THERE’S no lack of former Miss Singapore Universe contestants in MediaCorp.

But not every pageant queen can be a Joanne Peh or a Rebecca Lim.

This trio below may have used their beauty as a stepping stone into the entertainment industry, but big roles on the small screen still elude them.

Jade Seah

Since joining MediaCorp in 2006 after being placed second in that year’s Miss Singapore Universe, Seah has mostly been in English productions such as Sports@SGand The Dance Floor as a host,and on Channel 5 sitcom First Class as an actress.

Any attention the 27-year-old received in the 2008 Channel 8 sports drama Beach.Ball.Babes was short-lived as co-stars Joanne Peh, Jesseca Liu and Dawn Yeoh outshone her in their leading roles.

And in the upcoming Channel 8 drama CLIF, the full-time MediaCorp artiste will have yet another supporting role – as a police coast guard.

If it’s any consolation, shewaspicked to launch Nivea Visage’s Deep Pore Control range in 2007 – the first time the skincare brand was been endorsed by a celebrity.

Seah said that she sometimes feels limited by her“own(poor) Mandarin”, but she is “thankful and grateful” for what she has.

“I’ve been given opportunities at Channel 5 that people who aren’t proficient in English haven’t.

Everyone has a different selling point.”

Joey Feng

The Miss Singapore Universe 2007 runner-up’s first acting gig in 2007 got her noticed when her character bedded her adoptive brother (played by Tay Ping
Hui) before getting killed by him in Channel 8drama The Golden Path.

In the recent Channel 8 drama Mrs P.I., she intrigued viewers with her portrayal of a vengeful but pitiful girl. Unfortunately, for three years since joining MediaCorpas a part-time actress, Feng, 25, hasn’t scored a lead.

She retorted: “Does it really matter? I’m happy tobe given a chance to act. I know  if I still love acting, I will continue, regardless of the significance of the role. Minor roles can also be challenging.

“Many established actresses like Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts have had to strive so long before they got recognition.”

Feng will next be seen in a Channel U short story production anda Channel 8 police drama, as a supporting actress for both.

She also works in the family business, which deals in indoor air quality control.

Jessica Tan 

The 2007 Miss Singapore Universe winner will tell you that in showbiz, it’s mostly about luck.

Just a week before filming began for Channel 8 drama The Best Things In Life (which aired in March),Tan – who was supposed to play main star Chen Hanwei’s love interest
–was told she had been dropped.

Actress Phyllis Quek, arguably a bigger name, replaced her.

Tan, 28, said she wasn’t given a reason for the switch.

She said: “I was demoralised.Who wouldn’t be? “MediaCorp has a large stable of artistes, so I understand it will focuson a select few.”

Tan, who has been with MediaCorp since 2008 and has had bit parts in 2008’s The Defining Moment and last year’sThe Ultimatum, said this is partly why she will not be renewing her contract when it ends this month.

She and some friends recently setupa Maldives-based diving business – she is its marketing director – which allows divers to rent luxury cruise ships for expeditions.
But she wants to continue being a freelance actress and hopes to do a film.

“Yes, showbiz is tough. First, you need viewers’ approval, which is the most immediate. The rest takes time. Everyone starts off raw.

“Very few are born actors.”

This article was first published in The New Paper.

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