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Thu, Jul 16, 2009
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'I won't erase wrinkles to sustain career'
by Kwok Kar Peng

ONCE upon a time, Zoe Tay was a timeless beauty and reigned as the Queen of local TV.

Now, at 41, her wrinkles are getting in the way of a happily ever after.

And it isn't pretty in an era of high-definition TV.

Viewers have been merciless. Some want her to retire. Others think she should go for botox treatment.

For the former model who claimed she started using skincare products only in her 20s, the sharp words have been painful.

Looking resigned, she said: 'I cannot meet your expectations.'

The problem is, these expectations aren't related to her capacity as an actress.

The brickbats have been particularly harsh since her latest drama, The Ultimatum, shown in high-definition, exposed the apparent flaws.

Those crow's feet at the corner of her eyes have apparently been such a distraction for some that it's all they can talk about.

 

Zoe probably had no idea of the backlash that was to come before she began filming The Ultimatum. It was to be her first appearance in high-def.

She had said during the drama's press conference in April that she wasn't used to having so many people gawk at her at such proximity.

Speaking very slowly and sounding a little apprehensive, Zoe told me recently that she doesn't wonder why people are complaining about the lines on her face.

Several times during our recent interview, Zoe even left her sentences unfinished. She sounded affected by the criticism.

'Maybe my wrinkles appeared earlier,' the mother of two boys said. 'But I won't do anything to erase all of them just so I can sustain my career.'

She admitted this early onset of ageing could be because she started using skincare products quite late. She had used only baby oil to remove her make-up when she worked as a model.

Zoe also confessed to me: 'It's very difficult to always have to look perfect. I don't know what the audience wants me to look like, but maybe I cannot meet their expectations...'

Where is the feisty, heck-care Ah Jie who single-handedly ruined Star Awards in 2005 when she ran onstage to egg Christopher Lee to propose to Fann Wong?

And what's wrong with having wrinkles anyway? Zoe's 41, not 21.

It's ironic. Viewers want their dramas to reflect everyday life, as is evident in the high ratings for auntie drama Housewives' Holiday and the ratings flop for the extravagant The Ultimatum.

But they don't want the artistes to look like normal, wrinkly people on the streets.

Zoe finally found her spunk when she added to me that there are still other 'more attractive areas' of her to look at.

Of course. Her ample chest, I replied.

To which Zoe promptly shot back: 'Not there lah!'

Getting a botox shot has never crossed Zoe's mind, she revealed.

The wrinkles are an expression of her experiences in life.

'Do you know that botox is a drug that'll stay in your body forever? You don't know how it'll harm your body.

'Then why am I eating well, exercising and taking my health supplements if I inject drugs to harm myself?'

It was a risk that Zoe adamantly said she's not willing to take.

'The fact is, everyone will have wrinkles, just that people want to demand more from me.'

For the second time, Zoe dropped that 'I don't meet your expectations' line.

Support from fans

But Ms Victoria Tan, 54, doesn't think so.

The accounts manager was miffed that comparisons were made between Zoe and The Ultimatum co-star Fann Wong.

She told The New Paper: 'It's all rubbish! Women of Zoe's age would definitely have wrinkles. Besides, you can't compare them because you don't know if the other person has had botox injected on her face.'

Zoe also has radio DJ and TV host Dennis Chew on her side.

The baby-faced 35-year-old said: 'Our local audience is really nit-picky and critical. Why pick on her wrinkles of all things? One can criticise the acting or the plot of the television series, but to pick on stuff like the wrinkles on one's face, it's being too nit-picky.

'Some people will always find something to pick on. Say Zoe really went for botox, they will also be criticise her for that.'

Actress Aileen Tan, who was in the inaugural Star Search 1988 with Zoe, added that she hopes local fans can be more accommodating when it comes to accepting local artistes.

'Everyone grows old one day,' Aileen, 42, said. 'As artistes, the most important thing is to be yourself and not be affected by the criticism too much.'

Multimedia freelancer Tan Yu Xiang, 21, thinks wrinkles are okay, as long as nobody's complaining.

He said: 'Artistes are human after all. So wrinkles are acceptable as long as they aren't too deep.

'But if people complain, then it's the responsibility of the artiste to do something about it, like putting on heavier make-up or going for botox. The audience watches the artistes on TV every day; it's not fair to them if nothing is done.'

This reminds me of what Guo Liang once told me how Singaporeans shouldn't take it too seriously if artistes go under the knife.

If he wanted to watch someone with average looks on telly, he said, he might as well look at his neighbour.

So do artistes have the right to look the way they want? Or do they have a duty to their audience to constantly prettify themselves?

Whatever the case may be, wrinkles, so usually part of a graceful aging, now seems like a deathly stab from nature for one who used to be synonymous with the labels 'Queen of Caldecott Hill', 'Bobo' and 'glam mama'.

This article was first published in The New Paper

readers' comments


Wah - your friends are either heavily botoxed or a significant minority in this world not to have a single white hair or wrinkle
Posted by Dumbdumb9999 on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 at 13:04 PM
We do not have to make it a stigma for people using botox enhancement.
Politican, entertainer and even the common folk love to look good.
There are good skin specialists at Mount Elizabeth, Paragon and Tan Tock Seng Skin Clinic to make you look good.
And for Zoe, if she need to, please go for it.
Posted by BUNGACHANTEK on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 at 12:47 PM
Though some of her fashion choices are questionable and the photo in the article is not flattering, I think she looks really good for someone that's over 30. Hope she doesn't resort to botox enhancement.

I've met her a few times at the durian stall in Dempsey carpark and she is always friendly and down to earth.
Posted by laukinkon on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 at 12:25 PM
What nonsense from a person who was the "star" that so many audiences supported not so long ago...This just shows how unprofessional she has become. As an actor you are paid to do a job and if looking old is required then you make yourself look old, if you need to be a teenager than you need to look like one. It is all part of the job...didn't the director tell her so? Maybe we ought to sack the director as well for casting her when she obviously did not look good for the role:mad:
Posted by kooldog59 on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 at 18:52 PM
If one wants to continue to appear scantily dress , in sexy poses and uttering seductive words like ' I swallow' then one have to be willing to take the heat. Giving excuses to what is obvious only reflects denial. The point here is not about living up to expectation , wrinkles or botok, its about you look too old the role is an already poor scripted, plotted and casting production.
Posted by dafrankcode on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 at 14:53 PM
I think it is all about "balancing". An artiste should look great on TV, because audience love pretty faces. However, let's not forget there are many veteran artistes in HK, Taiwan & Hollywood who go a long way despite their wrinkles.

It is acceptable to have wrinkles and still stay in the entertainment circle. What you really need is real "skills". Why are some famous artistes capable of staying in this circle for 58 years?(eg Jiang Da Wei) Because he has good acting skills and keep getting better.

For Zoe, the way I see, she's stopped improving since the gambling show. Do you see any improvement in her acting skill in this new TV serial? No, on the contrary, I think she's getting worse, eg her speech, she still cannot speak clearly, so many times, I couldn't figure out what she said, .....
Posted by SYTeoTammie on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 at 14:03 PM
It is natural to have wrinkles when one get old. But who want if one can avoid. Certainly I dowant. Who dowant to remain young and beautiful? If every one is able to get old gracefully, all the cosmetics companies would have gone bankrupt long time ago.
Posted by taybh000 on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 at 13:44 PM
I asm shocked to see her winkles. Many of my friends, who is 50 and above, don't even have a single white hair or wrinkle. Probably, too many late nights. She should be acting as an auntie instead.

When you want to be famous than you need to look good at all time.

Time for her retire.
Posted by mheng1954 on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 at 12:32 PM
Mediacorp Chinese Drama has not only failed with the contents and script in Ultimatum and its many various other drama but also failed miserably in its casting. Their favoritism towards certain self managed artistes and selected few in getting lead roles after lead roles while leaving out those talented ones is a testament of cronyism. The last good Chinese scripted and produced drama that was being shown was Perfect Cut II. Why did this turn out to be successful ?It because it was not being produced, directed or cast by Mediacorp. Monopoly stilfles creativity and without any accountability its unlikely we will see much progress .
Posted by georgian on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 at 12:12 PM
I agree with zioziofan & georgian.
Posted by lovemelovemenot on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 at 11:04 AM

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