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Zoe Tay 郑惠玉
Born	Tay Hui Gek January 10, 1968 (1968-01-10) (age 40) Singapore

Zoe Tay Hui Gek (simplified Chinese: 郑惠玉; pinyin: Zhèng Huìyù; born 10 January 1968) is a Singaporean actress in MediaCorp and previously a model. She is known as the Queen (Ah jie) of Caldecott Hill.^[1] She is also known as the Thousand-Faced Lady.^[2]

Early life

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, climbing trees, and bicycle racing.^[3]

Tay became a model at the age of sixteen. 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 first bi-annual talent-search competition, Star Search which was organised by Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (now MediaCorp) and emerged as the first Star Search champion.

Acting

Tay did not enjoy acting in the early part of her career, desiring become a production assistant instead.^[4] But in 1991, she was given a role in Crime and Passion as a simple village girl who was torn between two men. It was through this role that she found herself appreciating the life of an actress. Her first television serial was My Fair Ladies, broadcast in 1988, in which she appeared with other winners from Star Search, Jazreel Low and Aileen Tan.

Tay played many characters in several period and contemporary dramas. In 1990, she became the first local star to be featured in Lux commercials. After being the Lux girl, further product endorsements came to her, making her a favorite star in Singapore's entertainment industry.

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 when over a million viewers tuning in for the episode where her character, Bobo, was raped. The role 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 Nanxing in The Unbeatables, a serial that focused on gambling. The chemistry between them resulted in the series hitting the top of the viewers ratings. Even as of now, the duo are still deemed one of the most compatible pairs of on-screen lovers. At her peak, there was widespread agreement in the media industry that putting Zoe Tay's picture on the cover would revive the plummeting sales of any magazine.^[5]

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 career woman in Home Affairs also earned her a nomination for Best Leading Actress at the Asian Television Awards 2000.

In the 1998 Star Awards, she was awarded the Special Achievement Award for her illustrious career and contribution to the local media scene for the past 10 years. She gave an emotional speech, in which she teared when she thanked her father who had just passed away not long before the ceremony. In the same year, she released her first solo album to commemorate her 10th year in show business.

Tay was voted in the Top 10 Most Popular Female Artists for the tenth consecutive year in 2003. Hence, in the 2004 Star Awards, she was awarded the All Time Favourite Artiste, together with Li Nanxing and Chew Chor Meng. This award was awarded to artistes who have been able to get into the Top 10 most popular actress/actors for 10 times. Tay is the first actress to achieve this prestigious award.

Tay is 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.

In 2007, i-weekly magazine listed the Top 9 drama serials with the highest viewership over 25 years (not to be confused with the annual viewership list). 5 out of the 9 drama serials had Zoe as the lead actress.

Film debut

In 1999, Tay started to venture out into films. Her first role, in the film 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 film The Tree, in which she portrayed a mother suspected of murdering her husband. Other actors who starred in this film 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-raisingbenefits.

Recent years

Zoe Tay (who is married to Lieutenant Colonel Philip Chionh^[6], a career fighter pilot in the Republic of Singapore Air Force & RSAF Black Knights) gave birth to her first baby, a boy named Brayden, on 24 February 2005 at Thomson Medical Centre. During her pregnancy, Tay shifted her career focus from acting in films and serials, and hosted several educational programs aimed at pregnant women.

In early December 2005, she had her first situation-comedy role since her pregnancy, Lady of Leisure, opposite Singaporean actor, Edmund Chen. In this serial (broadcast on 29 April 2006), she portrayed a fashionable and modern woman who was once a magazine editor. Her last drama to date was A Million Treasures (百万宝), which was the 3rd highest viewership drama in 2006.

In October 2007, Zoe's 2nd child, also a boy, was born. The birth of her second baby Ashton was generally kept low-profile as compared to the birth of her first baby.

Though Zoe was tipped a hot favourite to win the My Favourite Actress award in the recent Star Awards 25th Anniversary Drama Show held on 9 December 2007, she lost the coveted award to fellow colleague and good friend Huang Biren. Although Zoe did not win the award, she took it easy, saying that Huang Biren deserved the award through her recent years of good drama serials. Despite this, Zoe still managed to win 3 other important awards during Star Awards 25th Anniversary Drama Show. These awards are 'Top 5 Most Memorable Characters (Bobo in Pretty Faces)', 'Top 5 Most Popular On-screen partner (with Li Nanxing)' and the 'Screen Sweetheart of the 90s'. "The Unbeatables", which she starred in was voted as 'Top 5 most popular drama' too.

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)

Discography

Albums

• 1998: 10th Anniversary Zoe Tay (E.P.) (十分…郑惠玉)/ Thank You 十分。。。感谢）

Filmography

Television 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 (潮州家族)
• 1995: The 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 Forty 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 Bai Xing Xing (百万宝)
• 2008: La Femme Fang Bao Yu (绝对佳人)
• 2008: By My Side Lin Xin Ya(不凡的爱)
• 2009: The Ultimatum Ye Yucheng(双子星)

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)

Television films

• 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)

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
  • 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
  • The New Paper Babe of the Year
• 1999: Star Awards Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes
  • The New Paper Babe of the Year
• 2000: Star Awards Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes
  • Nominated for Asian TV Awards Best Actress
  • The New Paper Babe of the Year
• 2001: Star Awards Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes
  • Star Awards Malaysia Most Popular Actress
• 2002: Star Awards Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes
  • Star Awards Most Popular Female Artistes (Malaysia)
• 2003: Lian He Zao Bao Favourite Asian Idol 2003
  • 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: Star Awards All-Time Favourite Artiste Award (First Female Artiste to receive this award)
• 2005: The New Paper Turn-off of the Year
  • The New Paper Booby of the Year
• 2006: The New Paper Si Bui Suey of the Year
• 2007: Star Awards 25th Anniversary Show - 1990's Generation: Screen Sweetheart

Zoe has also been nominated in the "Best Actress" category for several years in the annual Star Awards.

References

External links

• Celebs Biography for Singapore Artistes
• Fanfare
• MediaCorp's English Forum
• Singapore's Media Station
• Zoe Tay Online

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