Malaysian star Zhang Yaodong was discovered working at a seafood vendor in Singapore following controversy
SINGAPORE: VnExpress reported that Malaysian actor Zhang Yaodong was spotted doing something pretty unexpected—he was taking orders from customers at a steamed seafood stall! Sources spotted Zhang at a Kopitiam in Singapore's Tampines industrial area. Photo: Instagram/Zhang Yaodong
The Star reported that just this past Wednesday, a video surfaced on Xiaohungshu showing Zhang working at the stall, casually wearing a white T-shirt. Calm and down-to-earth
So, the person who posted the video actually confirmed that the stall belongs to Zhang himself! His employee had just quit, so he was stepping in and managing it all by himself that day. What stood out to them was how incredibly polite and professional Zhang was. They were just so impressed by how calm and down-to-earth he was while he was working—they really couldn't stop raving about it.
Seeing Zhang working at that stall now follows a rough patch he had with his public image last year. Back in July 2024, there were all these rumours flying around that he had kids out of wedlock with women from different countries, which, as you can imagine, really wasn't good for his reputation. It put him in a tough spot. See also Malaysian actress Nora Danish cries as son joins boarding school Accusations
He was previously with MediaCorp, a media company in Singapore. However, after all those accusations started circulating, he surprisingly filed a police report, and his manager at the time effectively shut down the conversation, stating that Zhang wouldn't discuss any of it publicly anymore.
Zhang broke his silence and confirmed he's a father for the very first time in November 2024! He did it by sharing a lovely photo on Instagram of himself and his two daughters enjoying a vacation together in South Korea.
You know, Zhang's career took a pretty significant detour earlier this year. His talent agency at MediaCorp, The Celebrity Agency, actually came out and announced that they were no longer representing him. And ever since that happened, he hasn't been in any new TV shows or films, not since February 2024. Family of hawkers
It seems that Zhang has always had a passion for food in his blood; he comes from a family of hawkers, so it's no surprise that he's always had a hand in the food business.
Previously, he ran his own catering service, even opening a roast meat stall in a food court, and you could also find him selling delicious Taiwanese beef noodles in Kuala Lumpur. History with food
He even tried his hand at a fancier venture back in 2017, launching an Asian fusion restaurant called Maru in Tanjong Pagar, Singapore; unfortunately, that one is no longer around. He's definitely got a history with food.
So, Zhang, who's now 48, actually got his start in acting back in 2002. He first caught everyone's eye when he came in as the first runner-up in the Malaysian 'Star Search' competition – pretty impressive! And even before that, he wasn't new to the spotlight; he had already been working as a model and popping up in all sorts of commercials in Malaysia.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Independent Singapore
3 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
The Harvest: A genuine portrayal of immigrant families from the set to the big screen
Premiering on June 20, The Harvest brings to the big screen a deeply personal story of generational conflict, cultural expectations, and the quiet strength of family. This family drama follows an Asian son who returns home to his immigrant family to take care of his ailing father, only to confront the weight of cultural tradition and generational trauma. The film stars Doua Moua as the son, Perry Yung as the father, Dawn Ying Yuen as the mother, and Chrisna Chhor as the sister. Photo credit: Courtesy of Doua Moua In an exclusive interview with The Independent Singapore, director Caylee So and actress Dawn Ying Yuen spoke about the authenticity of the film, not just in the story, but in the way each character was brought to life. 'I wanted to bring an authentic Southeast Asian way to it,' said So. 'One of the things Doua and I talked about was that even though the film is from the son's point of view, we wanted the mom and dad to have their own inner life and narrative.' She continued: 'We expanded the script by asking, what's the relationship outside of the dialogue? I didn't want it to be a simple 'parents had a bad childhood' kind of story. I wanted the conflict to be more nuanced — more about differing perspectives rather than right and wrong.' See also Gal Gadot produces Israeli-Palestinian romantic drama The film leans heavily towards the dramatic side of a family's story. When asked how she helped her cast members unleash the emotional aspects of the film, she said, 'You know, in film school, they say that 90 per cent of a director's job is to cast well. So you find collaborators that, when you're on set, you have interesting conversations about the characters.' So shared that despite having limited preparations due to the restrictions of COVID-19 back then, as they filmed, the cast members found their dynamics. 'What I found interesting, though, and what I really enjoyed about working with all four of them was that we were able to find the scenes as we went — we were able to play, I guess you could say,' the director added. Dawn Ying Yuen, who plays the mother, spoke about her experience on filming, saying, 'What I really like about this film is that we were all able to play the role from our perspective. See also Will Smith appears in new sci-fi movie with hi-tech clone Everybody just did their own thing, and then when she [Caylee] brought us together, it just worked. The family dynamics were actually really good, I must say.' Dawn also shared how she relates to her character in some ways, given her life experiences. This has helped her understand where her character is coming from and how she prepared for her role. 'Although I didn't grow up with a mom, I grew up with my unmarried aunt, who helped a lot around the house,' she said. 'I observed her closely — how she acted under stress, how she reacted to situations, and brought those nuances into the role. So I usually surround myself with a lot of older folks, like my aunt and my mother-in-law.' Dawn added, 'So I see a lot of this kind of people who always look very strong and try to pull everybody together, but actually deep down inside they are also going through a lot.' When asked who her character represents in today's society, the actress simply answered: 'The mother who takes care of the family. The mother who has to carry the burden on their shoulder, to make sure everybody is well-taken care of. But you know, at some point, she got burned out. She needed her own space. She needed more than just doing the work. She needed love and compassion from someone.' Photo credit: Courtesy of Doua Moua Through The Harvest , Caylee So wanted the audience to immerse themselves in the film and see themselves in it. 'I hope that we represented an authentic family that is struggling and is confronted with things that everybody is confronted with, and this is specifically how they deal with those challenges. I do hope that the audience relates to it in that way.' Dawn added, 'This film can really educate people who are not from our culture. This is what Asian families are like.' The Harvest is currently available for pre-order for Apple users. You can watch the official trailer here: The film is available for purchase on June 20 on Amazon, Apple TV, and YouTube. Poster credit: Courtesy of Doua Moua
CNA
8 hours ago
- CNA
Tasha Low's fans helping her get votes for Star Awards with tear-off posters
It seems Tasha Low's fans actually prefer to do things the old school way. The former member of South Korean girl group Skarf is in the running for Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes as well as for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as a holographic celebrity in Coded Love at the Star Awards on Jul 6. Recently, one of Low's fan accounts, @fortashaaloww, shared on Instagram that they had put up tear-off posters of the 31-year-old in various places around town to help her canvass for votes. One of the posters was pasted on a pillar of a HDB flat while another was seen on a lamp post next to a pedestrian crossing on Bain Street in Bras Basah. The posters included this message: "Have you voted for this cutie?" and a photo of the Emerald Hill star. There were also detachable strips with messages such as "Vote for Tasha" and cute emoticons at the bottom of the poster. The adorable initiative soon caught Low's attention, and she reposted a video and a picture of it on her Instagram story. When reached out to Low, she told us she was really surprised when she saw the story her fans posted. "It was so sweet and thoughtful – they're absolutely adorable!" she said. Low, however, did feel a little shy to see her face all over town. "I did feel a little paiseh (embarrassed) though, haha!," she laughed. Be ready to thank them on Jul 6, though.
AsiaOne
10 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Hello, oppas: South Korea's steamy musical Wild Wild is back in Singapore this June, Lifestyle News
This sexy South Korean show, which captivated audiences last year, is back. Wild Wild, which features hunky, topless oppas , is returning to Singapore with a renewed edition in June at The Theatre in Mediacorp, shared a press release last Friday (June 6). The show will only be on June 21 and there are two timeslots — 3.30pm and 7.30pm — where the 3.30pm event is a women-exclusive event and the 7.30pm one is open to all genders. This is Wild Wild's second time in Singapore, with the first in July 2024. And this year's edition will have a new look, with the press release stating that "it's a revitalised version with fresh energy, new surprises, and even more heat". Leading the 75-minute-long show is an all-male cast of eight performers — Kim Dong Hee, Roh Jin Wook, Kim Jin Woo, Kim Si Woo, Jeong Han Saem, Choi Jay, Collin Dean Harris and Jeong Hui Yeob. Interested parties can purchase tickets on and Ticket prices are $228, $198, $168, $138, and $108, not including administrative and processing fees. Do note that the show is only for those aged 18 and above. Address: 1 Stars Ave, Singapore 138507 melissateo@
