It took He Yingying just three years to score her first acting nom at the Star Awards. The 24-year-old actress is now in the running for Best Supporting Actress for her role in A Million Dollar Dream, and she's up against Aileen Tan, Lin Meijiao, Cynthia Koh and Sheila Sim. In comparison, Rui En got her first acting nom, for Best Actress, which she won, in 2011 — nine years after making her Ch 8 debut.

So is Yingying on the express lane to fame or what? The 118 star sure doesn't think so. She tells 8days.sg that she’s still “new to this” — 'this', we assume, is getting nominated for awards — and that she’s just “very thankful” that her “career has been relatively smooth so far”.

The actress is seriously down-to-earth. Yingying, who is now filming upcoming Ch 8 drama, Dear Neighbours, where she plays a university graduate working in a PR firm, called us immediately after wrapping up work in the evening because she didn’t want us working too late. Aww...

While the doe-eyed star couldn’t be more grateful for her Star Awards nomination, she did not, for some reason, inform her parents about the good news. It was something we just couldn’t wrap our heads around. Wouldn’t someone, anyone for that matter, feel the urge to mass text every single friend and family member, if they were nominated for an award of this scale?

8 DAYS: Congrats on your first nom! What went through your mind when you first received the news?
HE YINGYING: Very surprised! And I feel very honoured to be nominated among such veteran artistes. Their acting skills are off the charts! For me, to even be mentioned in the same sentence as them is an honour.

Were you expecting this nomination?
Not at all! I didn't even think about it! I never thought I would be nominated so soon! A Million Dollar Dream is very special to me because I really liked the cast and crew! That itself is already a reward. This whole thing just feels very surreal.

How did your family react to the good news?
Oh, I didn't tell them! They found out through articles online.

How could you not tell them?
It didn’t occur to me immediately because I thought it was a mistake! (Laughs) I didn’t dare to say it. What if they realised they made a mistake and changed the nominations later on? (Guffaws)

Come on, that wouldn't happen. So how confident are you of winning?
(Laughs) I don’t regard myself as competition. I’m just here to enjoy the ride!

So who are you betting on to win Best Actress then?
I think… Everyone has an equal chance of winning! I’ve seen all their performances in their dramas and their performances were amazing… So I’m not expecting anyone to have a higher chance of winning over the others.

You’ve attended three Star Awards ceremonies, so which has been your favourite outfit?
I liked my dress from last year! It's that Jessicacindy gown my stylist customised for me. It was a fun experience [getting my own dress]!

Have you picked out this year's dress yet?
Not yet!

So do you have a particular look you are hoping to go for?
I actually haven't thought about this! I’ve been so busy filming there’s no time to think about other things. I’ll just let my stylist handle it.

What is your favourite Star Awards moment of all time?
Jin [Yi Ji]-jie getting into the Top 10 last year. I love it when someone wins and they give a really heartfelt speech. Almost everyone teared up when Jin-jie finally got her first [Top 10 Most Popular Artistes] award.

In 2018, Jin Yinji won her first Star Award after 30 years in the biz.

What did the Star Awards mean to you as a kid?
It was a time where I could sit down with my entire family in front of the TV and watch beautiful people wear beautiful dresses! (Laughs) Everyone is sooo beautiful!

So who do you think is the most beautiful?
I would say that Ah Jie and [Pan] Lingling-jie [looked the best] when they walked down the red carpet some years back! I was so awestruck. There were a couple of really sexy dresses throughout the years, but I don't remember what they looked like. What I do remember, though, was going “Wow!” when I saw Cynthia Koh! I’ve always thought that she had a really nice body! (Laughs)

Is your family used to seeing you on TV now?
They’ve never actually said much but they are supportive. My mum made it a point to watch every episode of every project I’m in. (Laughs)

And what is your mum's favourite role of yours?
I think she liked my role in 118 because Xiao Dingdong is a very silly character. And she loves it when I look and act stupid. (Laughs) She will laugh very happily and think that it was all improvised. (Laughs) But it was actually all scripted!

Previously, you referred to yourself as a “commoner”. Has being a star sunk in yet?
(Laughs) Not really! I think I'm still a commoner. I feel like I’ve never changed! My outlook in life and my goals are still the same, and that is to be happy.

I'm sure a lot of people recognise you now.
Yes they do, but I feel I’m just like them! Nothing much has changed and to me, talking to random people is like talking to my neighbours. (Laughs)

Speaking of people, you're also very close to Hong Ling and Bonnie Loo. When did you guys start hanging out?
(Laughs) Yeah! This is a very good question! (Laughs) Probably sometime last year. It was through 118 that I got to know Hong Ling, and we started hanging out because of that. As for Bonnie, we played sisters in my debut drama, Hero, and we’ve been good friends since.

Why do you think the three of you click so well together?
(Laughs) I don’t really know! Maybe we’re just three really silly girls! Also because we're all quite close in age lah. (Bonnie and Hong Ling are both 25)

What silly things do you all do as a group?
Wow, there’s a lot of them! I can’t remember a specific one but it’s those moments where you keep laughing at each other that’s the most memorable. It’s always nice to have someone your age to talk to! (Laughs)

What do you guys talk about? Boys?
Hmm… I really don’t remember! (Laughs) There’s just too many things!

Is there competition between the three of you for jobs?
Hmm not really, because the three of us are very different people, and we have different images as well. I don’t think there is competition lah. Even if there is, it’ll be a healthy one. Hong Ling is calmer, whereas Bonnie’s very well-spoken. We thrive in different areas!

Is there anyone else you hang out with?
Not really. I have to say that it’s not easy to find a date to meet up because of our conflicting schedules. But apart from Bonnie and Hong Ling, I also hang out with [Chen] Yixi and Edwin [Goh]!

You’ve had long hair for a long time but you decided to snip it all off last year.
Yeah, I had to do it for a role. It was the first time in my life having short hair. I do like it though, it’s very convenient and easy to maintain, especially for someone who’s lazy like me! (Laughs) Sometimes, I do miss my long hair because I’ve had it for 20 years of my life!

So you've never thought of cutting your hair short before?
I’ve thought about it but I’ve never had the courage to do it. (Laughs) My role in Walk With Me was an excuse for me to try out a pixie cut. In the future, I think I would cut it short again but not that short. (Laughs) I quite like my current hair length.

Why didn’t you have the courage last time?
‘Cos I could never picture what I’d look like with short hair! I didn't know if it would suit my face. What if people didn't like it?

Are the opinions of other people important to you?
A little lah! (Laughs) The comments about my short hair definitely took some getting used to. Some people liked it, and some didn't. I was affected at first when people made insensitive comments about my hair, and I would think, “Aiyah, why you say until like that?” But after that I realised that they’ve got no ill intentions. They just wanted to voice out their opinions. (Laughs) I would listen but I wouldn't take it to heart!