Tay Ying finds herself in acting while Calvert Tay takes on music, Latest TV News - The New Paper
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Tay Ying finds herself in acting while Calvert Tay takes on music

It has been a big year for veteran local stars Hong Huifang, 61, and Zheng Geping, 58, with the former scoring critical acclaim with her latest movie Ajoomma and the latter fulfilling his dream of making an action movie.

And their two children – actress Tay Ying and singer-songwriter Calvert Tay – could not be happier. 

Calvert Tay, 22, says: “We know how hard our parents work. We’ve seen them put in so much effort in their careers over the years, so this moment is extremely well-deserved for both of them. They didn’t just get lucky.”

Tay Ying, 26, agrees. Her parents’ achievements have pushed her to work harder.

“It motivates me to do better. The pressure is very much self-inflicted and I definitely want to live up to what they have done,” she says. 

Both siblings are on their own paths to establish themselves as artistes. Tay Ying, who was previously managed by talent agency Artiste Co, left to join Hong and Zheng’s long-time company Mediacorp at the beginning of this year.

Calvert Tay is continuing to pursue his music ambitions under Artiste Co. 

Tay Ying says: “There was a point in my life where I felt very comfortable, and I don’t like to be comfortable. I’m always searching for the next breakthrough and seeking to step out of my comfort zone. I’m still young and this is when I can really devote myself to my career, and I want to expand my acting portfolio. And what better place to do that than the television station?”

But for Calvert Tay, who entered the industry via the television series While We Are Young (2017), music is where his heart lies for now.

“For the past year, I’ve been writing my own songs – they’re mostly Chinese songs and I’m going to start releasing them as singles before thinking about maybe working on an EP,” he says. “My priority for the next few years is to focus on my music, and if I’m doing multiple dramas a year, I won’t be able to do that.”

One sings and the other acts for a living, but neither imagined themselves carving out a career in performing when they were younger.

For one thing, Calvert Tay used to suffer from stage fright.

He recalls: “It’s way better now, but when I was in primary school, sometimes we had to perform skits onstage and every time I had to speak, I would stutter. I just felt very nervous with everyone looking at me.”

Tay Ying knew she enjoyed performing, but was too stubborn to admit it. The actress, who also made her acting debut in While We Are Young, says: “I didn’t want to be in the same industry as my parents, so I kept avoiding the fact that I really liked performing, until I finally had to admit it to myself.”

Actress Tay Ying and singer-songwriter Calvert Tay with their parents – veteran Mediacorp stars Zheng Geping and Hong Huifang – at the premiere of Ajoomma. PHOTO: TAYYING_/INSTAGRAM

 

Being the offspring of famous and beloved names in local entertainment made it easier for Tay Ying to enter the industry, but it also invited dismissive comments.

“It used to bother me a lot, these comments that I’m here only because of my parents. But I’ve come to a point where I’m less bothered and have learnt to shift the focus to my work. I just need to prove myself and show people that I’m not here for fun. I have what it takes,” she says.

“It helps that I’ve found my own direction and what I want to do. Compared with my parents, I do a lot more fashion-related events and shoots, and I’m also much more active on social media.”

Tay Ying’s connections in the fashion industry recently helped her style her mother for the Busan International Film Festival, where Ajoomma had its world premiere.

Her brother adds: “We knew the risks and we knew what people would say when we entered the industry. We cannot avoid the fact that people think we have it easier. And it was, in fact, a good stepping stone, but how we improve ourselves beyond that point is up to us.”

An interesting experience the pair have that has so far eluded other second-generation stars is working with their father, Zheng Geping, who is also an executive producer of films and television. Calvert Tay recently starred in the Zheng-produced meWatch series First Of April, where he had his first onscreen kiss with actress Regene Lim.

“It was a good thing he wasn’t there to see that,” he says in jest. “At home, he’s like any dad, but on set, I’ll call him ‘jian zhi’ (executive producer in Mandarin) instead of ‘Pa’ because that is a professional setting we are both in.”

Actress Tay Ying and singer-songwriter Calvert Tay with their parents, celebrating Zheng’s birthday. PHOTO: TAYYING_/INSTAGRAM

 

Tay Ying, who starred in The Good Fight (2019), also produced by Zheng, says: “We have a common understanding where we don’t interfere with each other’s jobs – he advises me the way any EP would.”

Looking forward, Tay Ying has several projects in the pipeline, including her first period role set in the 1930s and another role, details of which have not been released. She can also be seen in a brief cameo appearance at the end of Hong’s movie Ajoomma.

She says: “For now, I want to do what I have on hand, which is acting and curating content. I have thought about starting a business, but I don’t think this is the right time yet. I don’t talk about this much, but I actually have a dream of making desserts and pastries because I love baking very much. In time, I hope to go somewhere to do a baking course, but for now, I’ll focus on establishing myself as an actress.”

Calvert Tay, who began songwriting during the circuit breaker period of 2020 after his national service, hopes to create his own blend of music. “I listen to a lot of Chinese songs by singers like Eric Chou, Dui Zhang and Crowd Lu. I also listen to English music by Charlie Puth, Lauv and Harry Styles. I feel that English songs tend to be more pop, while Mandopop is stronger with ballads. I’m hoping to mix both together and find the correct sound.

“I don’t need everyone to love my music. It’s enough just to have people who understand and appreciate what I want to do, and if recognition and fame follow, that’s a bonus.”

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