MALAYSIAN actress Joyce Harn is extremely excited about her role in the 90-minute telefilm Peranakan Kota that will air around Chinese New Year. She plays a young woman who slowly gets to know her Peranakan roots and culture.
The 27-year-old lass did research on the Peranakan community by reading, and talking to people from the community. She even learnt to speak some Peranakan dialects.
Prior to this, she delivered a much-praised performance as a woman who takes revenge on her lover when he abandons her in the 2018 crime thriller Fly by Night.
“I am very awkward when I receive a compliment,” she confesses.
“I really do not know how to react to it. But I appreciate every compliment that comes my way.”
When asked how she handles criticism, she says: “I only take constructive criticism. Some people will criticise you because they want to hurt you.
“A good performance is a subjective matter. What is a good performance to you may not have the same impact on the next person.”
She admits she enjoyed working with Zahir Omar, who directed Fly by Night.
“He trusts his actors,” she says.
“He did not limit our choices, and gave us the freedom to interpret our characters. I would not mind working with him again.”
At the young age of 10, she knew she wanted to be an actress.
“I was a big fan of the Disney TV show Lizzie McGuire,” she says.
“I wanted to be on television, just like Lizzie. I wanted to learn about life from friends and family.”
During high school, she got involved in school plays. Later, as an adult, she learned that life as an actress in Malaysia is not an easy one.
“You have to struggle just to get cast,” she says.
She decided to put her acting dreams aside and pursue a different dream. She took a degree in broadcasting with the aim of becoming a film director, believing that the life of a film director has far better prospects than that of an actress.
“I still wanted to be a part of the Malaysian entertainment industry,” she says.
Slowly, she realised that some dreams are difficult to forget. Deep in her heart, she still wanted to be an actress, and decided to pursue her dream once more.
In 2015, she entered the reality TV show The Ultimate Actor, where she emerged as one of the winners, and has not looked back since.
“Life as an actress is still a struggle in Malaysia,” she says.
She says that even after an actress has proven herself, it does not guarantee that good roles and a fat salary will come your way. But she refused to be jaded and depressed about the situation.
“I do not want to be stuck with negative thoughts,” she says
She is seeking ways to establish herself outside of Malaysia, possibly in Hollywood. To make this dream come true, she has been taking classes in Kali, a Filipino martial art.
“When you have an extra skill, you can be an action star and your entry into Hollywood is a little easier,” she says.
“When you are famous outside of Malaysia, people here will respect you more when you return home.”
She is trying to follow in the footsteps of Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh, who established herself as a martial arts actress in Hong Kong and Hollywood.
Harn would still love to direct movies similar to the recent Oscar-winning Korean movie Parasite, directed by Bong Joon-ho.
“I remember I could not stop thinking about the movie for a few days after watching it,” she says.
“I would like to make a similar impact with the movies I direct. I want my movies to make people think about life.”
She has also been in a relationship for the past two years with a Malaysian martial arts expert.
“He keeps me grounded,” she says.
“He is honest about my performance. He is not afraid to tell me when I am not good.”
When she is not working, you will most probably find her playing the piano and painting.
“When you paint, you forget everything,” she says.
“I also love to read fiction and non-fiction. Reading builds your imagination.”
