Born a Sarawakian, Jasmine began venturing into performing arts at the tender age of five, where she performed in local dance shows and school plays. This love for stories, stage and lights took a momentary back seat while she spent her undergraduate years abroad in Johannesburg and Melbourne.
A graduate with a degree in Political Science and Economics, she dabbled briefly in financial reporting for a local newspaper before her love for the stage beckoned her again, and in 2012, she decided to participate in 8TV’s “The Job” – a reality TV show similar to its US counterpart, “The Apprentice”. This was the point her life took a serendipitous change, and she has never looked back since.
Tell us about yourself.
A self proclaimed monopoly deal queen, I love animals, driving, word search and have recently found a new love interest in crossword puzzles. I am a big fan of Chinese period dramas and as cheesy as this may sound, Something's Gotta Give is one of the few movies I can watch 20 times without getting bored of it. I have been very fortunate and blessed to be able to act and host for a living and I constantly fantasise of becoming the next Lara Croft.
How did you hear about Enfiniti Academy classes and what made you realise that acting was your passion?
I knew Enfiniti through the internet. I was searching for acting classes online and found Enfiniti which met my requirements. I got very excited when I found out it had a flexible schedule and it taught me all the basics I needed to equip myself in the entertainment world. I started realising acting was my passion when I was practising Theater in high school. I loved the anxiety and excitement you get prior to performing on stage and the exhilarating feeling when the curtains close.
What were some of the challenges you've had to overcome to pursue your passion?
Finances were among the challenges I had to face coming into the industry as a nobody. It was hard getting roles in the beginning due to the lack of my fluency in Malay. That was what I had to work very hard on. Moving forward, having a sense of direction and motivating myself on a daily basis to keep going were my biggest roadblocks.
If you could recall, what was your favourite part of Enfiniti Academy acting classes?
I love it when we get to play games during our warm up exercises. It was so much fun and my favourite part of the course definitely was when everyone in the class got together to perform our final play for the audiences. It is a great feeling to be able to act alongside your classmates and play different roles and learn good scripts on a much deeper level. The classes helped me a lot in the sense that I got to know my body better and I was introduced to great scripts and stories, not to mention being able to learn to understand them instead of memorising them.
How has your skills/background in acting, helped you become the successful woman you are today, in the various roles you play in your daily life?
I always believe that the best actors were the CIA agents, the spies who had to wear different hats to infiltrate organisations. My background in acting teaches me to wear different hats when it comes to networking with people (not that I'm a spy or anything). It is so fun too adapting a new physical gesture I practised for a new role when I meet new people. A huge part of acting is listening, listening to your partners, your co-stars in the play/show. This skill allows me to listen to what people have to say about themselves and their careers. This allows for better communication between me and the people I meet.
Especially growing up in Malaysia/Asia, most people do not understand the importance or benefits of performing arts education. What would you say to them, based on your experience as to how performing arts education can help our Malaysian youth?
It helps make us happier! It opens up our minds and hearts, it fulfills us in ways that we otherwise would not realise until we begin doing things. Making money is important, but self fulfillment and inner happiness increase our positive thoughts and in turn makes us more productive. Being involved in the performing arts allows us to expand our creativity and it allows us to experiment and make mistakes due to its subjective nature. I strongly encourage relevant parties in this country and the region to increase their investment in nurturing the performing arts education for the mental and emotional welfare of our youth.
