Pretty, sexy and sweet are words that have been used to describe her.

So it was no wonder that the other actresses in the make-up room were hesitant to speak to the lady with the horrific make-up and wig.

The lady kept quiet on purpose, knowing full well that they had no idea that she was local actress Ann Kok.

That was how shocking Kok's transformation was as she took on her first "ugly role" in her TV career, which has spanned a two decades.

In upcoming Channel 8 drama It Takes Two, Kok plays Vivian, the daughter of a karung guni (rag-and-bone) woman who grows up to be socially unaware.

Her character is crass, dirty, ill-mannered and even farts in public.

It was no easy task for the gentle, mild-mannered babe. Kok, 39, told The New Paper: "I have never looked this ugly or dirty on-screen before, so I would say that I was suffering a little!

"But I was excited to take on the challenge."

She added: "Not only does my character not bathe and have a bad case of dandruff, she also says things like she needs to eat a banana as she hasn't gone to the toilet yet."

Kok revealed that her character has bad table manners, always speaking with her mouth full.

"As Vivian, I also had to eat things and have them fall out of my mouth as I spoke."

Looking the part of an unkempt person who sports ghastly make-up, Kok insisted on doing her own make-up "as the make-up artist would still make me look a little too polished".

Her dedication to her craft was especially felt in Geylang, where the cast was filming the show.

Once, after filming wrapped, Kok recounted how she didn't have time to remove her make-up and ventured to buy cherries from an unassuming fruit seller.

The poor auntie took her order but continued to stare at her.

Click on the thumbnails for how Kok rates against other "ugly" beauties on TV, or read the full story here.