Being a second-generation star already comes with a certain type of pressure, but imagine coming from a family where everyone is a celebrity.
That’s just the life of actor Calvert Tay, son of local celebrity couple Hong Huifang and Zheng Geping, as well as the younger brother of Mediacorp actress Tay Ying.
In a recent interview with Chinese media Zaobao.sg, the 25-year-old, who stars in the new Mediacorp Channel 8 drama The Cellphone Swap, revealed that he was aware he had not participated in many productions compared to his family.
Tay joined the local media industry in 2017 after clinching a role in Mediacorp series While We Are Young, and his only other drama was 2022’s First Of April.
However, Tay, who remains passionate about acting, does not feel disappointed. He said that “doesn’t care too much about awards or fame”, and “just wishes to give his best”.
The actor is even desensitised to the pressure from being part of a star-studded fam, even as the son of a nominee for a Golden Horse Award. (Mum was nominated for Best Leading Actress for her role in the 2022 film Ajoomma.)
“My sister and I are actually used to it. Growing up, no matter what we did, people would naturally compare us to our family. I’m almost immuned to it now. I just laugh it off,” said Tay.
To him, what matters most is that he’s taking what he wants to do seriously and “doing it well”.
To date, Tay has yet to act with his family members, even though they’re all in the same industry.
Out of all his family members, Tay said that the person he wants to work with the most is his sister, because “it seems like it would be fun”.
What about working with his mum? Tay has his qualms because he remarked that “her acting is on another level”.
He recalled once asking his mum to rehearse a scene with him before an audition.
“She had to cry in that scene, and to my surprise, she actually cried on the spot. The next second, she snapped back to her normal self while I got so nervous I couldn’t even say my lines,” he said.
