The overwhelming amount of support for Netflix’s “Sex Education” season 3 by our fellow Malaysians is reflected with the show being in the top 10 spot of Netflix Malaysia’s charts. What’s not to love about the show? This fictitious show that depicts the lives of Moordale High’s students definitely teaches us more about our bodies than our teachers and parents combined.
Spoiler alert! There were indeed various twists and turns and this include two unexpected relationships and a shocking ending. However, if there was one thing that took the spot in our Malaysians’ hearts was the appearance of Malaysian content creator and influencer, Zoey Phoon Kar Yan or better known as @zoeypky, as an extra in this epic season.
Zoey appeared in the 5th episode of the season and this made her fans go wild noticing her very brief but obvious cameo. This influencer currently resides in the United Kingdom and was spotted in the opening scene of the episode, donning a red jacket as she walked past the recurring character Viv played by Chinenye Ezeudu in a scene in a public toilet during a school trip. As Viv walked towards the sink to wash her hands, Zoey walked by her and could be seen washing her hands beside her.
First things first — how did she even get the role? Well, Zoey said that she had seen advertisements in the UK that the series was on the hunt for extras and she jumped at the opportunity despite submitting her details way past the deadline. She was not really sure if she was going to be accepted but two days later, she received news that she was accepted.
It might seem like a tough job to bag that role but Zoey explained that it was a relatively simple process as it went through an agency that hires extras for big TV shows on Netflix and BBC. An overjoyed Zoey said, “There was no audition, all I had to do was send in my pictures, inform them of my availability and let them know of any other relevant experiences that I have had. I have done TV adverts before both in Malaysia and the UK. Since this was my first ever cameo in a big TV show, I was really excited and happy to be accepted and featured in the show. Since I was a student [during that time], I was also excited about the pay.”
Apparently, the filming took place in a closed-down university in Newport, Wales. The production team took over the premise and turned it into the set for the show. Adding on, Zoey said that her scene was supposed to be a school trip in France and she was supposed to be a Chinese tourist which explains why the scene featured another extra yelling in Mandarin. When asked about working with one of the main casts for her scene, Zoey said that Chinenye Ezeudu was really nice and funny and that her acting was impeccable. “I went up to her and asked her for pictures and videos which she happily obliged to,” she stated.
Sadly, she didn’t get a chance to meet the other main characters as the shooting was done under Covid-19 restrictions and each main character was shot individually. It also involved a lot of Covid tests and safety procedures. Apparently, Zoey does enjoy performing, being on TV and getting exposure from the industry despite the fact that she’s not actively pursuing a career in acting. She said, “I’m gonna stick to what I am doing for now but if the opportunity arises I wouldn’t say no.”
She also claims to have done cameos on other TV shows too and she even hinted that it’s a BBC mystery/thriller TV show. Nevertheless, we wish Zoey all the best in her future endeavours and for her and other local artists to shine bright and make our country proud.
Source: The Star
