Hail, future Princess of Caldecott Hill?

You're looking at Caldecott Hill's potential princess- in-waiting.

Singapore-based Malaysian actress Julie Tan is poised to become local showbiz's next big thing - and she hasn't even finished school yet.

The 20-year-old, who graduates from her theatre studies diploma course at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa) in November, has inked a five-year contract with MediaCorp starting from December.

She has proven herself in a memorable supporting part in Channel 8 drama Unriddle 2, and in a third lead role in A Song To Remember, also from Channel 8.

Now, Tan will be taking on meatier lead roles in the TV series Love Thy Neighbour 2 opposite local hunk Elvin Ng and an as-yet untitled idol drama with rising actor Desmond Tan.

Next month, she will start filming a lead role in her first movie, local director Chai Yee Wei's nostalgic xinyao movie That Girl In Pinafore.

But Tan, who was first runner-up in The New Paper New Face in 2009 and is a poster girl for this year's modelling competition, isn't someone who will be swept away by the trappings of fortune and fame.

Boasting a grounded maturity beyond her years, she told The New Paper: "You have to have a strong faith in who you are, what you want and your goal in life. If you lose them, you will lose yourself totally."

She added: "I know exactly what path I want to take in my career. I'm not an idol or a star. I'm an actress.

"I enjoy the filming process, but I also enjoy keeping a low profile. In this industry, what I tell the media and how I behave has to be (very clear).

"It's either black or white. There's no grey area. If there is, people will add things to what I say."

An only child, Tan is adamant about keeping her public life separate from her private life.

Tan, who was born in Penang, came to Singapore with her parents when she was a few weeks old.

All she would divulge about her wealthy family is that her father earned his fortune from scratch and that her parents now run their own businesses.

Tan is also firm about the people she hangs out with.

"People are in showbiz for different reasons, some for passion, some for fame and others for money.

"The kind of people I'm really scared to be associated with are the ones who are in it for fame, because they will do anything do get it, including pulling you down and stepping on you.

"They make use of you and others to be in the limelight... I don't need to give examples. People know (who I'm talking about)."

And Tan doesn't feel threatened by the competition, even with the entry of newbies like Jayley Woo, 20, Kimberly Chia, 17,and Elizabeth Lee, 18.

Woo and Lee are also signed with MediaCorp, while Chia is managed by artiste management and video production company Noon Talk Media.

Tan feels her image allows her to play older roles while Chia's image is still of a teen. They are friends and first met around four years ago on a commercial shoot. They were also together in the okto production Dream School two years ago.

Tan said she likes Lee's sunny image.

And because both could play roles older than their real ages, she believes they could end up fighting for the same roles.

She said: "Every actress is different in terms of looks and height so there's no conflict of interest. If every actress is mouldable (and thus suitable for many types of roles), then there'll be competition.

"I don't think there'll be rivalry. We can learn from each other. It'll be very sad if colleagues can't even help each other."

When asked which of the three remaining Princesses - Jeanette Aw, Joanne Peh and Rui En - she would like to emulate, Tan replied: "I don't see myself like them because I want to be Julie Tan. I've got to have my own style.

"I can't say who I want to take after because everyone is different."

In her short three-year showbiz career, Tan has played an intellectually-disabled teen in the telemovie The Promise (2009), a Vietnamese prostitute in New Beginnings (2010), a tragic songstress in A Song To Remember (2011) and a deaf-mute with a split personality in Unriddle 2 (2012).