Second-generation actor Joel Choo, whose father is veteran actor Zhu Houren, announced in an Instagram post on Sunday (May 2) that he is leaving The Celebrity Agency, the artiste management arm of Mediacorp.

"So this post marks my farewell with @the_celebrityagency. Thank you guys so much for taking a chance in me, nurturing me and growing me as an artiste," the 26-year-old wrote.

Effectively bilingual, he has been acting since he made his debut in 2017 in the English-language drama Faculty and has also appeared in Channel 8 dramas such as Jalan Jalan (2018) and C.L.I.F. 5 (2019).

He added: "I've got a new journey ahead of me but acting and music will definitely be something I will continue to pursue for a long time to come."

Besides acting, Choo is also in an indie rock band, Maxime, with his former polytechnic classmates.

He said that he will be handling his own career from now on, but already has projects in the pipeline, which he will reveal in due course.

Choo is prolific on social media, especially on TikTok, where he has posted humorous videos. Some of his most popular clips include his 66-year-old dad, who sportingly joins in and hams it up.

Zhu also voiced his support for his son on Instagram in a post of his own.

Quoting from Channel 8 drama My Star Bride (2021), he likened children growing up to flying a kite: "As they fly higher and higher, they turn around and see us becoming smaller and smaller.

"We may still be able to keep them company for a while, but those who will be with them for a lifetime will be their friends and spouse. As parents, we have to know how to let go."

He added: "Dad… wants to be a sensible old man."

Both their Instagram accounts were flooded with well wishes from actor friends such as Xiang Yun, Chantalle Ng and Chew Chor Meng.