Lovely Outlier

Nearly 15 years on, model and actress Alicia Amin still knows what she stands for

- Tania Jayatilaka

From being branded too “outspoken”, “liberal” and “weird” to getting flack for having opinions that go against the grain, supermodel and actress Alicia Amin has fielded more criticism and pushback in her 14-year career than most people her age would endure in their lifetime.

But she’s an incredibly gifted actress who has put in the hard work to be where she is today. She’s also a cat- and dog-lover with multiple pets under her roof. She’s an accomplished equestrian. She’s fiercely protective of her siblings. The point is, no one is one-dimensional, and she certainly is not.

Whatever labels she’s been slapped with, Alicia’s whole career, if anything, is a daring confrontation of conventional wisdom that says you have to think, feel or live only a certain way to earn respect and validation as a woman in society. “I don’t want to romanticise my trials and tribulations,” says Alicia, who studied psychology and social work as a double degree. “My mindset is more, ‘Oh well, that happened,’ and that’s why I’m here now. That’s why I’m good at this and that. I would rather say it like it is. I have things I will or will not deal with, things I will speak up about—and I do, every single time, because I believe that goes hand-in-hand with any kind of growth,” she adds.