Zoe Tay

Zoe Tay (born 10 January 1968) is a former model and a Singaporean actress contracted under Mediacorp. She is regarded as the indisputable Queen of Caldecott Hill, often referred to by the media as "Ah Jie (阿姐)", or "big sister". She is known to be a versatile actress, remembered for her many notable roles she has played throughout her years in the industry.

Tay is fluent in Mandarin, Teochew, Cantonese and English.

In 2014, a wax figurine was modelled after her by Madame Tussauds Museum, Singapore, and is currently on display in the museum.

Early life

Tay is the sixth of seven children born to Teochew parents. Her father worked at a pig farm in Lim Chu Kang while her mother was a housewife. Tay attended the now-defunct Kay Hua Primary School and later, Yuan Ching Secondary School, where she completed her O-level examinations. She studied design at the Baharuddin Vocational Institute.

Career

Tay started out as a model at the age of sixteen, being groomed by IMP International and stylist David Gan. 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 2004, she was the first actress to have been awarded the prestigious All-Time Favourite Artiste Award. Tay also clinched the Best Actress award for her role in The Golden Pillow.