The Big Risk: Acting

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C: Describe a time when you took a great risk. What was the outcome?

+A Bright Future…

I was a straight ‘A’ student in primary and secondary schools and also during pre-university studies (A Levels)

Family and friends had high hopes and expectations for me- to be a successful professional… doctor, lawyer or accountant

‘’We did it!’’ : My friends and Iappeared in several national newspapers

based on our outstanding results for oursecondary school final examination

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But…

In my early 20s, I chose to become an actress instead

+Which path should I take?

At that time, I was going down a well-trodden path, pursuing an Economics degree under the University of London program in Malaysia

At the same time, I took an Acting course, and received job offers in the theatre and television industries immediately upon graduation

It learnt the hard way (through unimpressive exam results) that it was hard to balance full-time studies with a blossoming acting career

+I took the riskier path…

I decided to leave university and to pursue acting full-time

It was a big risk – the entertainment industry is notorious for being competitive, and there was no guarantee that I would succeed

But I took it anyway, wanting to take advantage of the opportunities available to me then

Knowing that one day, I could return to university as a more mature student

+How did I fare?

In just 5 years, I went from an ensemble member in a theatre production to a leading actress in million-dollar films

I was shortlisted for nomination for The Best Actress Award (Anugerah Skrin)

I was the lead actress in Ghost 2, which won the Special Jury Award at the 5th Seoul International Drama Awards

+But what I cherish most is not awarded at any award ceremonies

Building teams I broke down barriers and established great on-

set camaraderie for Untuk 3 Hari, a film produced by one of the best studios in Malaysia

• I questioned standard practices wherein the technical, creative, and administrative teams rarely interacted - by reaching out to connect with every co-worker

• I secured a lead acting role in the studio’s next film based on my collaborative reputation

(Top-bottom)• With the production manager on set

(administrative team)• With co-stars Harun Salim Bachik (in costume)

and Nur Atirah (creative team)• With directors Johan John and Tony Pietra

(technical/creative team)

+And now…

I applied what I learnt from acting to continue building strong diverse teams…

In my various classes at the American University of Paris

As Vice President of Busy Professionals Toastmasters Club Paris

As President of National Society for Collegiate Scholars (NSCS)

Group 3 of Leadership class (L-R)Isma Husein (Malaysian)Belen Diego (Spanish-American)Pierre Barankaya (Belgian-Senegalese)Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi (Qatari-Mexican)

With Vice President of NSCS Erielle Delzer on our spring break in Stockholm

With other members of Busy Professionals Toastmasters Club Paris

+Creativity – Problem solving

I was trained to hone my creativity as an actress

It has become second nature for me to think out of the box in my work – whether I am employing an unusual structure in an essay or adding a skit to a presentation to engage the audience

More importantly, I make use of my creativity when solving problems – like finding unique solutions on how to deal with an uncooperative team member or how to face confrontation

Now I continue to explore my creativity through sculpting, drawing, dancing Salsa and creating speeches for Toastmasters

+Adaptability…

As an actress, not only was my role different in each production, but also I worked with different team members each time– no two projects are exactly the same

- I learnt to adapt to different cultures, practices and requirements

- I became eager to challenge myself with new roles

- I cultivated my curiosity and developed a strong desire to learn and explore

+What comfort zone? This experience made me

brave enough to step outside my comfort zone…

like moving to France, where I did not know anyone and was quite unfamiliar with the culture and language

My curiosity and ability to step outside my comfort zone allow me to enjoy traveling, either solo or with friends, exploring new places and culture, trying new things (like skiing!) and meeting new people, some of whom are still close friends today

A map that I keep in my apartment – purple spots mark the places I’ve explored in Europe

Tried skiing for the first time in Voss, Norway. Stumbled so many times, but I had so much fun!

Made friends while hiking near Florence, Italy

Exploring Budapest, Hungary as a solo traveller

Made an Irish friend in Stockholm, Sweden

+Glamour? Maybe. Hard Work? Yes!

Although the entertainment industry is synonymous with glamour and fun, this is just one small part of it

What the audience see as a two-minute clip may have taken hours to produce

Doing an emotional, teary scene in harsh surroundings – like a thick rainforest jungle – after already working for 12 hours straight, with only two hours of sleep, shivering in a pair of shorts in the cold mountain weather, while being directed by an impatient director? All in a day’s work!

Also, as an actress, I was never allowed to rest on my laurels as I had to constantly prove myself to get future jobs through auditions

Therefore, I learnt to push myself, not shy away from hard work to reach my goals, and to work well under pressure

+Discipline & Organization

Through acting, I learnt to be very disciplined and organized

One of my directors would throw an actor out of the set if he/she is even one minute late

I see for myself how one person can positively or adversely impact a team- if one actor is late or disruptive, the project may not be ready on time and the whole production may lose money

I was also juggling several projects at the same time while studying Theatre through a distance learning course. So, I had to manage my workload well

While I struggled with managing my time and workload before I became an actress, now I am excellent at prioritizing and organizing, allowing me to excel in my studies with a 3.95 GPA while also being very active in curricular activities and maintaining a healthy social life

+People often ask me, why did I leave the entertainment industry? Acting was fun and

rewarding, but I felt that I had more to offer…

While managing my family’s fashion boutique business, I became very interested in business and wanted to pursue a formal qualification in it

So I decided to leave all that was familiar and study at the American University of Paris

+The Acting Adventure

Overall, I appreciated how acting gave me an insight into how big and rich the world really is…

I have acted in big and small theatres and on beaches, in jungles, in multi-millionaires’ homes, in derelict buildings, in swanky corporate offices…

I met so many people – young and old, poor and rich, from different races, from technical and artistic backgrounds…

Through my roles, I’ve ‘lived’ the lives of a single mother, a seductive thief, a confused school girl, a cancer-stricken woman…

I tried my hand at so many things, even those that terrified me at first…

And I came out of the experience a more mature, refined, confident person, eager to learn more!