#SHOWBIZ: TV3's next big star aspires to be action hero like Iko Uwais

New Straits Times

7 days ago

HIS elder half-sister may be a legend-of-sorts on big and small screens, but aspiring action hero Zairi Aziz, 23, wants to be his own man.
Zairi, who hails from Hulu Langat in Selangor, is the younger brother of popular veteran actress Nasha Aziz, but he has always dreamed of becoming an action hero and looks up to Indonesian action hero Iko Uwais.
Currently undergoing skills training as a stuntman from Action Floor, a local stunt development company, he has been doing stunts and acting in bit roles for two years.
ACTION HERO
Zairi was recently selected as one of two winners for TV3's 'Pencarian Pelakon Drama Sangat' actor and actress search, which was held at Balai Berita in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
He said: "I learnt silat during my schooldays, and in recent years I have excelled in mixed martial arts (MMA)."
Among the well-known dramas he has appeared in is 'Anak-Anak Mafia' on Tonton.
"While Iko Uwais of Indonesia has always been my idol, I also look up to our own action heroes especially Datuk Rosyam Nor, Fattah Amin, and Syafiq Kyle," he said.
The chosen actress of the search was Ariana Yusof, 23, of Seremban.
A model, television host and actress, she is about to complete a civil engineering degree course at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia in Batu Pahat, Johor.
The second of three siblings, she admires award-winning actress Siti Saleha Baharom who excels in character-acting, and Amir Ahnaf who delves into troubled characters and shines.
"I always look up to actors and actresses who play characters who are out of the ordinary, somewhat troubled and complex.
"Siti Saleha and Amir are two of the promising ones, and I aim to follow in their footsteps," she said.
Ariana would love to star in dramas and movies that do not require her to be "just a pretty face".
"I also hope to play strong and independent women, who go through interesting character development, such as those portrayed by Siti Saleha and Erma Fatima," she said.
'Pencarian Pelakon Drama Sangat' was held in conjunction with TV3's 41st anniversary celebrations, and it was Malaysia's first private television station's initiative to find the country's next big actor and actress.
This search was paired with TV3's initiative 'Pitch Story Anda Ke TV3' to find the country's next best filmmaker, be he or she a producer, director or screenwriter.
AUDITIONS
Widely-read literature graduate Aireen Nur Yusrina Saliman, 22, saw her original movie idea 'Takdir Tak Bernama' win 'Pitch Your Story'.
Aireen said: "I have been reading novels since primary school and I excel in both Malay and English literature.
"My favourite authors are Indonesian literary giant Hamka and American novelist John Green."
Auditions started on May 31 and lasted a month, and the search was a "thank you" to all viewers for their strong support all these years.
Only one actor and one actress were chosen for 'Drama Sangat', and they were given exclusive, three-year contracts with Altenate Records, and a chance to star in TV3's latest dramas.
The judges for the actor search were popular director Erma Fatima and producer Datuk Hasniza Nordin.
GRADUATES
TV3 broadcast content general manager Marlia Zul Amran said that the movie and drama pitch saw mostly university graduates from around the country suggest original ideas for future dramas and movies.
"Auditions took place at Universiti Malaya on June 14 and Taylor's University on June 21."
She added that the winning idea received RM5,000, while the second and third-placed ideas received RM3,000 and RM1,000 respectively.
Erma said that she was impressed with this year's actor and actress hopefuls, as they came for their auditions well-prepared and were "natural" on stage.
"Competition has been very stiff this time, and this is a clear sign that our country has many hidden gems waiting to be discovered for the big and small screens," she said.
LOCAL
Marlia said that both programmes were aimed at strengthening local content and discovering individuals who could be the "bright future" of Malaysian television and film.
"We received more than 300 applicants this year for both contests, and we are confident that these numbers will grow in the years to come."
Marlia said that they shortlised 10 men and 10 women for the finals of the contest, and they were aged below 25.
As for the movie and drama ideas pitched, five made it to the final round.
"Not only must they be talented, they must also look good, communicate well, be punctual, disciplined, resilient and humble."
The event was also attended by Alternate Records' senior manager Prakesh Swaminathan and drama content manager Faeza Farrah.