WHEN she emerged Miss Astro Chinese International 2016, Serene Lim was described by the show’s hosts as “picture perfect”.
The 22-year-old from Slim River, Perak, who subsequently finished second in the Miss Chinese International Pageant 2017, marks her cinema debut this Chinese New Year as a “picture perfect” character, too.
Lim, a food science student at Taylor’s University College in Subang Jaya, plays beauty queen Man Yue, the protagonist of Ola Bola director Chiu Keng Guan’s latest film, Think Big Big, which opens on Feb 15.
Playing a beauty queen seems like a role tailor-made for her, but Lim said it was not an easy job as her character was “insecure and unhappy” beneath her glamorous facade.
“Man Yue seems to have everything... a loving family, good looks, good friends, a successful career and lots of admirers.
“But every day, she feels the pressure to live up to people’s expectations, and this makes her depressed,” said Lim at the launch of Think Big Big at Thai Thai Restaurant in Sunway Pyramid, Petaling Jaya, recently.
Lim’s cheerful disposition made it difficult for her to play the depressed Man Yue, but she is fortunate to be coached by the award-winning Chiu.
“I had a big problem ‘stepping into the shoes’ of Man Yue, because I’m just not like her, but Chiu was very patient with me, and told me to imagine that something terrible had happened to me, and that gradually got me into the character,” she said.
After finishing second in Miss Chinese International, Lim was offered acting roles by a Hong Kong television company, but she decided to remain in Kuala Lumpur, because of her faith in local filmmakers.
“I prefer to build my acting career step by step, focusing on local dramas. There are many good directors, including Chiu, who is a superb storyteller.
“I love his films The Journey and Ola Bola because I could relate to the characters,” said Lim, who has been modelling since 2015.
Co-produced by Astro Shaw, Golden Screen Cinemas, Multimedia Entertainment and MM2 Entertainment, Think Big Big is about six childhood friends who share a common dream of becoming astronauts. Each faces different challenges, and they lean on one another for support.