Veteran actress Zoe Tay goes from nursing angel to Dark Angel

In one of the most challenging scenes from her new legal drama Dark Angel, Singapore actress Zoe Tay had to stand on a ledge on the 10th floor of a building, as her character contemplates suicide.

Although she was safely secured and does not have a fear of heights, she had a moment of panic that a slight wind might cause her to fall over.

She tells The Straits Times: "When I stood up there, I thought that some people just take their lives, but it actually takes a lot of courage (to jump)."

Fresh from playing veteran nurse manager Wang Ruojun in the medical drama You Can Be An Angel 4, which premiered in March, the 54-year-old's latest star turn is more dramatic, she said in an interview on Sept 1.

In fact, she considers it her darkest role to date.

In Dark Angel, Tay plays He Ziyuan, a carefree housewife whose life unravels overnight when a violent home invasion leaves her lawyer husband and child dead.

Determined to uncover the truth behind the crime and bring the mastermind to justice, she joins a law firm and becomes a lawyer herself.

The series features a star-studded cast, including Qi Yuwu, Aileen Tan, Rayson Tan, Jeffrey Xu, Cavin Soh, He Ying Ying and Kiki Lim.

Tay said: "Here, I am the 'dark angel' because my character will take on any case. Whether you were right or wrong, as long as you have the money to hire her, Ziyuan will win the case for you.

"As actors, we are very privileged because we can try different things.

"Portraying Ziyuan was very enjoyable because it allowed me to fully explore the dark side of myself, which people don't have a chance to do in real life."

Before the shoot commenced, the veteran Queen of Caldecott Hill even told her family that she might not be as "friendly" for a while, as she was playing a "pretty intense" character. She has three sons aged 17, 14 and 11 with husband Philip Chionh, a former pilot.

"Thankfully, it wasn't so bad. After all, I have been acting for a long time, and was pretty busy during the filming."

 

Even so, this is Tay's first time playing a lawyer, and she found herself becoming "very sharp and clear" when making decisions off-set.

"One quality I admire about Ziyuan is her consistency. With her, there is no in-between."

To prepare for the role, she devoured dramatic real-life stories on social media, watched the news and even attended a court trial.

"It was an eye-opener watching the lawyers and judge in action, and reading stories about why people commit crimes - at times, the reason is so silly."

Given the lengths to which the new drama has pushed her, it is likely her efforts may be recognised at next year's Star Awards. While she says getting nominated would be a good thing, she hopes the show itself can be recognised because of the talented people behind it and their efforts.

Tay also spoke of her recent experience battling Covid-19.

She had revealed on Instagram on July 27 that she tested positive for the disease - and remained so for seven days.

 

Her symptoms - fever, dry throat and an aching back - were mild. On the seventh day, she came out of her room and wore a mask when she went near her stepmother and kids. She left the house only on the ninth day.

She believes she contracted Covid-19 from friends, but not from the two large back-to-back high-profile gatherings she had attended just before - socialite-heiress Kim Lim's birthday extravaganza and the wedding dinner of social media personality Joanna Theng.

In the household, only her stepmother, Madam Wong Pong Chin, and second son, Ashton, had not been infected.

Tay said: "It was my first time getting Covid-19 and it was okay. I am quite active, I do a lot of outdoor exercises and my immune system is pretty good."

Dark Angel premieres on Monday (Sept 12) on Channel 8 at 9pm., and is also available on meWatch.