Alicia Amin is starring in the new series, 'That Cover Girl'. Photos: Handout
Meet local supermodel Alicia Amin, who is perhaps the perfect embodiment of these three words. Growing up with a rather carefree outlook on life, Alicia sees herself as a “chill” person.
But bear no mistake: Behind that laid-back attitude, this Malaysian beauty has absolutely no fear raising her voice for the causes that matter – especially when it comes to things she’s passionate about.
“Many have slapped the term ‘controversial’ next to my name, because I’m uncensored and live unapologetically.
“I’m just being true to my own individual, personal experience on this crazy journey called life. I don’t need people to do or agree with what I do,” the 28-year-old wrote in a Facebook post.
Alicia started modelling at the age of 15 and walked the runway in India, Qatar and Germany.
Her participation in the fifth cycle of Asia’s Next Top Model in 2017 thrust her into the limelight, and she began receiving offers for acting.
Last year, Alicia made headlines after orchestrating a one- woman protest during Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week (KLFW) to address the issue of delayed payment for models.
According to the supermodel-cum-actress, many of the new models who have been walking the runway with her were left “unpaid and waiting” while she received her salary in advance.
Explaining that the situation left a bitter taste in her mouth, Alicia said in an interview, “I think that this whole situation... it all comes down to common sense because why are we the ones chasing for payment when it’s (the employer’s) responsibility to pay on time?
“It doesn’t make sense yet it happens so often. Just because many models have experienced this, it doesn’t mean it should be a norm. It’s an issue that needs to be addressed.”
With such a strong passion for the fashion industry, it only seemed fitting for her to accept the offer to star in Prime Video’s local series That Cover Girl.
The six-episode drama chronicles the journey of ambitious fashion designer Sofi (Siti Saleha) who’s determined to make her mark at the glitzy Paris Fashion Week. However, things take a turn when a scandal jeopardises both her business and reputation.
That Cover Girl sees Alicia playing Laila, Sofi’s best friend and business partner who’s a realist at heart and unafraid of taking risks.
Alicia loves acting as it allows her to try new things.The cast also includes actors Hisyam Hamid and Aiman Hakim.
Alicia’s first acting project was as Dr Sandra in the drama Meh Sandar Lagi (2017) followed by a bigger role in the 2018 series Alamatnya Cinta.
She has also starred in the second season of The Bridge (2020), Saline (2021) and Ex Aku Pontianak (2022).
However, it was her leading role as Sofia in The Disappearance Of Irdina Adhwa (2022) that landed Alicia her first ever acting nomination; she was nominated for Most Promising Actress at the 32nd Malaysia Film Festival last year.
1. How are you navigating through the film industry since starting six years ago?
The journey has been really fun. I started acting after participating in Asia’s Next Top Model and have since fallen in love with the art (of acting).
When I first started, there were several things I had to fix – such as having too much camera awareness. I also had to learn how to express myself better on video because even though I’ve been in front of many cameras in my modelling career, it’s not the same as acting.
As a model, I’ve been trained how to pose, how to look into the camera and things like that. But when you’re acting, you’re essentially looking at the world through someone else’s lens, you know?
Currently, I’m working on improving (the way I express myself on camera) and trying to take on as many different roles as I can.
2. On the topic of taking on different roles, how is your role in That Cover Girl unique from past projects?
What I love about my role this time is the fact that it’s more grounded. What sets Laila apart from other characters I’ve played in the past is the human aspect.
She’s an intelligent businesswoman but makes mistakes. She knows what she wants but hesitates when something goes wrong.
Certain topics in 'That Cover Girl' deeply resonated with Alicia's personal struggles in the fashion industry.In a way, Laila is much more subtle compared to my past roles, where the characters are more straightforward with their actions.
In That Cover Girl, a lot of the things Laila goes through isn’t shown directly on screen but it’s understood from the way she carries herself and the things she says.
Playing as Laila is very humbling because our personalities are very different. Laila is decisive in every sense unlike me who likes to go with the flow and navigate through life just trusting my gut.
3. Was it challenging to play someone who’s vastly different from you?
There’s definitely an emotional tax that comes with playing someone who’s the complete opposite of you.
There are several things Laila does in That Cover Girl that I personally can’t see myself doing in reality.
Even when I was going through the script, I had some struggle dissecting her thought process and getting into her headspace because unlike Laila, I just don’t have the patience for certain things.
However, I think that the whole point of acting is to take on this kind of challenge.
That’s where the fun lies because you get to explore different personalities. It’s also one of the reasons why I chose to pursue an acting career... I love trying new things.
Playing somebody new is always hard, but I love to wind down after a long day just binge-watching my favourite anime series.
At the end of the day, I don’t want people to say things like, “Oh yeah, this character was like someone else you played before”. I always want (my characters) to be different.
4. In what way does That Cover Girl reflect your own experience in the fashion industry?
The challenges Sofi faces in this series deeply resonated with my personal struggles in the fashion industry.
Sofi and I are different in a sense that she’s a fashion designer and I’m a model. But when we talk about this industry in general, it’s all about the numbers. Every designer and model wants to grow and come out on top.
In the show, you can see situations where someone gets vilified not because their actions aren’t socially acceptable or anything but simply because people want drama.
Alicia hopes to be remembered as a versatile actress.The reality is that many nowadays love controversy. This isn’t just limited to the fashion industry but society as a whole.
Although I’m not Laila, I can’t help but empathise with the stresses faced by my manager and friends who are in a similar position as her.
For instance, whenever there’s a controversy, (I) will be told to relax, calm down and not do anything stupid. It’s quite chaotic in a way.
5. What do you hope to achieve in your acting career in the long run?
I want to be a versatile actress. There are a lot of actors out there who I feel like will forever be remembered for their one iconic role, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t versatile.
What I really want as an actress is to be so good to the point people will always remember me – whether it’s for multiple roles or just one particular role.
What are my plans for that? Until the day comes, I will just continue acting in titles that are meaningful to not just myself but also others.
I want to continue taking on projects that will allow me to explore the stories of people I may never have the opportunity to meet in reality. That’s what I want to do.
That Cover Girl is available on Prime Video.
