Teen no longer: Calvert Tay marks return to TV after 5 years with first on-screen kiss

After a five-year absence from local TV screens, Hong Huifang and Zheng Geping's son Calvert Tay is ready to make his return. 

The 22-year-old made his acting debut in the TV drama While We Are Young five years ago when he was just 17.

The teenager played Zoe Tay's son in the series, which also included a clutch of second-generation stars such as Chantelle Ng, Shalynn Tsai and Chen Yixin among its cast.

Calvert was forced to put his showbiz career on hold as he had to enlist in the army. After serving his National Service, he turned his attention towards his other passion — music —  releasing two songs in the past two years.

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This time round, he is ready to push the boundaries on acting, which includes sharing his first on-screen kiss with co-star Regene Lim.

Said Calvert in an interview with 8world: "I read the script and besides the interesting storyline, it presented the challenge for me to take on three different roles at one time and I told my manager I was up for it. It was also an opportunity for me to return to acting."

The show comprises three separate storylines centred around April Fool's Day, all played by the same cast members. They include newbie actors such as Regene, Sheryl Ang and Zhang Zetong.

Filming will wrap on March 19, with the show debuting on March 31, the eve of April Fool's.

First on-screen kiss

And the most unforgettable moments during filming so far for Calvert has got to be his kissing scenes with co-star Regene. "It's my first on-screen kiss," Calvert explained. And there were not one, but two scenes where the pair locked lips.

The more intimate of the two kisses took hours of filming and "one or two NGs" in order to capture the emotions perfectly. However, he explained that some of the time was spent addressing technical issues such as lighting and angles.

Giving his performance a modest "okay" rating, Calvert said filming the scene was smooth once he immersed himself fully in the role.

And did dad Zheng Geping, who also happens to be the show's producer, have any advice to give him about filming the onscreen kiss? 

"He only said I shouldn't eat garlic, to drink more water and chew some mints. Most importantly, to have confidence and to communicate with my partner."

candicecai@asiaone.com