Actress tells Dennis Chua of her hopes of playing tougher characters
While fans may remember her playing a vampire and a psycho, Maya Karin, 37, is “tired” of these roles and hopes to move to action heroines, capable of flooring ruthless baddies.
The award-winning actress hoped filmmakers would offer her more action-packed roles, even if they were the usual crime-busting police and detective movies.
“In Malaysia, action hero roles are usually offered to men, since men are deemed the ‘tougher sex’.
“It’s been five decades since Agent Jefri Zain became our first major action hero, and things have to change.
“After all, in the West and Hong Kong, there’s been no shortage of action heroines, including our Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh.”
She said this at the launch of Shamsul Yusof’s Munafik 2 at the National Film Development Corporation in Jalan Hulu Klang, Kuala Lumpur.
When asked if local actresses were ready for action roles, Maya said the movie J Revolusi was proof that they were as capable as their male counterparts in fighting bad guys on screen.
“J Revolusi has Nur Fazura Sharifuddin and Izara Aishah Hisham as tough police officers, and they nailed it. They also did their own stunts.”
Maya hoped she would be able to work on stunts, too.
“Action movies jolt me out of my comfort zone and help me grow as an actress.
“I love challenges, and playing characters who are braver and tougher than the real me.”
To date, two screen appearances have defined Maya’s 16-year showbusiness career.
She played the vengeful Meriam in Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam 1 and 2 (2004 and 2005) directed by Datin Paduka Shu-haimi Baba, and the psychotic Jwanita in Jwanita (2015) directed by Osman Ali.
She will appear in her first Syamsul Yusof-directed movie, Munafik 2.
“I play Sakinah, a kind-hearted single mother, whose son is brainwashed and made sick by a deviant religious teacher who runs a private school in her village.”