Sassy Artiste
Not your average eye-candy, the artiste speaks five languages fluently, has ventured into Hollywood and, recently, released a new album
By TAN SHIN GEE
DEANNA YUSOFF breezes into the lobby of Elizabeth Hotel immaculately groomed from head to toe, even though she has been rehearsing a dance routine for the Radio Music Awards since 8.30 on a sleepy Sunday morning.
She orders coffee without milk -- ""I'm lactose intolerant,'' she explains.
With caffeine kicking into her system, she proceeds to talk about her latest album, Fix. It is a foot-tapping concoction of drum and bass, house and funk rhythms, with lyrics set to the music.
""I did not want to do a pure drum and bass album, because it's not commercial enough,'' she says. ""This is a commercial dance album, but there are proper songs, with proper lyrics, not the same lines repeated over and over again.""
There was little time in her schedule to check out Singapore's clubbing scene. But if you thought you saw Deanna grooving to the music at Zouk's Velvet Underground last Thursday night, it was not the combined effect of several margaritas taking their toll.
""Thursday night was the only time I could go out, so I went to Velvet. Dancing is a nice way to relax,'' she says.
Despite the dim lighting, eagle-eyed Singaporeans managed to pick her out in the crowd.
""Some of them came up to me within the space of two hours to ask whether I was Deanna Yusoff,'' she says.
If you see someone on the street looking like Deanna, do not do a double take; it probably is her -- she does not believe in going out incognito. --
A brief smile lighting up her face, she adds: ""I was quite flattered and surprised, for I was lying low for quite some time. I have not been to Singapore for quite a while.'' She has no qualms, however, about strolling down busy Orchard Road in broad daylight.
""Singaporeans do not mob you, unlike fans in Western countries. They are more subtle.
""When I go out incognito, I do not put on make-up, and, of course, no huge sunglasses which just shout that you are a star who just had a late night-out.''
The actress-singer and model took on a supporting role in last year's mega-budget Hollywood production, Anna And The King. She played the role of steely Lady Tiang, one of the wives of Chow Yun Fat's King Mongkut.
The sidestep into Hollywood had its share of thrills and spills, though it was not Deanna's first brush with the silver screen.
Of the four months of filming, she says: ""It was an amazing experience. I had my own trailer, my own limousine and driver to go with it. There were some 500 people involved in the day-to-day production of the film.''
But there was always the flip side to the rosy magic of Hollywood.
""No matter how expensive the production is, you are dealing with human beings ultimately. Human beings, as always, have problems. They throw tantrums. They have big egos.''
With her gentle demeanour, it takes quite a stretch of the imagination to picture her falling out with the assistant director who ordered her on set at 6 am when she was only required at 2 pm. But the steel was in her voice when she said: ""If I were an American actress, I'd just as soon have my agent jumping on his back."" Deanna shows a rare linguistic streak. She speaks Malay, English, French, Spanish and German fluently.
In fact, she has acted in French productions such as Couples, in 1991, and L'hommme en Colere (An Angry Man) in 1998.
Before her brush with Hollywood, she bagged a Best Actress Award at the 10th Malaysian Film Festival for her leading role in Malay film Selubung (1991) and did a modelling stint for L'Oreal Colour Endure Lipstick.
Yusoff strikes you as more than your average eye-candy artiste. But she does not dismiss the importance of looks in the entertainment industry.
""You must have a certain amount of intelligence and talent to go with your looks, too. If you are just pretty, it's not going to last.""
She cites Spice Girls as an example. ""It was more their image that counted at the beginning, but now that they have split up, they are showing more of their talent in their solo careers.""
For herself, she believes in the good old virtues of hard work and dedication to that work. And of course, passion. "Without passion, it'll show in your work," she says. "If you do not like your work, how will others like it?"
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