Actor Zul Ariffin on being jobless: 'Even pilots were let go! What more actors?'

Zul Ariffin talks going from being the most sought-after action star to having no work due to the pandemic. Photos: Handout

Actor Zul Ariffin is used to having the rug pulled out from under him.

“A long time ago, I learned that the job of an actor is unpredictable. There’ll be days when you get a lot of jobs and days when you have no jobs at all. So I’ve come to expect these things, ” he says in an interview with the local press.

Indeed, Zul knows full well how volatile life as an actor can be, as the Taiping native dealt with rejection after rejection when he began his acting career in 2008.

He finally received his big break six years later in the 2014 drama Rindu Awak 200%.

So when the pandemic struck, the 34-year-old – now one of Malaysia’s top action stars with lead roles in blockbusters like J Revolusi and Sangkar – found himself back in somewhat familiar territory.

“Before the pandemic, I was fully booked with acting projects till 2021, ” he recalls. When the movement control order (MCO) came into effect on March 18, the actor, like many Malaysians, suddenly had to sit idle for months.

He reflects: “Even pilots are being let go. It’s such a stable job – who would’ve thought they’d be let go? What more for actors? Even without the pandemic, the struggle and the ups and downs are always there for us.”

Zul, who opened a halal ramen shop just before the pandemic, suffered losses and had to let employees go. Photo: Filepic

However, Zul, who lives with his sister, chose to see the silver lining the MCO brought. “I appreciated getting that time off. Being forced to do nothing, I think it made me appreciate my life and my job more.”

But as months of lockdown went by, the actor admits it did affect his mental health. “If I don’t film for two weeks and I’m just at home all the time, I get depressed. When I’m outside working, I’m not depressed.

“Work is good. It’s good for my mind. I get to talk to other crew members on set, ” the actor explains.

Thankfully, he had other commitments to turn his attention to. Even so, Zul, who ventured into the food business after establishing himself as an actor, hit a roadblock as he began suffering losses as a restaurateur.

“I just opened a halal ramen shop in a shopping mall a few months before the MCO, ” he shares. “And I had to let go of some employees.”

Back in full swing

By the time the ban on filming was lifted on June 10, Zul was raring to go. He went straight to work on backlogged projects like primetime romance dramas Bidadari Kiriman Tuhan.

Zul hasn’t stopped working since, playing leading man in the currently airing Ryan Aralyn and the upcoming Wifi Sebelah Rumah.

“There are more opportunities now. TV platforms need more content and they need it fast, ” the actor comments on the showbiz landscape after production companies were allowed to film.

One of Zul’s upcoming projects is Juang, a film documenting the sacrifices made by Malaysian frontliners in their effort to stop the threat of Covid-19. He will be playing a frontliner but there are no details about his role yet.

The action hero acknowledges that what’s different about Juang, unlike his previous movies, is that the enemy he is fighting this time is invisible.

In an unprecedented move, Juang is helmed by six of the country’s top directors: Aziz M. Osman (XX Ray), Kabir Bhatia (Pulang), Erma Fatima (Perempuan Melayu Terakhir), Osman Ali (Ombak Rindu), Yusry Abdul Halim (Vikingdom) and Matt Lai (Fight Lah! Kopitiam).

On top of that, it will feature some 100 actors including Zul, Zizan Razak and Jack Lim. Crew members alone (supplied by three production houses) amount to 200 people.

Producer Datuk Rosyam Nor who pushed for the film to be made talks about the significance of Juang: “This is an important film that will serve as a reference for future generations when they ask, ‘What was life like during the pandemic?’”

Zul played a James bond-like hero in 2017's 'J Revolusi'.

Wedding bells are ringing

On the personal front, Zul gave an update on his wedding plans. Last year, he announced his intention to tie the knot before this year’s Hari Raya.

Due to the pandemic, Zul shares he had to postpone the wedding to 2021. “She’s very understanding and there was no issue about the postponement.”

The actor has consistently kept mum on the identity of his bride-to-be, only revealing that she isn’t from the entertainment industry.

He talks about the characteristics of his life partner. “Regardless of whether she’s someone in the industry or otherwise, I can’t be in a relationship that negatively affects my work as an actor.

“I’ve experienced it in the past where one party can get emotional and unstable and the relationship becomes toxic. I have to cut it out. I don’t want to go in front of the camera with a sad look on my face when I have to do a comedy scene.”

The committed actor adds: “At the end of the day, I like my job. It’s who I am.”