# Zoe Tay

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, Tong Tong, Snowball and Pepper.

## Filmography
### Television series

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

### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 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 |
| 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) |
| 2002 | Health Matters (一切由慎开始) |
| 2002 | LNY All Stars Variety (歌舞欢腾迎新喜2002) |
| 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) |
| 2003 | Wonders of the World (惠眼看世界) |
| 2003 | Health Matters II (一切由慎开始II) |
| 2004 | Zoe's Mommy Tips (阿姐有喜了) |
| 2004 | Wonders of the World II (惠眼看世界II) |
| 2004 | 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 |
| 1994 | Star Awards | Most Popular Female Artiste | — | Won |
| 1994 | Star Awards | Top 5 Most Popular Female Artistes | — | Won |
| 1995 | Star Awards | Best Actress | Love Dowry (as Min) | Nominated |
| 1995 | Star Awards | Most Popular Female Artiste | — | Won |
| 1995 | Star Awards | Top 5 Most Popular Female Artistes | — | Won |
| 1996 | Star Awards | Best Actress | The Golden Pillow (as Zhou Xiaodan) | Won |
| 1996 | Star Awards | Top 5 Most Popular Female Artistes | — | Won |
| 1997 | Star Awards | Best Actress | A Different Life (as Ou Guikai) | Nominated |
| 1997 | Star Awards | Best Theme Song | The Unbeatables II | Nominated |
| 1997 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes | — | Won |
| 1998 | Star Awards | Best Actress | The New Adventures of Wisely (as Bai Su) | Nominated |
| 1998 | Star Awards | Special Achievement Award | — | Won |
| 1998 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes | — | Won |
| 1999 | Star Awards | Best Actress | Lost Souls (as Pian Pian) | Nominated |
| 1999 | Star Awards | Best Theme Song | Lost Souls | Nominated |
| 1999 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes | — | Won |
| 2000 | Star Awards | Best Actress | My Home Affairs (as Zhang Xiaotong) | Nominated |
| 2000 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes | — | Won |
| 2000 | Asian Television Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role | My Home Affairs (as Zhang Xiaotong) | Nominated |
| 2001 | Star Awards | Best Actress | The Strategem (as Ye Kaishuang) | Nominated |
| 2001 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes | — | Won |
| 2002 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes | — | Won |
| 2003 | Star Awards | Best Actress | Baby Boom (as Kim) | Nominated |
| 2003 | Star Awards | Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes | — | Won |
| 2004 | Star Awards | All-Time Favourite Artiste | — | Won |
| 2010 | Asian Television Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role | The Ultimatum (as Ye Yucheng) | Nominated |
| 2012 | Star Awards | Best Actress | Devotion (as Liu Zhaodi) | Nominated |
| 2014 | Star Awards | Favourite Female Character | The Dream Makers (as Zhou Weiyun) | Nominated |
| 2014 | Star Awards | Star Awards for Most Popular Regional Artiste (China) | — | Nominated |
| 2014 | Star Awards | Star Awards for Most Popular Regional Artiste (Malaysia) | — | Nominated |
| 2014 | Star Awards | Star Awards for Most Popular Regional Artiste (Indonesia) | — | Nominated |
| 2014 | Star Awards | Star Awards for Most Popular Regional Artiste (Cambodia) | — | Nominated |
| 2015 | Star Awards | Star Awards for Most Popular Regional Artiste (China) | — | Nominated |
| 2015 | Star Awards | Star Awards for Most Popular Regional Artiste (Indonesia) | — | Nominated |
| 2015 | Star Awards | Star Awards for Most Popular Regional Artiste (Cambodia) | — | Nominated |
| 2016 | Star Awards | Best Actress | The Dream Makers II (as Zhou Weiyun) | Nominated |
| 2016 | Star Awards | Toggle Celebrity BFF Award | — | Nominated |
| 2017 | Star Awards | Best Actress | You Can Be an Angel 2 (as Wang Ruojun) | Won |
| 2017 | Asian Television Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role | You Can Be an Angel 2 (as Wang Ruojun) | Nominated |
| 2018 | Star Awards | Best Actress | While We Are Young (as Fang Ting) | Nominated |
| 2019 | Star Awards | Best Actress | A Million Dollar Dream (as Hu Jiaofen) | Won |
| 2021 | Star Awards | Best Actress | My Guardian Angels (as Mandy See) | Won |
| 2023 | Star Awards | Best Actress | Dark Angel (as He Ziyuan) | Nominated |