Back in 2006, David Gan, celebrity hairstylist and A-list star confidante, daringly touted Felicia Chin as the Next Big Thing. The self-proclaimed “mother” of Mediacorp’s creme de la creme must now be puffing up with pride as his latest muse ascends the ranks at Caldecott Hill.

The 24-year-old actress was only one of three of Mediacorp’s “Seven Princesses” who made it into the Top Ten Most Popular Female Artistes lineup at Star Awards 2007. And she also snared the coveted Screen Sweetheart accolade for this decade at the awards’ 25th Anniversary Special.

So, what is it about Felicia that puts her ahead of the rest of the pack? You get an inkling of what makes her so special – and successful – when you meet her in person. Dressed in a tunic top and ankle boots and wearing light makeup, Felicia isn’t as much a head-turner as your fresh-faced girl pal: that exuberant smile, that sparkle in her eyes, that chummy demeanour – what’s not to like? “You want a sweet?” she offers. Indeed, the current media darling certainly knows her way around people’s hearts – which is perhaps her winning formula.

Not just book smart
When you see how Felicia punctuates every other sentence with peals of girly laughter, and fiddles with her hair in-between questions, you can’t imagine the affable starlet as a straight-A, triple-science student and national softball player from top schools like Tanjong Katong Girls’ School and Victoria Junior College.

Although she secured a place to read Arts and Social Sciences at the National University of Singapore, Felicia opted for a stab at stardom after winning the Star Search competition in 2003.

Such a waste of a young girl’s smarts, some said, but looking at how far she’s come – given all the young artistes she’s up against – it’s clear Felicia knows a thing or two about staying in the game.

And she’s not easily flummoxed by tough questions. She puts her hand lightly on yours as she throws her head back, chuckling, and hemming and hawing. When you probe further, you sense that she is searching for the right words.

“If not for Star Search, I think I would still be a softball player, playing in leagues in China or Japan.”

Faced with the topic of why she gave up her studies, she seems especially mindful of what to say: “I didn’t get into this line because of the glory. I didn’t see myself acting until Star Search. If not for it, I think I would still be a softball player today, playing in leagues in China or Japan.”

After winning Star Search, she had to sign a contract with Mediacorp, and she figured that her studies could wait. But she doesn’t deny the importance of a university education – especially since it’s something her late father had wanted for both his daughters.

“If you make a detour to do something that gives you the opportunity to learn more, it’s not a bad path. I feel that Singaporeans have a very fixed route in their minds. Looking back, I think I was a little rash, but brave,” says Felicia with a guffaw.

But she would have you know that she plans to fulfill her father’s dream. “I’m still hoping to go to university, and I really hope to study film, acting, theatre or production for two years in either China or New York,” she adds enthusiastically.