KUALA LUMPUR: IT is not often that we see Deanna Yusoff on the silver screen these days.
Marking her 25th anniversary in the Malaysian entertainment scene this year, Deanna has become more selective in choosing her movie roles to avoid being typecast.
The 49-year-old actress is glad that her latest cinematic characters have been challenging yet satisfying -- one required her to look unglamorous, unattractive and gritty, while the other made her a graceful beauty by day and a bloodthirsty beast by night.
Two years ago, Deanna received good reviews starring in the Singaporean historical drama, 1965. There she played a long-suffering single mother Khatijah, in 1960s Singapore.
“Khatijah was a refreshing role, as she was my first unglamorous character. All these years I’ve played urban ladies who dress in the latest fashion and work in major companies. Too much of a typecast role breeds boredom!” said Deanna when interviewed by the NST recently.
On Feb 2, Deanna will star as a dancer-by-day and vampire-by-night in the horror film Aku Haus Darahmu which opens in cinemas nationwide.
For this role, Deanna has challenged herself by learning a new skill, the traditional Sundanese dance, fused with Indian classical and Makyong moves.
In order to master this art form, she had to learn its multiple movements, poses and techniques, and it took some work and time for her body to be flexible.
“It’s not a fully traditional dance, it is created for this film. Nevertheless, it took me a month to get it right. Its movements are very graceful and the dancers move harmoniously to the chimes of gongs,” said Deanna when met at the press preview of the movie at MM2 Cineplex in e-Curve, Mutiara Damansara here on Tuesday (Jan 17).
“Dance interests me as I learnt ballet during my teens. However, traditional dance is different and I have a long way to go. Fortunately, I’ve picked up its basics.”
Deanna is glad to have a “fantastic” instructor in Suhaili Micheline Ahmad Kamil, who is an award-winning dancer and choreographer.
“She made things easy for me by giving precise instructions and movements which I could handle, and thankfully, she was very patient.”
This film, directed by Aidilfitri Mohd Yunos, sees her play Cempaka, a century-old, beautiful traditional dancer and choreographer who thirsts for the blood of visitors to her mansion, and lures them with a hypnotic dance.
“Dance is tiring but at the end of the day, I felt great. Suhaili and I rehearsed with her troupe of 12 dancers -- some of whom starred in the movie -- and at times fellow cast member Nad Zainal joined us.”
Deanna first appeared on the public’s radar in 1992 with a smashing performance in Datin Paduka Shuhaimi Baba’s unconventional love story Selubung, she then starred in Abang ‘92 (1993), Ringgit Kasorrga (1995), Anna And The King (1999) and CEO (2014).
The London-born actress has also been busy running her travel agency World Adventures which she established with some friends three years ago, and she spends about half a year visiting destinations in Asia and Europe to help organise tour packages for clients.
“Travelling interests me, even though acting is my first love,” said Deanna, whose first horror film was Chermin in 2007.
Deanna does not shy away from playing scary villains, and describes them as a “treat”.
“I’m not a big fan of horror movies, but I occasionally enjoy playing terrifying villains,” she said.
Aku Haus Darahmu tells of three dance students (played by Nad, Zoey Rahman and Farhanna Qismina) who plan to interview Cempaka about a traditional dance which only Cempaka knows. They soon learn the hard way that the choreographer is not who she seems.