Zoe Tay facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zoe Tay
Tay in 2017
Born	(1968-01-10) 10 January 1968 (age 57) Singapore
Education	Kay Hua Primary School Yuan Ching Secondary School
Alma mater	Baharuddin Vocational Institute
Occupation	Actress singer host model
Years active	1988–present
Spouse(s)	Philip Chionh ​ (m. 2001)​
Children	3
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	Mandopop
Instruments	Vocals
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	鄭惠玉
Simplified Chinese	郑惠玉
Hanyu Pinyin	Zhèng Huìyù
Jyutping	Zeng6 Wai6 Juk6
Tâi-lô	Tēnn Huī-gio̍k

Zoe Tay Hui Gek (born January 10, 1968) is a famous actress and former model from Singapore. People often call her the "Queen of Caldecott Hill" or "Ah Jie," which means "Big Sister" in Chinese.

Zoe Tay has won the Star Awards for Best Actress four times, showing how talented she is.

Zoe Tay's Early Life

Zoe Tay is the sixth of seven children. Her parents were from the Teochew community. When she was three, her birth mother passed away in an accident. Her father later remarried.

Her father worked on a pig farm, and her stepmother was a housewife. Zoe went to Kay Hua Primary School and then Yuan Ching Secondary School. She also studied fashion design at the Baharuddin Vocational Institute.

When she was 13, she wanted to use "Jenny" as her English name. This was because people often mispronounced her Chinese surname. However, her siblings did not like it. Later, she found the name "Zoe" in a dictionary and decided to use it.

Zoe Tay's Career Journey

Zoe Tay began her career as a model when she was 16 years old. In 1987, she was named "Model of The Year."

Becoming a Star

In 1988, Zoe won the first-ever Star Search competition. This led to a three-year contract with the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), now known as MediaCorp.

At first, Zoe did not enjoy acting. But after her role in Crime and Passion in 1991, she started to love it. Her role as a young woman who cared a lot about money in Pretty Faces made her very famous.

Awards and Recognition

Zoe's popularity grew, and she won a Top 10 Most Popular Female Artiste Award at the Star Awards for ten years in a row, starting in 1994. In 1996, she won her first Best Actress award for her role in The Golden Pillow.

In 2004, Zoe Tay became the first actress to receive the special Star Awards for All-Time Favourite Artiste award. This award celebrates artists who have been popular for a long time. She was also the first female artist to release a coffee table book, called "Zoe's Coffee Table."

Movies and Collaborations

Besides TV shows, Zoe Tay has also acted in movies. In 2010, she starred in Love Cuts with Hong Kong actor Kenny Ho. She played a woman with breast cancer in the film. In 2013, she had her first role where she spoke only English in the movie Mister John.

Zoe has worked with many other actors. Her on-screen partnership with Li Nanxing in The Unbeatables and other shows made them one of the Top 5 Best Onscreen Couples. In 2015, she worked with Huang Biren for the first time in The Dream Makers II.

Because of her big impact on Singapore's TV industry, a wax figure of Zoe Tay was made by Madame Tussauds Singapore. It has been on display since 2014.

Zoe won her second Best Actress award at the Star Awards 2017 for You Can Be an Angel 2. This was 21 years after her first win. At the Star Awards 2021, she won her fourth Best Actress award for the drama My Guardian Angels. She was the first actress to win this award two times in a row.

Zoe Tay's Personal Life

Zoe Tay is married to Philip Chionh, who used to be a pilot for the Republic of Singapore Air Force. They got engaged in 1995 and had their wedding in 2001. They have three sons named Brayden, Ashton, and Nathan.

Zoe is known for being very kind and often performs at charity events. She also loves dogs and has adopted and cared for several rescue dogs, including Tong Tong, Snowball, and Pepper.

Zoe Tay's Work

Television Series

Films

Hosting Shows

Zoe Tay has also hosted several TV programs:

Music Albums

Studio Albums

Compilation Albums

Awards and Nominations

Zoe Tay has received many awards and nominations throughout her career. Here are some of her achievements: