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| September 2012 Issue |
Many people think of models and actors as being larger than life, but Carmen Soo is anything but when you meet her face-to-face. Petite and composed, she maintains a fresh-faced, down-to-earth approach to life - at least, that's what she strives for.
Work requires her to shuttle between Malaysia and the Philippines, with a little bit of Singapore on the side. But for now, she's on a break after shooting two movies - Dead Mine and The Hunter, scheduled for release later this year. Dead Mine is an English-language HBO Asia production in collaboration with Singapore-based Infinite Studios, while The Hunter is a Chinese film and the first 3D movie filmed in Malaysia using a mixed Malaysian, Korean and Thai crew.
"I've been modelling for 18 years - my first job was two weeks before SPM, and I've been acting for the past eight years. I started acting as an extension to modelling to see if I could. I spent three years with one foot in the door while I continued modelling, so it was only in 2007 to 2008 that I seriously began acting," shares Carmen.
Some might wonder if there's really a huge difference between the two but for someone like Carmen who's done both, there are many things which separate one from the other.
"Modelling projects can last a week while interviews and photo shoots usually last a few hours, but movies are much more demanding because they take months to complete," she explains. "When an actor takes on a role, you give your all. When I'm shooting a movie, I can hardly take on any other work; you can't go to the bank, do laundry, meet with friends or see your family. You try to do things while waiting - when you're shooting on location, there's a lot of waiting time - but you can't have a normal life. Even on my off-days, my friends are working and I've missed so many birthdays, weddings and full-moon celebrations."
While shooting The Hunter in Kuching, movie shoots could start from 5am and continue until 3am the following day, followed by a flight to KL before returning to Kuching to pick up where she left off.
It's no surpprise then that sleep and time with friends take a prominent role in Carmen's idea of a perfect day. "I'd wake up at 8am and loll around in bed until 10am, have breakfast, get my hair done, have lunch with a friend I haven't seen in a long time, get a manu-pedi or a massage, have dinner with friends and get an early night."
GRIT NOT GLAMOUR
Despite the idea that all models and actors live a posh, perfectly styled existence, Carmen says this couldn't be farther from the truth.
Carmen's trademark fresh-faced, au naturel looks is a conscious effort. " When I'm shooting, I might be in makeup for 24 hours and get my hair blow-dried 15 times," says Carmen. "I admire people who take the trouble to get their hair and makeup done but I already do that when I'm working so I only do it for events so I can give my hair and skin a break. Plus, I don;t want to be unrecognizable without makeup!"
Shooting an action-horror film such as Dead Mine took a toll on Carmen's skin and hair. "While shooting some scenes, it's common to get scratches and bruises, and because we have to shoot certain scenes again and again, we have to stay in our dirty, torn, bloody or muddy clothes for hours, with muck on our faces and under our fingernails - if we wash it off, we just have to get it back on again when it's time to shoot!"
Shooting Dead Mine was physically exhausting says Carmen whose grueling schedule took a toll on her last year. She says, "I never used to understand how people could get so tired, but now I've experienced it for myself. I was constantly falling ill and was on medication, and I slept for four days."
However this was only an echo of her 2010 experience where she was briefly hospitalized for a sinus infection and exhaustion.
"I'd been shuttling back and forth for six months, with not enough rest. I was in the Philippines at that time and they work 24 hours," she explains. On my third day of shooting, I fell ill and was hospitalized for a week, on drips for four days. Due to the shooting schedule I had to be discharged so I could finish shooting but after two scenes I was back on the drips, and I had to take another two days to rest before shooting the final two scenes."
NEW AND IMPROVED
Carmen's experience in hospital opened her eyes, helping her see that some things aren't worth it. Despite the demands of work, her philosophy now is to find balance in everything she does. Having said that, Carmen plans to take up sky diving.
"My family thinks I'm crazy, especially because I was sick for a week after returning from Mt. Kinabalu trip," she laughs, "but I was always too afraid to do these things when I was in my 20's and now I'm not anymore. Now I only need to worry about accidents and protecting my face - it's my work after all!"
She explains that her 20's was dominated by modelling and the need to take care of her complexion. However, over the past few years she's thrown caution to the wind. She got her diving license, took up wake-boarding, went bungee-jumping in Macau and climbed Mount Kinabalu earlier this year.
Finding this balance between work and play has been an important part of Carmen's maturing process.
"I've modeled for long enough that I've seen the dangers of over-exposure, so I'm consciously low-profile," she says. "There are lines that I draw, boundaries that I protect so I'm not the sort of person who wants to attend every event or seek publicity for its sake. Nowadays I'm there if it's work-related, or if I'm personally supporting the event, or when my schedule isn't too busy."
Carmen is also very protective of her public image, steering clear of sex-oriented shoots and interviews which make her uncomfortable. "It's tricky," she says, "and all it takes is one bad shoot which will stay with you for life. If I'm to be famous, I want it to be for my work. My work fulfills me, defines me."
Currently a brand ambassador for UNIQLO, she's going back to modelling days, for now. But I will continue acting for as long as I can - I still loved it."
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