Local second-gen star Tay Ying debunks myths: We also make our own money, we don’t just marry a rich man

It's easy to assume that children of successful celebrities are born with a silver spoon, but actress Tay Ying begs to differ. 

During an interview with Lianhe Zaobao, the 26-year-old daughter of veteran local actor Zheng Geping and actress Hong Huifang shared that her life is not as cushy as people think and went on to debunk some misconceptions 

"Many people think that because our parents are actors, they must make a lot of money, which means their children can do what they want without having to earn their keep. But we also make money ourselves and not just rely on our parents," she elaborated.

She shared that since she was 16, she has tried her hand at a slew of part-time jobs, such as waitressing, doing sales, and being a counter staffer for a dance school. When she was in university, she also did an internship at a convention and exhibition company. 

Last month, she signed a contract with Mediacorp. 

"There are also people who think that the second generation of stars will marry a wealthy person so they won't have worries for the rest of their lives," Tay Ying added. 

"We still have a lot of worries and pressures. We just don't talk about it and it's inconvenient to say it."

While she admitted that second-gen stars like herself could rely on their parents to enter showbiz, she also said how far they can go depend on themselves. 

And though some would say she could always turn to her parents for guidance, Tay Ying revealed that she struggled when she first started out in acting and was unable to analyse characters and grasp the emotions, among other things. 

"This is also the reason why I did not join Mediacorp at that time, because I had never acted and had no foundation, how could I be qualified? I couldn't simply rely on my parents to sign the contract, I had to contribute to the company on my own," she explained. 

That was why in 2019, she went to a performance school in Shanghai for six months to build her foundational skills.

"I realised how bad my language abilities were when I was in China. Every day, I felt I wasn't good enough. Being an artiste isn't just about reading the script and saying lines. There are many facets and things to think about."

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melissateo@asiaone.com