance Yanling (暴雨狂花)
- 1993 : The Unbeatables Long Jia Jia/Luo Qi Fang (双天至尊)
- 1993 : Happy Foes (欢喜冤家)
- 1994 : Thunder Plot Le Shan (惊天大阴谋)
- 1994 : Truly Yours Qi Meihua (聪明糊涂心)
- 1994 : Shadows In the Dark (一号凶宅)
- 1995 : The Teochew Family Cai Mei Na (潮洲家族)
- 1995 : Golden Pillow Zhou Xiaodan (金枕头)
- 1995 : Women From Shun Tak (妈姐情缘)
- 1996 : The Unbeatables II Luo Qi Fang (双天至尊II)
- 1996 : Love in A Foreign City Yu Shu Ting (富贵双城)
- 1997 : My Wife, Your Wife, Their Wives (101老婆之老婆柠檬茶)
- 1997 : Rising Expectations Yu-Mei (长河)
- 1998 : Return of the Condor Heroes Lu Er-Niang (神雕侠侣)
- 1998 : The Legend of Wisely Bai Su (卫斯理传奇)
- 1999 : Lost Soul "Yu Ying"(另类佳人)
- 1999 : The Millennium Bug Huang Si Jie (千年虫)
- 2000 : My Home Affairs Zhang Xiao Tong (家事)
- 2000 : The Strategem Ye Kai Shuang (世纪攻略)
- 2001 : The Hotel Biyu (大酒店)
- 2002 : Katong Miss Oh Miss Oh (加东Miss Oh)
- 2002 : The Unbeatables III Luo Qi Fang (双天至尊III)
- 2003 : Baby Boom Kim (我家四个宝)
- 2003 : Phua Chu Kang Ting Ting <Guest Appearance>
- 2004 : Man At 40! Jian Jie (跑吧!男人)
- 2004 : My Mighty In-Laws Yao Mei Mei (我的野蛮亲家)
- 2006: The Perfect Wife Yue Liang (闲妻靓母)
- 2006: A Million Treasures(百万宝)
Films
- 1999 : Liang Po Po Zoe Tay <Guest Appearance> (梁婆婆重出江湖)
- 2001 : The Tree Guo Mei Feng (孩子树)
Telemovies
- 1994 : Love Dowry Min(爱情定金)
- 1995 : Love Knows No Bounds Xiu Hui (甜甜屋)
- 1995 : Pointed Triangle Shi Jia(杀之恋)
- 1997 : The Scoop Joey (迷情专访)
TV hostings
Variety shows
- 1993 : Star Search '93 (才华横溢出新秀)
- 2001 : Journey Across Vietnam (真心真意—越南之行)
- 2001 : Travel Hunt (奇趣搜搜搜)
- 2002 : Lunar New Year All Stars Variety (歌舞欢腾迎新喜)
- 2002 : Health Matters (一切由慎开始)
- 2002 : Journey Across Mongolia (真心真意—蒙古之行)
- 2003 : Health Matters II (一切由慎开始Ⅱ)
- 2004 : Chronicles of Life (我爱我家真实记录)
- 2004 : Journey Across Lesotho (真心真意—莱索托之旅)
- 2004 : Zoe's Mummy Tips! (阿姐有喜了)
- 2005 : Zoe's Treasure Trove! (阿姐有个宝)
Travelogue
- 2003 : Wonders of the World (惠眼看世界)
- 2004 : Wonders of the World 2 (惠眼看世界2)
Awards and nominations
- 1987 : Model of the Year
- 1988 : Star Search Champion
- 1992 : Friday Weekly Year Most Popular Artiste (TV Group) Champion
- 1993 : Star Awards Top 5 Most Popular Female Artistes
- 1994 : Star Awards Top 5 Most Popular Female Artistes
- Star Awards Most Popular Actress
- Friday Weekly Most Popular Artiste (TV Group) Champion
- 1995 : Star Awards Top 5 Most Popular Female Artistes
- Star Awards Most Popular Actress
- 1996 : Star Awards Top 5 Most Popular Female Artistes
- Star Awards Best Actress
- Friday Weekly Most Popular Artiste (TV Group) Champion
- 1997 : Star Awards Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes
- Friday Weekly Most Popular Artiste (TV Group) First Runner-Up
- Lime Magazine Favourite Local Actress
- The New Paper Babe of the Year
- 1998 : Star Awards Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes
- Star Awards Special Achievement Award Winner
- Friday Weekly Most Popular Artiste (TV Group) First Runner-Up
- The New Paper Babe of the Year
- 1999 : Star Awards Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes
- Friday Weekly Most Popular Artiste (TV Group) First Runner-Up
- The New Paper Babe of the Year
- 2000 : Star Awards Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes
- Nominated for Asian TV Awards Best Actress
- Friday Weekly Most Popular Artiste (TV Group) Second Runner-Up
- The New Paper Babe of the Year
- The New Paper Hot Flames of the 90s Jackie Chan Car Race 2000 First Runner-Up
- 2001 : Nominated for "The Tree" in Hawaii International Film Festival
- Nominated for "The Tree" in Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival
- Star Awards Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes
- Star Awards Malaysia Most Popular Actress
Friday Weekly Most Popular Artiste (TV Group) First Runner-Up
- 2002 : Cita Bella Best Cover Contest - Most Sexy Cover, Most Creative Cover & Top Honour for Best Cover (among 100 covers).
- Singapore FHM 100 Most Sexiest Women in the world - Rank 74
- Lian He Zao Bao Favourite Asian Idol 2002 - Rank. 7
- Star Awards Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes
- Star Awards Most Popular Female Artistes (Malaysia)
- 2003 : Lian He Zao Bao Favourite Asian Idol 2003 - Rank. 1
- Queen Zoe & King Nanxing were nominated for Star Awards Most Popular TV Partners.
- Bobo (Zoe's character in Pretty Faces) were nominated most memorable character.
- Star Awards Most Popular Female Artistes (Malaysia)
- Star Awards Most Popular TV Partners
- Star Awards Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes
- Lime Magazine Favourite Local Actress
- 2004 : Friday Weekly Most Popular Artiste (TV Group) 2nd Runner-Up
- Lian He Zao Bao Favourite Asian Idol 2004 - Rank. 4
- Star Awards All Time Favourite Artiste Award (First Female Artiste to received this award!)
- 2005 : Lian He Zao Bao Favourite Asian Idol 2005 - Rank. 7
- The New Paper Turn-off of the Year
- The New Paper Booby of the Year
