Call her the wearer-of-many-hats.

Vernetta Lopez, 35, is known for her multiple roles as a radio deejay, television actress, host, vocal coach and wedding planner.

She is now acting again after a 10-year hiatus from the stage with home-grown theatre company Zebra Crossing's British satire, What The Butler Saw.

In it, she plays the adulterous wife of a psychiatrist (played by Gerald Chew) who walks in on him when he is trying to seduce his secretary.

She claims she has the jitters - with 'tremors that register 10 on the Richter scale'.

After all, her last major role in local play Who Shot Mr Kiasu (1994) did not go so well.

'I played one half of a pair of twins who were weather girls. I forgot my lines and it was the worst experience ever.'

It is hard to imagine someone so bubbly being at a loss for words. Lopez, who is best known for her role as the daughter Denise in the local TV sitcom, Under One Roof, is also a well-known radio personality.

In 2005, she set up Eternally Yours, a wedding planning agency. The divorcee - who split up with radio deejay Mark Richmond in 2001 - now lives with her fiancee, a software developer, and her cat in a house in Bukit Timah.

1. What were your childhood ambitions? Did you ever think you would be in showbiz?

I never thought I would be in show business. I'm a go-with-the-flow type of person. I had many ambitions.

I wanted to be Miss Universe (but was too short), a mermaid, a doctor, astronaut, gongfu master, weapons expert and Hollywood star.

I was most saddened when the 20-cents fortune-with-your-weight ticket I bought as a young girl said: 'Jack of all trades, Master of none'. That was an interesting 20 cents spent.

2. How long have you been working in radio?

I have been with radio since 1993. I had a part-time stint on a little radio station during weekends and then I started with the former SBC, at Perfect Ten 98.7FM.

I joined Class 95FM in 2000 and have been here ever since. But the funny thing is, I have never been a full-timer on radio. I love radio and being a regular part-timer leaves me time to do loads of other things.

3. Do you think radio as a medium has changed since you first started and now?

Radio has seen some changes for sure but it has also been such a constant, cosy companion and a staple for many people's daily routine.

Radio was very much a straightforward medium. And it still is but it has matured, especially with additions like podcasting, webcasting, and Internet and SMS interaction. And along with that, our listening audience has also grown with us.

I constantly meet mid-20-year-olds who make me feel old when they say they listened to me when they were 12 years old.

Plus the speed of speaking on radio has changed. I listened to old recordings of myself and man, was I slow. We all were. The pace has just gone from 5kmh to about 120kmh.

4. It's been years since Under One Roof aired, do people still call you Denise (the name of the character she played in the sitcom)?

I think the effects of the popularity of the show are still evident.

People still call me Denise but it's become more Jennifer now. They always get the wrong Lopez. And Nicholas Lee (who played her brother in the show) and I can never play husband and wife in any other show now. It creeps people out!

5. What was it like working on such a popular, long-running sitcom?

Overwhelming. I think it really hit home when we were signing comic books at a bank and more than 4,000 people came to see us and get their comic book signed by us.

Till today, I am touched by what happened that day.

But working on Under One Roof was an experience I wish I could re-live again because it was so much fun.

No prima donnas, no drama, just good fun at work.

You could feel the enormity of what was going on: the comic-book signing, the reactions of people around you, the variety shows that the Tan family led on stage, the huge bus ads, the people knocking on our bus as we left a public appearance, the covers of local magazines, the guest stars that appeared on the show and the articles that constantly covered what the show was doing.

6. How did you get into wedding planning?

It came at a time when I was looking in different directions in my career. I had the experience of owning a flower shop and a friend came up with the same idea at the same time, so it was a natural step.

It's been hard work but it's becoming very rewarding. And the anniversary of our starting the business is Valentine's Day. Hee, it's so cheesy, I love it.

7. Were there any lessons you took from your experience with your previous marriage?

If your spouse falls in love with someone else, forget about everything. No point wasting your time with something that will go nowhere. Live your life for heaven's sake.

Other things that I didn't learn from the marriage but have learnt since: Don't be a needy whiner. Being a whiner really dampens the reason your spouse fell in love with you in the first place.

Have mutual respect. It's not about who's the leader of the marriage, it's about who leads in different things.

Enjoy the confidence in being able to speak freely and be who you are with someone who appreciates you for that very reason.

8. Complete this sentence. If I could live my life all over again, I would...

Eat more laksa and char kway teow because I really have to watch what I eat now.

Oh, and I would have taken up piano lessons. When my mum asked me what I wanted to take up, I actually told her not to waste money.

I guess that was the thriftiness in me speaking, but to learn a musical instrument is one thing everyone should at least try because it's such a beautiful outlet for expression.

WHAT THE BUTLER SAW

Who: Zebra Crossing
Where: Drama Centre Theatre
When: Until Feb 22, 8pm (except Sundays and Mondays) Matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 3pm
Admission: $34 to $60 from Sistic (log on to www.sistic.com.sg or call 6348-5555)

This article was first published in The Straits Times.