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Zoe Tay
Born (1968-01-10) 10 January 1968 (age 56)
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 (born 10 January 1968) is a Singaporean actress and former model. She has been referred to as the "Queen of Caldecott Hill" and "Ah Jie".

To date, Tay has received four Star Awards for Best Actress.

Early life

Tay is the sixth of seven children born to Teochew parents. She was three when her biological mother died in an accident. Her father remarried and had a daughter with Wong Pong Chin. Her father worked at a pig farm in Lim Chu Kang while her stepmother was a housewife. Tay attended Kay Hua Primary School and later, Yuan Ching Secondary School, where she completed her O-level examinations. She studied fashion design at the Baharuddin Vocational Institute.

When she was 13, she thought of using "Jenny" as her English name as people pronounced her hanyu pinyin surname Zheng as "Jenny". However her siblings didn't like it. She later found the name "Zoe" in a dictionary.

Career

Tay started out as a model at the age of 16. In 1987, she was named Model of The Year. After Tay was crowned champion of the inaugural Star Search in 1988, she was offered a 3-year contract with the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), now known as MediaCorp. While Tay had initially disliked acting, she began feeling passionate for her craft after her role in Crime and Passion in 1991. Her breakthrough performance as a materialistic young woman in Pretty Faces catapulted her into stardom. Her popularity was affirmed with a Top 10 Most Popular Female Artiste Award at the Star Awards every year for ten consecutive years since its inception in 1994. In 1996, Zoe won the Best Actress award for her role in The Golden Pillow at the annual Star Awards. In 2004, she was the first actress to have been awarded the prestigious All-Time Favourite Artiste. Zoe was the first female artiste to launch a coffee table book titled "Zoe's Coffee Table", commissioned by Mediacorp.

Other than television series, Tay also forayed into films. In 2010, she starred opposite Hong Kong actor Kenny Ho in Love Cuts, playing the role of a terminally ill woman who has breast cancer. In 2013, she appeared in her first fully English-speaking role in Mister John with Irish star Aidan Gillen.

Tay has collaborated with many artistes in her various projects. Her on-screen chemistry with Li Nanxing in The Unbeatables and other serials has put them in the list of the Top 5 Best Onscreen Couples at the Star Awards 25th Drama Anniversary show. In 2015, she collaborated for the first time with Huang Biren, in The Dream Makers II.

Due to her contributions to the television industry in Singapore, a wax figurine was modelled after her by Madame Tussauds Singapore, and has been on display in the museum since 2014.

Tay won her second Best Actress at the Star Awards 2017 for You Can Be an Angel 2, 21 years after her first.

At the Star Awards 2021, Tay won her fourth Best Actress award for the drama, My Guardian Angels, becoming the first actress to win two consecutive Best Actress awards.

Personal life

Tay is married to Philip Chionh, a former Republic of Singapore Air Force pilot. They were engaged in 1995 at the peak of her career, and held their wedding ceremony in 2001 at a church wedding and western-styled dinner at Ritz Carlton Hotel. They have 3 sons together: Brayden, Ashton and Nathan.

Known for her charitable persona, Tay is a regular performer at various charity shows. Tay is also an avid dog lover and has adopted and fostered several rescue dogs.

Filmography

Television series

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1988 My Fair Ladies (窈窕淑女) Fu Guihua
Strange Encounters II (奇缘之怨偶天成) Zhu Xiujuan / Jia
1989 Patrol (铁警雄风) Lin Biqing
A Mother's Love (亲心唤我心) Fang Yining
1990 Finishing Line (出人头地) Ye Bei
Navy (壮志豪情) Jiang Shuna
1991 The Last Swordsman (最后一个大侠) Hong Xiu
Pretty Faces (三面夏娃) Bobo
1992 Ladies in Action (霹雳红唇) Ni Jie
Crime and Passion (执法先锋) Wen Daijin
Terms of Endearment (戏剧人生) Shu Qing
1993 Angel of Vengeance (暴雨狂花) Cai Yiling
Ride The Waves (卿本佳人) Fang Xiaoting
The Unbeatables I Luo Qifang (Long Jiajia)
Happy Foes (欢喜冤家) Zhang Shuimei
1994 Thunder Plot (惊天大阴谋) Le Shan
Truly Yours (聪明糊涂心) Qi Meihua
Shadow in the Dark (一号凶宅) Li Shali / Li Qing
1995 The Teochew Family Cai Chongmei (Cai Meina)
The Golden Pillow Zhou Xiaodan
1996 A Different Life (妈姐情缘) Ou Guikai
The Unbeatables II Luo Qifang (Huang Yuefang)
1997 My Wife, Your Wife, Their Wives 101 (老婆之老婆柠檬茶) Yang Jing
Love in A Foreign City (富贵双城) Yu Shuting
Rising Expectations (长河) Yu Jiahui
1998 Return of the Condor Heroes Lu Erniang
The New Adventures of Wisely Bai Su
1999 Lost Soul (另类佳人) Pianpian
The Millennium Bug (千年虫) Huang Sijie
2000 My Home Affairs (家事) Zhang Xiaotong
2001 The Stratagem (世纪攻略) Ye Kaishuang
The Hotel Biyu
2002 Katong Miss Oh (加东Miss Oh) Miss Oh
The Unbeatables III Luo Qifang / Long Jiajia / Huang Yuefang
2003 Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd Season 5 Ting Ting
Baby Boom Kim
2004 Man at Forty Jian Jie
My Mighty-in-Laws Yao Meimei
2006 Lady of Leisure (闲妻靓母) Yue Liang
A Million Treasures Bai Xing Xing
2008 La Femme Fang Baoyu
By My Side Lin Xinya
2009 The Ultimatum Ye Yuchen
2011 Devotion Liu Zhaodi
2012 Double Bonus Li Meifeng
2013 The Dream Makers Zhou Weiyun
Recipe (回味) Qiu Yun
2015 You Can Be an Angel Too Wang Ruojun
The Dream Makers II Zhou Weiyun
2016 Eat Already? Doctor Tay
You Can Be an Angel 2 Wang Ruojun
Hero Deborah
2017 While We Are Young Fang Ting
2018 A Million Dollar Dream Hu Jiaofen
VIC Zoe
You Can Be an Angel 3 (你也可以是天使3) Wang Ruojun
2019 How Are You? Dr. Michelle Soong
All Is Well (你那边怎样,我这边OK) Zhang Bizhu
2020 My Guardian Angels Mandy See
2021 The Heartland Hero Tai Le
2022 You Can Be an Angel 4 (你也可以是天使4) Wang Ruojun
Dark Angel (黑天使) He Ziyuan
2023 My One and Only Ma Limin

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1994 Love Dowry (爱情定金) Min Telemovie
1995 Love Knows No Bounds (甜甜屋) Xiu Hui Telemovie
1996 Pointed Triangle (杀之恋) Shi Jia Telemovie
1997 The Scoop (迷情专访) Joey Telemovie
1999 Liang Po Po: The Movie Herself
2001 The Tree Guo Meifeng
2010 Love Cuts Sissy
2013 Mister John Kim Devine
2013 Love...and Other Bad Habits Mei

Show hosting

Tay has hosted the following programmes:

Year Title Notes Ref.
2001 With Heart And Soul – Cambodia Trip (真心真意携手同行-柬埔寨之旅)
2002 Journey Across Mongolia (真心真意蒙古之行)
Health Matters (一切由慎开始)
LNY All Stars Variety (歌舞欢腾迎新喜2002)
Travel Hunt – India (奇趣搜搜搜-印度之旅)
2003 Journey Across Lesotho (真心真意—莱索托之旅)
Wonders of the World (惠眼看世界)
Health Matters II (一切由慎开始II)
2004 Zoe's Mommy Tips (阿姐有喜了)
Wonders of the World II (惠眼看世界II)
Chronicles of Life (我爱我家之真情实录)
2005 Zoe's Treasure Trove (阿姐有个宝)
2013 Ladies Nite (女人聚乐部)
2018 Away with My BFF (老友出走记)
2023 The Zoe and Liang Show (惠眼说亮话)

Discography

Studio albums

Year English title Mandarin title
1998 Zoe Tay 十分郑惠玉

Compilation albums

Year English title Mandarin title
2012 MediaCorp Music Lunar New Year Album 12 新传媒群星金龙接财神
2013 MediaCorp Music Lunar New Year Album 13 群星贺岁金蛇献祥和
2015 MediaCorp Music Lunar New Year Album 15 新传媒群星金羊添吉祥
2016 MediaCorp Music Lunar New Year Album 16 新传媒群星金猴添喜庆
2017 MediaCorp Music Lunar New Year Album 17 新传媒群星咕鸡咕鸡庆丰年
2018 MediaCorp Music Lunar New Year Album 18 新传媒群星阿狗狗过好年
2019 MediaCorp Music Lunar New Year Album 19 新传媒群星猪饱饱欢乐迎肥年
2020 MediaCorp Music Lunar New Year Album 20 裕鼠鼠纳福迎春了
2021 MediaCorp Music Lunar New Year Album 21 福满牛年Moo Moo乐

Awards and nominations

Year Ceremony Category Nominated work Result Ref
1994 Star Awards 1994 Most Popular Female Artiste N/A Won
Top 5 Most Popular Female Artistes N/A Won
1995 Star Awards 1995 Best Actress Love Dowry
(as Min)
Nominated
Most Popular Female Artiste N/A Won
Top 5 Most Popular Female Artistes N/A Won
1996 Star Awards 1996 Best Actress The Golden Pillow
(as Zhou Xiaodan)
Won
Top 5 Most Popular Female Artistes N/A Top 5
1997 Star Awards 1997 Best Actress A Different Life
(as Ou Guikai)
Nominated
Best Theme Song The Unbeatables II Nominated
Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes N/A Top 10
1998 Star Awards 1998 Best Actress The New Adventures of Wisely
(as Bai Su)
Nominated
Special Achievement Award N/A Won
Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes N/A Top 10
1999 Star Awards 1999 Best Actress Lost Souls
(as Pian Pian)
Nominated
Best Theme Song Lost Souls Nominated
Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes N/A Top 10
2000 Star Awards 2000 Best Actress My Home Affairs
(as Zhang Xiaotong)
Nominated
Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes N/A Top 10
Asian Television Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role My Home Affairs
(as Zhang Xiaotong)
Nominated
2001 Star Awards 2001 Best Actress The Strategem
(as Ye Kaishuang)
Nominated
Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes N/A Top 10
2002 Star Awards 2002 Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes N/A Top 10
2003 Star Awards 2003 Best Actress Baby Boom
(as Kim)
Nominated
Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes N/A Top 10
2004 Star Awards 2004 All-Time Favourite Artiste N/A Won
2010 Asian Television Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role The Ultimatum
(as Ye Yucheng)
Nominated
2012 Star Awards 2012 Best Actress Devotion
(as Liu Zhaodi)
Nominated
2014 Star Awards 2014 Favourite Female Character The Dream Makers
(as Zhou Weiyun)
Nominated
Star Awards for Most Popular Regional Artiste (China) N/A Nominated
Star Awards for Most Popular Regional Artiste (Malaysia) N/A Nominated
Star Awards for Most Popular Regional Artiste (Indonesia) N/A Nominated
Star Awards for Most Popular Regional Artiste (Cambodia) N/A Nominated
2015 Star Awards 2015 Star Awards for Most Popular Regional Artiste (China) N/A Nominated
Star Awards for Most Popular Regional Artiste (Indonesia) N/A Nominated
Star Awards for Most Popular Regional Artiste (Cambodia) N/A Nominated
2016 Star Awards 2016 Best Actress The Dream Makers II
(as Zhou Weiyun)
Nominated
Toggle Celebrity BFF Award N/A Nominated
2017 Star Awards 2017 Best Actress You Can Be an Angel 2
(as Wang Ruojun)
Won
Asian Television Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role Nominated
2018 Star Awards 2018 Best Actress While We Are Young
(as Fang Ting)
Nominated
2019 Star Awards 2019 Best Actress A Million Dollar Dream
(as Hu Jiaofen)
Won
2021 Star Awards 2021 Best Actress My Guardian Angels
(as Mandy See)
Won
2023 Star Awards 2023 Best Actress Dark Angel
(as He Ziyuan)
Nominated
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