SHE posted her Breakthrough Performance of the Year nomination on her blog and didn't get a single comment.

The last thing she expected was to win. But Ng Hui did.

The 29-year-old, who played long-suffering maid Ah-Tao in The Little Nyonya, believes she has the hit TV series to thank.

'I think because The Little Nyonya just ended, the image of Ah-Tao is still fresh in people's minds,' she said.

She also attributed her success to lead actress Jeanette Aw.

'I think acting alongside Jeanette most of the time helped a lot. My thinking is that Jeanette's fans voted for me as well.'

And it may have been Ah-Tao's kindness and caring nature that endeared her to viewers.

Said Ng Hui: 'She's a very good person. Most importantly, she's funny too. I think people can relate to the ups and downs that she has in the show.'

The role was a breakthrough for Ng Hui as her previous work was mostly hosting gigs and acting in sitcoms.

Many will remember first seeing her as Apple, Lydia Sum's daughter in the Channel 5 sitcom, Living With Lydia.

She is now filming the eight-episode English drama Happily Ever After which is to air on Okto in March.

She said: 'Many people were surprised that I could play Ah-Tao. The role stretched my acting skills quite a bit.

'The emotional highs and lows were very intense. And the physical part, where I had to walk with a limp after my leg was broken, wasn't easy.'

But the best part about playing a maid, she confessed, was that she didn't need to pay attention to her looks.

'I was so happy to be going without make-up! There was really minimal fuss.

'I didn't have to care about change of clothes or bother with my hair.'

As to whether she mirrors A-Tao in real life, Ng Hui said: 'We both share the 'live and let live' philosophy in life.'

But other than that, she doesn't always relate to what her character does.

'Seriously, if I were Ah-Tao, I would have run away from all the abuse a long time ago,' she said. 'That is one part of her I'll never understand!'

This article was first published in The New Paper on Jan 27, 2009.