SHE has a steamy bed scene in an upcoming film.

And Miss Singapore Universe 2007 Jessica Tan, 27, is not opposed to appearing nude for work, as long as 'it's tastefully done'.

She said: 'An Asian society like ours is still very conservative about such matters. But if you're confident about your body and it's nice, why not celebrate it and pose for something artistic?'

The furthest the actress has gone for a photoshoot is donning a bikini for a local men's magazine.

Laughing, she said: 'The only concern I had was toning up. I had to do a lot of yoga before the shoot. It was like going through Miss Universe all over again.

'I told the editor I wasn't going to pose in lingerie. I didn't want to portray a wrong image. Wearing a bikini is just like a swimsuit shoot. There's nothing too brazen about it.'

And then there was the raunchy scene in local director Derrick Lui's silent short film When Night Fa11s. No date has been set for its release.

Jessica stars as Wei Wei, a quiet person who spends her time waiting for her boyfriend (played by Desmond Tan), who neglects her because of his job.

Jessica is independent and nothing like her character. 'I think partners shouldn't see each other every day,' she said. 'You'd appreciate the person more and you have your own personal time.'

The toughest part of filming, she said, was the crying.

'My tears had to flow just by looking at a vase. Plus it's a silent film and sometimes we emote better with speech. The burning camera lights didn't help. All I could think of was the heat they radiated.'

During filming last December, a family tragedy struck. Jessica's dad, Mr Henry Tan, died from a heart attack. He was 59.

Choking with emotion, Jessica said: 'He was holidaying in Tokyo with my mum when it happened. He refused to see the doctor and brushed it off as heart burn resulting from indigestion.'

Unknown to his family, Mr Tan, who was diabetic, had heart problems. Jessica's mother recently found prescription pills meant for heart palpitations.

Jessica said: 'I think he didn't tell us because he didn't want us to worry.'

On returning from Tokyo, Mr Tan was admitted to hospital twice before he died.

'I was filming when my brother called. He said my dad wasn't likely to live past the night. I rushed to the hospital. When I arrived, my dad was semi-conscious.'

The youngest of three siblings, Jessica is considering moving back with her mother, who now lives with her second brother in Changi.

The actress lives alone in a Bukit Timah apartment she bought last year. She had bought it as an investment but ended up living there because 'I couldn't bear to rent or sell it'.

Her eldest brother lives overseas.

Independent as she is, Jessica is still daddy's little girl at heart. 'He was very protective of me and used to take me everywhere. I miss my dad calling me. He did that very often just to chat. Now when my home phone rings, it's no longer him on the other line.'

Jessica, a former air stewardess, has been dating a Singapore Airlines pilot, 30, for four years. He is a university schoolmate's twin brother.

She has changed a lot in the seven years since she took part in The New Paper New Face in 2002.

It seems her eyes have become bigger and rounder. Her cheeks are also more prominent.

On going under the knife

So did The Ultimatum actress go under the knife to enhance her looks? She starred as a pastry chef in the recently-concluded Channel 8 drama series.

Laughing, Jessica said: 'I think I look different because I've learnt to accentuate my eyes with makeup.

'I also put on tape to deepen the folds of my double eyelids because they don't always form properly.'

So she hasn't had any work done to enhance her looks. But she won't rule it out.

There is nothing wrong with having plastic surgery, she said. 'If teeth correction, which is a cosmetic procedure is widely accepted, why not plastic surgery? I think Singapore should be more mature in that respect.'

Jessica confesses to using teeth whitening home kits.

If she does go under the knife, Jessica says she would want to enhance her double eyelids.

Botox injections

She would have Botox injections to slim her face too.

Jessica, who is 167cm tall and weighs 50kg, is the spokesman for the new Olay White Radiance Intensive Brightening Serum. She said friends have also commented on how she is looking different.

She said that when she joined The New Paper New Face, her face looked more swollen, making her eyes appear smaller.

She added that she lost facial fat in the last few years. 'That's why my bone structure has become more pronounced.'

Jessica also joked about how she was born with a flat nose. 'My mother was so worried, she started pinching my nose so that I would somehow 'grow' a nose bridge.'

Thankfully, Jessica's nose got sharper over the years.

Jessica, who used to be overweight in primary school, said her looks have changed drastically over the years.

She said: 'When I lost the excess kilos in secondary school because of puberty, a more sensible diet and from doing more sports, my primary school friends couldn't recognise me... I used to look like my dad. Now I think I resemble my mum.'

Even her boyfriend's father could not recognise her on a recent visit when she put on spectacles.

She joked: 'His father didn't dare to ask if I was a new girlfriend.'

Jessica added wedding bells will not be ringing anytime soon for her because 'we're happy as we are now'.

This article was first published in The New Paper