THE WORK OF ART

Malaysian actor Azrel Ismail shares about the daily grind and discipline that goes into a craft that’s often credited to just talent and looks

- STUART DANKER

Actors only rely on their good looks. You either have it or you don’t. Only people with connections ever make it big in show business. Such are the common misconceptions about the industry.

And while Azrel Ismail can turn heads when he struts into a room, he’s so much more than his smouldering good looks will lead you to believe. In fact, Azrel has had his own share of trials and tribulations too. Many just like to take his charming demeanour at face value and assume that no work goes into smoking a cigarette on screen, portraying a spiteful character, or shedding a tear.

The last one has been a thorn in Azrel’s side for the longest time. He’s said before in interviews that he has the most trouble crying on command. In fact, he’s mentioned his use of minyak kapak to coax the tears out of his eyes. In one instance, the oil irritated his eyes so much that they ended up swelling. Not surprisingly, that proved to be more troublesome as the shoot then had to be delayed. But everything is a learning experience for Azrel.

“Everything’s still a work in progress,” Azrel says. “The good thing is that the longer I work at it, the more tools I add to my craft. For instance, when it comes to crying, I’ve begun using sad songs to trigger those emotions.”

That’s just one tiny problem in the never-ending list of plights, however. Most are general problems, like dealing with co-stars that don’t share the same chemistry. But for Azrel, there are also problems specific to him, especially since he’s chosen to navigate this industry without a management company.