Julie Tan Gets Emotional Opening Up About Acting And Mental Health

Julie Tan's showbiz journey hasn't been a straightforward one since leaving Mediacorp in 2017. The 33-year-old Dream Makers II star reflected on her career thus far — looking back on the highs, lows, and defining decisions that have shaped her life — in a recent interview with Chinese media Zaobao.sg,

Changing course in her career, especially at the peak, was a bold move. But it was a risk Julie, who made her debut in 2008, felt she had to take. One of those decisions was, of course, her shock departure from Mediacorp. 

Looking back now, the Star Awards 2016 Best Supporting Actress described it as the bravest decision she has ever made.

She even likened the move to “burning bridges”, saying she had cut off all her fallback options. Although she continued acting and went on to star in four more Mediacorp dramas, the decision marked a major turning point in her career.

After stepping away, Julie shifted her focus to social media content creation. This also meant spending less time on film sets, where she felt happiest.

In fact, while speaking about her love for acting, Julie became emotional and struggled to hold back tears.

“I really enjoy the process of acting. Whenever I think about being on set, I feel like crying. That happiness on set is still the same today, it still moves me deeply,” she said.

That said, Julie believes there is something meaningful about missing acting so intensely.

“At least I know there is this one thing I am truly passionate about and miss,” she said.

At the same time, the actress, who has been open about her long-term struggles with depression, anxiety and self-harm, believes leaving was necessary for her wellbeing.

“Before I left, I had already won awards. In many people’s eyes, I was successful. But I was actually at my unhappiest then. No one could tell, I looked happy, glamorous, and successful.”

It was only after years of self-reflection and professional psychological support that Julie realised many of her extreme reactions stemmed from a prolonged "fight or flight" state and an all-or-nothing mindset.

She also came to understand that what she once thought was "fighting" was sometimes a form of escape.

Even so, Julie has no regrets about the path she chose.

“Once it’s done, it’s done. There’s no absolute right or wrong, just costs, and some of them are quite heavy.”

“At that moment, I made what I believed was the best decision. How can I deny who I was then? I can only keep moving forward,” she said.