The starlet letter

By: Farah Nabilah

The lights shone downwards as she held the knife in her hand. 

Her gritted teeth and messy hair was the epitome of a psychotic woman.  

“CUT!” yells the director as the camera crew swarmed around her.

It’s the end of just another scene from her latest movie for the young and beautiful Izara Aishah.

At 21, the newcomer to the Malaysian entertainment industry has already played roles in 8TV dramas, 9 telemovies, 3 films and 1 sitcom in just 3 years.

"I cherish every moment in front of the camera with the lights shining on my face, being deep in character," Aishah said.

"It is my passion, and it is something you cannot fake. 

"You cannot just act without feeling the character because it won’t look natural on screen.

"Hence when people praise my acting as being so natural, I feel glad. It’s the best feeling anyone could ever imagine." she added.

As exciting as it is, it can also be overwhelming.

“It is hard work and there is a lot of pressure especially when everyone else is more experienced. 

"It took my seniors years before to get where I am today. 

"I am grateful to be what I am now, but there is still more to come," she says.

She began acting at the age of 14 in her school theater club.

She acted in a play called ‘Tok Rimau’ with the famous senior actress Fauziah Nawi. 

Since then, she fell in love with acting and performed at many  school events.

Her participation in Dewi Remaja, a reality TV show kick-started her acting career. 

At only 17 years of age,  Izara Aishah won second place in the competition and from then onward, she has been offered roles by numerous producers. 

She starred as Azlin in ‘Kasih Najihah’, her first TV drama. 

Her portrayal of the main character ‘Fiona’ in the drama series ‘Soffiya’ was her major debut in the entertainment industry. 

She played the character as a mean person so realistically that everyone hated her after watching the drama.

Izara’s success hasn't been without sacrifices.

"Sometimes I miss having my old life, those days when do what I want to do without worrying about what people think about me. 

"I also miss spending time with my family and friends," she recalled.

"But it was something I was dedicated to and it wasn't a chore to me. 

"Over time it just became part of my life."

She added, “ I've always wanted to prove myself to people who belittled me before. 

"They used to say that I am not talented and that I am after the fame so I am working hard to prove them wrong."

"My passion for acting keeps me going, even after a hard day," she said.

"I just think about how much I love it. 

"My dream is to be an international actress like Dato’ Michelle Yeoh. 

"Acting is very demanding, and you have to be a strong person to take criticism and hard work," she concluded.