10 things you didn't know about Andrea De Cruz, the actress who overcame the odds

While we know Andrea De Cruz best as an actress, she was actually a psychologist prior. She graduated with a degree in Clinical Psychology and went on to work at the San Francisco County Jail for a year. A year later, in 1998, she returned to Singapore and joined a private practice as a psychologist at Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

Soon after, Andrea De Cruz was scouted by TCS (then-Mediacorp) and decided to join them as an artiste. She went on to star in both English- and Chinese-language films and television dramas with credits in productions such as Tiger's Whip (1998), No Problem (2002) and Sayang Sayang (2008-9).

In a media fiasco that many of us probably still remember, Andrea De Cruz left the entertainment in 2002 after her liver failed. Her organ shut down due to the Slim 10 weight loss pills she had taken that contained two controlled substances that affected the thyroid, heart and liver.

Andrea De Cruz wasn't the only victim of the pills as logistics manager Selvarani Raja succumbed to liver failure.

Fortunately, Andrea De Cruz was given a new lease on life when her then-boyfriend and fellow actor Pierre Png donated part of his liver to her. The procedure went on for 12 hours and was a historic operation as it was the first non-related transplant from a living person. As a result, Andrea De Cruz has to go on lifelong immunosuppressive medication to prevent liver rejection.

When asked in 2022 whether she would return to acting, Andrea De Cruz said, "After my liver transplant, I quit the entertainment industry. I've received some invitations and some directors have also approached me, but I feel the timing isn't right." She is open, however, to roles in medical drama as she has always wanted to portray such characters.

The love story between Pierre Png and Andrea De Cruz would continue as the two wedded a year later. In 2023, the couple marked their 20th wedding anniversary together. 2023 also marks the 21st year since the transplant. The couple remains happy and grateful for every year they have together as transplant patients tend to have a 20-year life expectancy.

On an Instagram post, Pierre Png had this simple, loving message for Andrea De Cruz. "I have been asked numerous times what the reason was for me to become her organ donor. It was simple - I couldn't see my life without her."

On how Andrea De Cruz remains upbeat through all the tough times in her life, she credits Pierre Png, as well as her family, with being her "rock".

"Well, first and foremost I have a very calm husband. You know the whole roof can be blown off in a hurricane and he will be the person that you want to be with in those times.

He’s the calmest person, he’s my rock, he quells every situation and every fear that you have, and he reminds you that this is what life really is and it will continue to throw curveballs and knock you around but there will always be a better tomorrow. He always says that tomorrow will be a better day.

This is Pierre for you, and I think I've gone through so many bouts of ill health [and] he’s always been there every step of the way.

I also have a very good support system, not just only in Pierre, but our families on both sides, the people who I surround myself with, my friends, and I think… There's a lot of truth in this when I say the older and more mature you get, you just want to surround yourself with people who are positive, who bring spark into your life and give you positive energy, because there’s already so much to deal with in life."

Unfortunately, Andrea De Cruz's liver failure wasn't the only medical condition she has had to contend with. In 2017, she was diagnosed with first-stage cervical cancer, which she managed to fend off.

Then in 2019, she found a 3mm brain aneurysm after losing the ability to use the left side of her face. Due to the nature of the blood clot, Andrea De Cruz hasn't been able to deal with it besides watching her blood pressure, managing stress and other precautions. "I was told that it has to grow to a certain length before they can do anything. So we have to let it grow and then they will coil it."

Covid-19 was difficult on everyone. But it was especially tricky for Andrea De Cruz as she is still on immunosuppressants while the virus was raging worldwide.

In 2022, she had another health scare as she had a "not so good reaction" to her second Covid-19 vaccination jab. After the jab, Andrea De Cruz came down with a fever. After it was made clear that it wasn't Covid-19 or any other reason, it was feared that she was going through signs of liver rejection. Consequently, she had to take steroids and take larger doses of medication to prevent that from happening. Fortunately, Andrea De Cruz seems to be in the clear now.

Since departing the entertainment industry, Andrea De Cruz has shifted her focus and started her own hair salon Cinq in Scotts Square. It was also reported that she had a boutique florist named Belmont Flora on McNair Road.

In 2021, Andrea De Cruz and Pierre Png partnered with Tipsy Collective and opened a restaurant and bar called Tipsy Flamingo. This isn't their first rodeo though - the couple previously owned 301 Bar & Kitchen which had to close down after it became a quarantine facility.

ICYDK, Andrea De Cruz is an adept cook. In her repertoire aren't just simple home recipes though. She's able to make a plant-based burger that meat-lover Pierre Png approved of as well as a table of Peranakan dishes for the extended family. This makes us wonder how Pierre Png is able to maintain that chiselled body of his (remember Crazy Rich Asians?).