‘It’s a must to publish about it, if not it did not occur’: Tay Ying on how actors’ job scope modified from mother and father’ time

If a tree falls in a forest and nobody posts about it on TikTok, Fb, Instagram or Twitter, did it actually fall?

In an interview with AsiaOne for the brand new Mediacorp drama Silent Partitions, Tay Ying in contrast the challenges that actors face now and in her mother and father’ period, and the function that the media performs in each generations.

The best impediment to her now, the 26-year-old shared, is “the truth that every little thing we do is basically ‘blown up’.”

“Each single factor we do, persons are watching, be it a easy Instagram Story of us strolling on the road or whatnot, we’re all the time always being watched,” Tay Ying stated.

“When you will have a milestone in your life, it’s a must to publish about it, if not it did not occur.”

So there’s a strain for celebrities to publish photos which can be “on-point” and ok for his or her followers, she defined, they usually should spend loads of time and even cash on creating content material.

She acknowledged: “It isn’t nearly performing anymore. Despite the fact that we’re actors, there are nonetheless many different issues that we have now to do… everyone seems to be making an attempt to do every little thing — slightly, everyone seems to be required to do every little thing with a view to keep related.”

Drawing a comparability to her mother and father’ period of Singapore’s leisure trade, she additionally advised AsiaOne: “It is totally different again then, as a result of they solely had information articles and magazines and different conventional media to assist them with publicity.

“It was tough as a result of they needed to combat for his or her area and for the publicity, however their job on the finish of the day was primarily simply to behave. They did not have to consider content material or doing the rest.”

Tay Ying’s mom is Hong Huifang, a neighborhood showbiz veteran who not too long ago earned a Golden Horse award nomination for her lead function within the Singaporean-South Korean movie Ajoomma (2022).

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Her father, Zheng Geping, is one other trade veteran who has directed, produced and acted in lots of movies over his 36-year-long profession with Mediacorp. He not too long ago parted methods with the native broadcasting firm and set his sights on the worldwide showbiz trade.

Whereas Tay Ying stated that the job scope as an actor prior to now was much less encompassing than it’s right now, she acknowledges that the challenges actors face now aren’t essentially harder, however as an alternative, totally different.

“The problem for us now’s that we have now much more issues that we have now to do and our brains are all the time working, all the time creating content material,” she stated.

Tay Ying added: “However this can be a blessing in disguise, if you consider it. As a result of we’re capable of create and curate content material, we’re capable of model ourselves exterior of the characters we painting on TV, and folks can get to know us on a deeper degree.”

And though Tay Ying will likely be spending her life underneath the watchful panopticon of social media, she’s not hesitant about it.

“That is what showbiz is about; when you enter this trade, everybody’s going to must know what you are doing, and everybody’s going to be involved in your life.

“So that is the repercussion [of fame], I might say, and you’ve got to have the ability to settle for it.”

‘They see me as somebody who simply got here in by means of connections’

Though her door to stardom was unlocked by her mother and father, the trail forward of her is one which she should carve herself, Tay Ying additionally shared.

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“I believe to a sure extent I have to work tougher to realize the belief and a focus of the viewers, as a result of proper now they see me as somebody who simply got here in by means of connections, which is true, I do not deny that,” Tay Ying bluntly stated.

“However whether or not or not I can go far on this trade is lower than them (her mother and father). It is as much as me, and as much as what the viewers thinks of me.”

She is aware of that she should make a reputation for herself on this trade — and her involvement in Silent Partitions is likely one of the few vital milestones on her street to success this yr, she stated.

She performs Wu Tianli, the daughter of a wealthy businessman in 1938. The household strikes to Singapore and hires majie Gu Zhenzhu (Tasha Low), however Tianli is not too blissful in regards to the intrusion of this younger girl into their household area.

Tensions run excessive inside the family as relationships are fashioned and examined and the household’s secrets and techniques are dropped at gentle.

Tay Ying defined the importance of this drama to her: “I believe this yr is basically a vital yr for me as a result of I’ve three dramas popping out this yr. And hopefully, audiences will get to know me a bit higher.”

Other than Silent Partitions, Tay Ying will even seem in Shero, in addition to one different drama that she was maintaining underneath wraps on the time of the interview.

Not able to tackle the world simply but

Her mother and father, Huifang, 62, and Geping, 58, have expanded their repertoire past the shores of Singapore and are exploring showbiz industries exterior of our little pink dot.

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Tay Ying additionally obtained to expertise what showbiz was like exterior of Singapore when she studied performing in China for six months in 2019 and got here to a realisation — she’s not practically ok but.

“That journey made me realise that I am nowhere close to that degree. So I believe I am doing my greatest in Singapore and studying as a lot as I can from native productions.

“Perhaps sooner or later after I’m prepared — and ok for it — I can go additional. I really feel that it is undoubtedly an extended journey available, and my mother and father took many, a few years to lastly resolve that they have been able to step out.”

In preparation for this eventual step that she hopes to take, she’ll be working towards for no less than 5 to 10 years, Tay Ying stated, elaborating that she intends to construct her portfolio, model herself and perceive her personal capabilities.

She added: “I believe that is one factor superb about performing — you uncover issues about your self that you simply by no means knew earlier than… and I believe that is a really stunning factor.

“Despite the fact that you are working, you are additionally on the street of self-discovery, so perhaps in 10 years’ time after I’m able to step out into the world to work or be taught, I might have a very totally different mindset.”

Silent Partitions additionally stars Darren Lim, Mindee Ong, Desmond Shen, Chen Shucheng, Andie Chen and Charlie Goh. It’s accessible without spending a dime on meWATCH and in addition on weekdays, 9pm on Channel 8.