If there was a local version of American sitcom Cougar Town, Ann Kok would have no problems fitting in protagonist Courtney Cox's role.

After all, she has become synonymous with May-December romances with younger men.

The 38-year-old MediaCorp artiste has chocked up a string of relationships - on the goggle box, that is - with men who could qualify to play her younger brother.

Last January, the voluptuous actress heated up our small screens when she shared a steamy, passionate bed scene with Taiwanese hunk Joseph Chang, 27, in the Channel U telemovie Cooking Without Clothes.

In the recently concluded Channel 8 prime-time drama Bountiful Blessings, she had brief dalliances with supporting actors Louis Wu and Jeffrey Xu.

Wu is 27 and newbie Xu, who emerged as champion in last year's Star Search contest, is only 23.

Then, of course, who can forget the swirling rumours back in 2009 about her pairing up in real life with the handsomely chiselled rising star Dai Yang Tian? Both Dai, 26, and Kok have denied dating each other.

Is Kok, who has been recognised by many as a sex symbol throughout her 17-year career, conscious of this "cougar" image she has somehow built up for herself?

"Interestingly enough, I haven't heard of anyone who calls me that (referring to the term "cougar")," said the actress to The New Paper at the press conference for her new drama Kampong Ties on Wednesday.

"Cooking Without Clothes gained quite a lot of buzz because the trend of a younger man dating an older woman was quite 'in' during that period of time," Kok said.

She elaborated: "The whole phenomenon kind of started with the Taiwanese idol drama My Queen, which had (actor) Ethan Ruan romancing the older (actress) Cheryl Yang."

However, with time, this fascination has gradually died down, she said.

"In fact, right now, there's really not much of a trend. Society has become so open and liberal that such relationships are already very normal."

Kok added that she "does not mind" taking on more such roles, so long as each time, there is context to the on-screen relationship.

"For me, the storyline is the most important thing. In the case of Bountiful Blessings, I paired up briefly with Jeffrey because he lied to my flower spirit character and I thought he was an old lover of mine trapped in Jeffrey's young body."

Young admirers

The bachelorette, who in earlier interviews with TNP, had stated that "age is not an issue" when it comes to finding the right one, has certainly no lack of young male admirers among her viewers.

Mr John Koh, 30, who works in events management, calls Kok "young and attractive".

"I wouldn't mind going out on a date with her," he said.

Technician Mr Xu Baohui, 35, praised the actress as "elegant" but stressed that one shouldn't just focus solely on her looks or image.

"It's really her acting that allows her to stand out from the other female stars," he said.

Another viewer, Mr Deng Weiwen, 33, said being labelled a cougar would not necessarily be detrimental to Kok's career.

"It will only be bad if that's the only kind of role she's cast in on television," he said.

"But if she fights for other opportunities, she should be fine. Personally, I feel that so far, she has displayed both character and pluck in the way she chooses her roles, and that makes her more than just a good-looking face or body."

Perhaps giving her on-screen persona an overhaul, Kok is ditching her snazzy cougar image in her latest effort.

Set in the 60s and 70s, Kampong Ties will see Kok portraying a long-suffering village wife, Feng Yueman, who has to tolerate the tantrums and beatings of her good-for-nothing gambler husband (veteran actor Zhang Wenxiang).

The 30-episode serial also stars Yvonne Lim, Zheng Geping and Shaun Chen, and will debut on Channel 8 on Oct 24, on weeknights at 7pm.

In the last five years, Kok has played a host of diverse characters, including an auntie housewife (2008's Housewives' Holiday), a mother of a 17-year-old teenager (last year's Happy Family) and a sultry magician (last year's The Illusionist).

She admitted that she still prefers taking on characters "in the 30s age bracket", as it is closer to her real self.

"In Singapore, we don't have the luxury to choose roles," said Kok with a laugh.

"As long as the characters are within my comfort zone, I'm receptive to 'being' older or younger.

"Well, unless it calls for me to be really old or really young. It can be a little weird and I don't think I'll be convincing at all," she said.

This article was first published in The New Paper.