Text and Photos: Tan Thiam Peng
Video: Alan Yong

It’s common knowledge, but the ice-cool Rui En has made it almost her battle cry these days.

She doesn’t care very much for awards.

In an exclusive interview with xinmsn, the actress pleaded with fans to not shell out too much when they vote for her.

On her loss in the Favourite Female Character category last Sunday and being in the running (again) for Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes this weekend, the 29-year-old said, “I just feel for the fans who voted. I don’t care much about awards.

“I hope the fans know their limits. Please don’t spend too much. I feel guilty.”

Voting for Most Popular Artistes are conducted via telepoll which is chargeable; while the online voting for last Sunday’s Favourite Female Character was free but fans could only cast a single vote each day.

Famed for her wide fan base despite a nonchalant reputation, Rui En did not feel sorry for the loss but sounded earnest in her reply, “I knew Jeanette Aw would win. She’s very popular!”

The sometime singer, who has collaborated with Asian superstar Jay Chou on more than one occasion, is an anomaly in the local acting scene. Despite multiple roles over the years and being regarded as a fine actress, the Hype Records artiste has never been nominated for an acting award.

After wrapping up another leading role in the upcoming Channel 8 drama With You, Rui En yesterday attended the lensing ceremony for the new cop drama Unriddle. Other artistes in attendance included Tay Ping Hui, Chen Liping, Kola Zhou, Joshua Ang, Andie Chen, Priscelia Chan, Paige Chua and Rayson Tan.

In it, she plays police detective Hu Xiaoman, whom she described as “cold-blooded, unfeeling, and like a predator.”

The Nanyang Technological University business grad said, “[Xiaoman] believes that to catch ruthless criminals, one has to be ruthless, even if she’s a cop.”

She added that she herself firmly agrees with the character’s attitude to nabbing crooks and thinks in real life police should do all they can too, whatever it takes.

The actress also expressed her delight at the opportunity to star – not for the first time – as a cop.

“Maybe because I didn’t play enough when I was young,” Rui En, who is an only child of divorced parents, joked, “so now that I can play police-and-thief, I love it.”

To prepare for a role that would inevitably require her to get into shape for action scenes, the reigning ice queen has been working out at the gym – for the first time in her life – thrice a week on average.

That’s hard to imagine, considering Rui En has always been known for her svelte figure.

She continued, “I started running again. I like running,” which brought out a chuckle from this reporter, whose mind travelled back to 2001 when Rui En was talent-spotted as the iconic ‘running girl’ in a SingTel ad.

Now that Zoe Tay has quit the show citing “personal reasons” but rumoured to be pregnant with her third child, and replaced by another veteran Chen Liping, what are Rui En’s thoughts on this?

“[Zoe] made the right choice. She should take care. Go give birth safely. I wish her good health.”

Wait, is she spilling the beans on something we don’t yet know?

Rui En was quick to correct herself: what she knows is what’s reported in the media.

Oops.

Watch her video here!

Unriddle is tentatively scheduled to air in August on Channel 8.