Small Talk
We catch up with actress and TV personality Sarah Lian, who despite running a boutique talent management company, Suppagood Talent, and travelling back and forth between Malaysia and Singapore, has time to slot in another exciting project, writes Kathlyn
Find out more about Sarah Lian and her exciting new projects
What have you been up to lately?
I recently finished working on a Mandarinspeaking comedy feature film to be released later this year to audiences in the ASEAN region. I was also part of an ensemble cast for a sixpart Merdeka project by Astro, which I’m proud to be in. It is the first time I have acted in any local productions and also the first time doing all of these roles in Mandarin. I predominantly work in English, so this was an exciting challenge for me.
Tell us about this feature film.
I worked with one of the cast members of this film in a previous project and he shared my profile with the executive producer who happened to be someone I have worked with in the past. I’ve always been encouraged by the audition process and to ‘never count yourself out’ so I decided to give it a shot. Luckily the producers had faith in me and I was able to get a role on this film. It is a hilarious comedy with lots of great moments, and my co-star JC Chee was fun to work with as well. I feel extremely grateful to be part of the talented cast and hopefully audiences will be able to have some laughs with us!
How did Suppagood Talent come about?
The Suppagood Collective—suppagood. com—is actually a part of Suppagood Talent which I run, and Suppagood PR, which my business partner Eugenie Chan commandeers.
Suppagood Talent was formed on the basis of improving the quality of talent management locally—we also do talent matching (for example we can help select the right brand ambassador for you). Through my own acting career, I found a gap in Malaysia and wanted to explore ways where I could share my insights and be able to further along the careers of the talent on my roster. After being in the field for a considerable amount of time, my roster currently features stand-out characters in their own respective fields.
Who do you look up to, personally and professionally?
Personally, it would have to be my mother and maternal grandmother. They have both done so much with so little and if I were in their shoes, I don’t know if I would be capable enough to compete with them. Professionally, I hate saying this, but the Kardashians. Their power of branding is incredible plus the type of ventures and empires that have followed suit is highly commendable. We may not all agree with their values and the way they put themselves out in public, but that level of recognition is definitely a benchmark that has been set.
What’s next?
Personally, I’d love to act in more films and continue to challenge myself with different roles. Acting in a completely different language was a way to test myself and take pride in moving forward. I’d also like to see The Suppagood Collective grow regionally and be recognised for the good work we do and the investments we make in all of our artistes and clients. I’m really proud of the Suppagood family and how far everyone has come. I’m blessed with a great team and can’t wait to see what our next few years together will be like!