In the blink of an eye, we are in 2021 and looking to bright, fresh beginnings. Curatedition chats with the lithe and athletic rising star, Tay Ying, about what’s on the horizon for her in the new year, and how she intends to stride into it and hit the ground running.
Actress Tay Ying, 24, is living a life most women her age can only fantasise about. The business and marketing graduate, whose famous parents are Zhen Ge Ping and Hong Hui Fang has, in 3 short years – even before graduating from Motown Acting school in Shanghai in 2019 – starred in various English and Chinese TV series: The Good Fight, Missing and While We Are Young.
Tay Ying is a rising celebrity for brand endorsements and her social media presence, at over 60,000 followers (and counting) on Instagram, is also impressive. Now also a popular name on Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, the latter on which she hosts travel vlogs and Q&A videos about herself. The enterprising youngling also co-manages another entertainment channel with her brother, Calvert.
Clearly though, celebrity success, or at least the emergence of it, hasn’t spoilt her yet. The level-headed ingenue is grounded with a maturity beyond her years.
Work It Out
Tay Ying has had reason to celebrate work successes this year. What has added a definite spring in her walk and notches in her acting belt in 2020 are 2 highlights: “Taking up my first female lead role in a drama series (which will be airing in January 2021) and being able to work on more editorial and magazine shoots,” she says, and adds gratefully, “These were definitely milestones and breakthroughs for me, especially during a time like this.”
All hard-won, as she describes the one key lesson she learnt that helped her step wisely and realise more balance.
“My biggest lesson this year was definitely learning to have more patience, especially with myself. Being in the entertainment industry means that change is always constant, and instead of asking all the whys and acting on my current emotions, I’ve learnt to really take a step back to look at the bigger picture. This also gives me more clarity and helps me make wiser decisions. 2020 definitely taught me that it’s possible to balance personal and work life. With the right time management, I can still achieve my goals and spend time with my loved ones.”
Her work goals for 2021 and the road map to achieving them are incisive and focused.
“If I receive a new project, I aim to do it better than the project before. In order to improve my performance and content quality, it’s important that I constantly evaluate myself, and that I am honest with identifying the things that I’m weaker at.”
Self-Improvement
The actress, who is single, says she keeps herself centred, balanced and striding in confidence through positive habits like exercise and gratitude.
“Exercising has always been an important part of my life as it keeps me in check. I hope to continue keeping this up even during the busier periods and also to keep challenging myself physically. Maybe through learning a new sport, running an extra kilometre or increasing the resistance on my weight training routine. At the end of each day also, be it good or bad, I want to find at least 5 things that I am grateful for.”
At a quarter of a century old, with the world at her feet, at the cusp of major stardom, she humbly concedes that to some extent, we are all subjected to the wheel of life and also that “our mindsets change at different seasons of our lives. As I am turning 25 next year, I’m curious to see how that will turn out for me, especially since everyone deems 25 as the year where you encounter the ‘quarter life crisis’.”
On the personal front, she also hopes to make a difference in the world by never becoming too cynical or indifferent to give back. She says, “You never lose from giving. In fact, you gain so much more from that. I hope to use my strengths and capabilities to give back, not just to society, but also to the people around me. It only takes one person and maybe even one action to change someone’s world. You never know who you would have impacted.”
Personal Style
With the party season game-on, what do dress codes mean to her?
“Oh, they are important, especially when a party calls for it. It definitely gets you into the mood and it makes a party so much more fun. Parties aside, when you dress in a specific way for a specific occasion, say, a power suit for a business event, it brings out a different side of you, and it makes you feel more confident,” she says.
On any ordinary day though, Tay Ying prioritises comfort. “To me, comfort has always been key. To be very specific, I love my pants and loose dresses (plus points if they have pockets), and I’m definitely a sneakers and boots kind of girl. I also always like to add a pop of colour to my outfits, and I do have a soft spot for florals and reds.”
Artwork by Curatedition, all rights reserved.
Related links:
Riding the New Wave: Hazelle Teo
Reset, Renew, Refresh: Inspiring New Year Resolutions
