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It won’t be a surprise if anyone told us that they spotted Amelia Henderson on the streets of Kuala Lumpur or going to the extent of having a meal with her fans because in our eyes, that’s exactly the kind of humble, accommodating and giving person she is. Despite having a growling tummy from back-to-back shoots that were scheduled throughout the day of our shoot, the 26-year-old Malaysian superstar showed up as her best self, as her mantra is 'Work comes first and I will grab a bite in between takes'.

Born and bred in Selangor, Amelia is as real as it gets, and always on the lookout for new adventures. Be it a big or small gig, the one thing that makes her stand out from the crowd is her bubbly and down-to-earth personality. And like all of us, during the lockdown, Amelia had her own set of ups and downs which she had to deal with along the way. Instead of looking at it as a difficult period, she chose to focus on the good things that made her a better person overall. During our short catch-up session recently, Amelia revealed her past, current and future plans.

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How would you sum up the previous year, and what are some of the things you’ve learned from this pandemic?

“2021 was an okay year for me; there were some highlights and some negative spheres, but it was a tough year for everyone as a whole. For me, it was a challenge to stay positive and motivated despite everything that was going on. During the first lockdown, I felt very deflated and didn’t feel like there’s anything to wake up to because the entire situation felt very drastic. I was very fortunate to have enough food and all, but to see so many people go through so much without any realisation of when all of this was going to come to an end felt dire.

“I guess one of the best highlights for all of us was when we saw how our society came together and offered so much help to the people who needed it most. Eventually, we learned how to adapt, and as a team, we taught ourselves how to be creative after realising that this might be a long-term thing. We opened an office and got a lot more creative with our work which included working from home – even when it came to production – which could be a little difficult, but overall, we pulled through.

“It was a year of connecting with other people and finding out how we could all be more positive despite everything that was going on. Besides work, I also learned about the importance of people. People you care about are the most important, and no matter what was going on with work, no matter how busy or stressed you might be, it’s always crucial to stay connected to the people you love. At the end of the day, when a pandemic like this strikes, they’re the ones who are going to keep you going. The multiple FaceTime calls that I had with my family and friends kept me going, and were something I’d like to take forward with me. I want to find a better balance between my work life and things that matter, like my family and friends.”

All your hard work today and in the past years have revolved around the Malaysian film scene. Can you share with us about the reality behind playing different roles and if there are other career opportunities that you’d like to explore in the future?

“It’s really been a hustle in terms of acting, and I’ve enjoyed it all these years. With every single character I’ve played, I enjoyed it cos there’s a piece of ‘that person’ that I’ve taken with me. As actors, every time we take on a new role, we have to put in pieces of ourselves in order to make the character believable. The most recent one is Kisah Cinta Kita, which was really special to me. My inspiration to play each role comes a lot from the actors and directors that I work with as it’s a team effort rather than an individual effort. When it comes to getting into character, I always take a moment to breathe, think about who I am and the role that I’m supposed to play at that moment, hear the word ‘action’ and dive right in!

“Moving forward, I’d like to play more roles that are stronger – maybe a spy, a cop or something that comes with a bit of a twist. I’m definitely looking for different opportunities, but I don’t think I’ll ever leave acting behind cos it’s so important to me. If I can have more business-related opportunities, that’d be great too. My team and I want to do business, productions and launch our own brand as well, so the thought of all of that as my goals for this year is making me feel very excited for what’s to come!”

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Moving forward, as a celebrity, fashion icon and social media influencer, what’s your take on the Metaverse and how do you see yourself making full use of it?

“The Metaverse is a whole new trend and it has so much tied to cryptocurrencies and NFTs. It’s something that I’m definitely exploring on the side. I’ve been looking into crypto, NFTs and the Metaverse with my brother who’s an expert on this kind of stuff. We’ve already made a couple of investments which is really cool! I think there’s a lot of space when it comes to fashion on this platform. When the Metaverse gets bigger, we might even have digital shopping spaces and it’s going to be an entirely different ball game. We have to be ready and keep up with the times!”

If you could create a virtual character of yourself in this ‘other world’, how would you imagine it to look like?

“LOL! This is interesting. I guess I’d experiment with crazy and funky hairstyles and I’d love to be the girl with a bunch of digital pets, like dinosaurs! Also, I’d love to have a home at a digital beach, for sure.”

What’s the one advice you’d like to give to Gen Z when it comes to being a part of the arts scene in Malaysia?

“Please don’t believe the hype! It’s not all glamour and there’s so much work that goes into it, behind the scenes and all, and creatives are some of the most hardworking people that I’ve ever met. Not only do you have to do your job, but you also have to stay on top of trends and make things look beautiful and desirable, which can be a lot. Of course, there are also glamorous parts to the job but if you’re going into it, do it for the love. Glamour is transient and you’ll need to be focused on doing what you love and try to make it profitable for you.

“Another thing that’s going to sound super cliché will be to not give up, because in any aspect of the entertainment industry, you’re going to hear a million 'No's before you hear a 'Yes'. That’s very true, even for me. Despite where I am now in my career, I’ve heard so many 'No's in the past with ideas that I had and the things that I wanted to do before I heard one 'Yes'. It’s really about making that 'Yes' work for me and that led to many other opportunities thereafter. Remember that essentially, you have to be creative, really hardworking and not give up!”

To watch Amelia’s full-length video, click play:

Coordination: Vasenta Selvanayagam & Yang Mei Ling
Photography, Videography & Art Direction: Tan Guo Xiang
Styling: Vee Mukthtaram
Makeup & hair:
Kenny Yee/Makeup Miracle

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