Home-bred Singaporean Movie Stars

The above juxtaposed photos of Zoe Tay as published recently by MediaCorp and when she was a young girl with her smaller sister in their father's farm in Lim Chu Kang.  She was born in 1968.

Zoe Tay with her wax figure at Madame Tussauds

MediaoCorp actress Zoe Tay finally unveiled her waxen droppelganger at the Madame Tussauds Singapore (MTS) in Sentosa.

I came across an article "A Farmer's Daughter Step Out" which a Facebook friend had posted it to share and I was intrigued.  Please find out as the blog unfold.

Please click on the photo to enlarge the image and read the article.

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.

Zoe became a model at the age of 16.  She was first groomed at IMP International and David Gan in 1986.  [Source:  Zoe's blog].

Xiang Yun is another Singaporean actress and contracted artiste under MediaCorp.  She is popularly referred to as MediaCorp's first "Ah Jie" (elder sister) as she was among the first locally-trained artistes and has been in the industry for over 30 years.

She began her career in children's drama in 1980 and proceeded to act in the Chinese drama series.

When I was 36 years old in 1984, I followed every episode on SBC TV to watch my favorite drama serial, "The Awakening" ( 雾锁南洋 ).

The Awakening is a 1984 television drama series produced by Singapore Broadcasting Corporation to celebrate the nation's 25th National Day celebrations. The series mainly covers the Chinese Singaporean experience in Singapore, from the first generation of Chinese immigrants, who arrived to a relatively undeveloped island, through the Japanese occupation periods, and to the Chinese Singaporeans at the present day (1984), who resides in a developed nation that is radically different from the land their ancestors arrived to.  

The story was realistic because my father was an immigrant from Quemoy in the 1940s, and the conditions and circumstances in the Colony of Singapore under the British ruler at that time.

Zoe Tay with Xiang Yun

Zoe Tay has participated in a number of television charity shows and enormous popular with the senior citizen Singaporean audiences.

In 1987, Zoe won "Model of the Year" and in 1988, she joined and won the first talent seach contest, "Star Search".  She also became Singapore's first ever "Lux Girl".

The following resources are extracted from "Zoe Tay Fan Club" on Facebook:

tayeileen said:

"This is Zoe Tay, our MediaCorp Ah-Jie.  Someone whom many of us grew up watching but no one has even gotten sick of watching.

Even now over 10 years on, she still looks gorgeous as ever.  I guess elegance is ageless.

Although I'm no longer as fanatic about her as I was in the past, I really do admire her as an idol".

christinetan said:

"In general, most people would nod their heads in agreement to the fact that this stunning actress deserves many accolades and awards she has received over the years, and has left behind a trail of brilliant performances in her acting history".  

How I wish, I could return on a time machine to those days where I squeezed onto the couch with my family to enjoy the wonderful shows she has devotedly put up for her audience."

Avril said:

"Watched a couple of her talk shows and I find her a very humble and genuine person, unlike some of other younger artistes.  Oh yes, and maybe because I kept staring at her, she looked at me and flashed me her small signature smile.  Not the drop dead pretty kind but she just has got this X-factor I guess and that probably is her godsend weapon to hold her reign'.

Purpose for this blog

Perhaps my blogger friends would be surprised that I have switched to something new for the first time on my blog to post about popular Mediacorp TV actresses.

What attracted me to feature popular Zoe Tay as a TV celebrity or other public personalities?  I do not know her personally and have never met her in person at local public performances or events.

These days, I do not watch TV drama serials or follow any particular actors or actresses on MediaCorp.

I am from a different era, different generation, I guess.

During my childhood days at Bukit Ho Swee,  I watched lots of Chinese "gongfu" movies at the Atlantic Theatre located inside the Great World Amusement Park.  The matinee movies were screened in the afternoon from 1.00 pm to 5.00 pm.  Special ticket charges of 50 cents for 2 show!

The names of the actors and actress I could remember are available here .

In those days, Shaw Brothers and Cathay Organisation were the two major film producers who owned their theatres in Singapore.

Why then was the movie industry dominated by the producers in Hong Kong, I have ever wondered.

The answers I now realised: Singapore has become a "nation of opportunities"!

The present new generation and future generations of home-bred Singaporean movie stars are groomed and offered by the opportunities by MediaCorp!