March 12, 2001

Trailers and rushes of the movie, The Tree, have us looking forward to Zoe's debut on the big screen with relish.

(Click on pictures for larger image)

• Have you seen this child star?

The first time I sat up and took real notice of our No. 1 celebrity was on national TV on the still-memorable serial, Pretty Faces in 1991. This was 3 years after Zoe Tay won Star Search back in 1988.

I watched, mesmorised, staring at Bobo (her screen character) with her mushroom-like hairdo, enthralled by both the floods of tears that kept streaming down her cheeks and her full-fledged acting skills as she pleaded with a prison officer to keep her child with her.

It was then, that I, like the rest of Singapore, recognised the talents of this model-turned-actress as she rapidly gained popularity to become the Ah Jie (a term of respect and honour for our top local actress) that she is now.

Zoe Dazzles
Last Friday (March 9), I felt the same rush of emotions I watched the haggard-looking mother in plain clothes during the trailers and rushes of Raintree Pictures' The Tree.

There was no make-up, no pretty garments. Yet, her emotions still pierced through that baggage and moved those who attended the media conference.

Despite Singaporeans' fascination with fresh, new and young faces, Zoe proved that it's talent rather than looks that matter.

Look at Josephine Siao (Xiao Fangfang) and Luo Lan; both Hong Kong veterans. They are acclaimed actresses despite their age and both have even been awarded Best Actress accolades in various competitions.

It reminded me of how impressed I was by Zoe's portrayal of the impulsive Bobo of yesteryear and how her craft has improved during her tenure with MediaCorp.

The trailers and rushes left me in anticipation of catching Ah Jie in action on the big screen with Golden Horse Awards Best Actors Francis Ng and Tse Kwan Ho (Legend Of The Mad Phoenix), local actress-singer Phyllis Quek and new talent, soon-to-be 11-year-old Deng Maohui come April 26.

And the anticipation is definitely not mine alone. The whole of Singapore is waiting to see our homegrown star's debut in movies.

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