Zoe Tay recalls the time she was slapped by Lin Meijiao

Soon after she finished playing a lighthearted role in last year's The Heartland Hero, Ah Jie Zoe Tay jumped straight into a more serious drama. 

Returning for the fourth season of You Can Be An Angel, Zoe plays the assistant director of a nursing home and senior care centre. But her strict personality results in her being at odds with the elderly residents there.

In a sizzle reel that was shared during a press conference for the Chinese drama on Tuesday (March 8), there was a scene where Zoe was 'struck' with a walking cane by Guo Liang, who plays an elder at the centre.

Sharing more details in an interview with AsiaOne, the veteran actress said filming the scene with Guo Liang was not as challenging as it might appear.

The 54-year-old explained: "Guo Liang was so stressed because he needed to 'hit' my face. But we had rehearsals [to prepare for the scene]. There were also certain camera techniques to make it look realistic."

Meaning, the scene relied on positioning and acting, and Zoe wasn't hit at all.

But she revealed that she was not so lucky as an up-and-coming actress. While filming a scene for Pretty Faces in 1991, an actress actually slapped her. The culprit? Lin Meijiao. 

Describing it as the only time she was on the receiving end of a slap by another actress, Zoe said: "I remember the feeling of pain that I couldn't control. The tears just kept flowing.

"I was so frustrated that after filming the scene, I actually took my bag and went off. She (Meijiao) didn't even know that I was angry with her but I shouldn't be since it was an accident."

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While it's clear Zoe has no animosity towards Meijiao, was the slap really just an accident? 

"Maybe you should ask her if it was intentional," Zoe quipped cheekily. 

You Can Be An Angel 4 portrays the relationships between the nurses and elderly residents at a senior care home. The real-life Covid-19 pandemic will also be reflected in the series.

The upcoming drama series also stars Xiang Yun, Hong Ling, Desmond Ng, Zhang Zetong, Zhu Hou Ren, Sheryl Ang, and Tyler Ten.

You Can Be An Angel 4 premieres on Channel 8 on March 18 at 9pm. It will also be available on meWATCH.

ALSO READ: Zoe Tay uses pet dog's sudden death to teach kids a lesson

chingshijie@asiaone.com