Paskal actor Henley Hii tells Dennis Chua he would love to play real-life action heroes
FANS of last year’s unexpected hit, Paskal, may have noticed singer-songwriter Henley Hii Bei Voon playing the action-packed film’s most tragic figure Joshua, who went by the codename Girang.
Joshua was protagonist Lieutenant Commander Arman Anwar’s best friend, sharing many secrets with him; he had even borrowed money from Arman to get a wedding ring for his fiancee, Lily.
The “nice guy” amongst the Royal Malaysian Navy’s Special Action Force (Paskal stands for Pasukan Khas Laut), Joshua died a horrible death during the force’s peacekeeping mission in Angola when a careless team mate lobbed a grenade at local militia. The resulting explosion ripped Joshua apart.
“That scene really gave me nightmares,” said Hii, 33, in a recent interview at Paradigm Mall, Kelana Jaya. “For the first time, I was mutilated on the big screen, and I’m not used to seeing excessive blood and gore. Director Adrian Teh’s make-up team was world-class, they really made me look like a war victim who had lost his limbs, ...scary like hell!”
Gruesome scene aside, Hii has no regrets joining the cast of Paskal, a joint production of Asia Tropical Films, Golden Screen Cinemas, Multimedia Entertainment, Granatum Ventures and Astro Shaw.
“I’ve always wanted to play a law-enforcing hero, and I initially thought of auditioning for Skop Productions’ Polis Evo last year. Unfortunately, I was not free, and not long after, Adrian suggested that I star in his new film.”
Hii, who worked with Teh in the 2015 comedy King Of Mahjong, jumped for joy when he learnt he was successful in the audition.
“I read the script, an amazing story of unsung, multi-racial heroes who fought pirates and terrorists around the world. Just the kind of adventurers that I like!”
Training was tough for him — the main actors spent two weeks of intense military training conducted by real-life Paskal commanders at the Royal Malaysian Navy’s base in Lumut, Perak.
“Our trainers pushed us to the maximum, and we all felt very tired after all the intense physical activity from sunrise to sunset. Fortunately, we were only subjected to a small fraction of what the real navy seals undergo every year.”
HAPPENING CAST
Hii got along great with his “Bangsa Malaysia” co-stars especially Hairul Azreen (Arman), Ammar Alfian, Gambit Saifullah, G Theeban, Steve Yap and Jasmine Suraya Chin (Lily).
“I’ve learnt so much about the Malay film industry from Hairul, and I’m very impressed by his determination to shine as an action hero. Behind his ‘baby face’ he is a cool stuntman who has honed his skills for 10 years,” said Hii.
During roadshows to promote Paskal, Hii also became acquainted with Hairul’s TV host wife Hanis Zalikha and their “celebrity baby” Yusuf Iskandar.
“Hairul is devoted to his wife and son. In fact, throughout our days on the set of Paskal he told me that he missed Yusuf. I’m touched by the fact that Yusuf today calls his father Malaysia’s superhero of the seas!”
When asked about Ammar, who played hot-headed navy seal Jeb, Hii said he was far from the “angry young man” viewers think he is.
“Ammar likes to pretend he is a ‘young man on fire’, but behind his menacing ‘Sinbad The Sailor’ looks, he is really a joker! He may be loud, but he’s a gentle giant at heart.”
The same could be said about mixed martial artist Theeban, who was “as widely read as his character” and Gambit, who was dubbed the “X-Man” amongst the navy seals since his stage name paid tribute to a member of the popular Marvel mutant team.
“And it’s great to have my fellow East Malaysian, Jasmine, play my loving wife. She’s a very serious starlet with great potential, as she’s widely read and knows a lot about local and American showbiz.”
Hii was honoured to meet veteran actor Yap on the set of Paskal. “I’ve always seen him as a dashing leading man in local Cantonese dramas, but this time I couldn’t even recognise him, as he played a clumsy worker on board a hijacked ship.”
Paskal convinced Hii that action-packed films were his “cup of tea”.
“I grew up watching action films like the Indiana Jones series and while I wasn’t sure of myself back then, I sometimes dreamt of playing an action hero. Now that I’ve immersed myself into a real action film, I’ve finally discovered that it’s my true calling.”
SPREADING CREATIVE WINGS
Hii said he would love to star in films about the police and resistance fighters who opposed the Japanese colonialists in Malaya during World War 2.
“I loved Aziz M. Osman’s 2000 film Leftenan Adnan, and Tan Sri Jins Shamsuddin’s 1981 film Bukit Kepong. They’re tragic, yet inspiring stories of true national heroes.”
If there is a great Malaysian Hii would love to play on the big screen, it would be Lim Bo Seng, a young businessman who fought in the resistance army Force 136 from 1942 to 1944, and died in captivity.
“Besides brave warriors, I’d love to play sportsmen too. I was very active in sports during my schooldays in Kota Kinabalu, basketball and athletics were my fortes. I also love hiking and mountain climbing, and conquered Mount Kinabalu thrice.”
Hii thinks Malaysian films have become more Bangsa Malaysia over the last two decades, and he vows to appear in more Malay language films.
As to his singing career, he might release an album next year.
“I began to enjoy acting more than singing, after I starred in the exciting Kepong Gangster movie series in 2012. But I still love singing, as it’s what propelled me to fame and was my first childhood dream.”
Hii first found fame when he emerged finalist in the Astro Talent Quest in 2005. Two years later, he won his first singing contest Projek Super Star.
He was the opening act for South Korean girl group Wonder Girls’ concert in Genting Highlands in 2010, and sang 8TV's seventh anniversary song A Time To Embrace in 2011. Hii also hosted the Cuti-Cuti 1Malaysia travelogue on 8TV that year, and starred in the ntv7 crime drama On The Brink in 2014. His other films include The Cage, 23:59 and The Great Lion.
A GIVING CNY
The former ambassador of video streaming service tonton is one of eight Chinese language hosts, actors and singers involved in 8TV’s Chinese New Year 2019 campaign, “CNY So Happy”.
Collectively known as “The Buddies”, they also include Orange Tan, Jordan Voon, Emily Chan, Haoren, Pauline Tan, Rickman Chia, and Natalie Ng.
The Buddies have come up with a special Chinese New Year album containing four songs and one music video. Besides the title track So Happy and Singing In The Spring 2019 performed by the eight artistes, there is also Ticket To Home sung by Gary Yap, Jan Chin, Desmond Tey and Sherlyn Seo and Good Times Together by John Wee, Hii and Orange.
The Buddies will also star in the Chinese New Year romantic comedy So Happy directed by See Chee How on tonton this month. It will be screened on 8TV later next year (??2019??).
Media Prima Television Networks chief executive officer Johan Ishak said the theme of Chinese New Year 2019 was all about giving.
“We must always be generous to friends and family, and the less fortunate, and spread the joy and happiness of every festive season amongst Malaysians,” he said in a recent statement.
Johan said Media Prima’s Chinese New Year campaign was a joint effort by 8TV, tonton, CJ Wow Shop, Viralcham, Rojaklah and TTN. It was sponsored by Loreal, Nivea, Tesco, Kinohimitsu, Maggi, Jasmine Rice, Lam Soon, A1 Dragon Horse Brand, Quill City Mall and Somersby.
“The Buddies will meet fans in the Trak CNY So Happy" roadshow in several locations throughout January beginning tomorrow. One of them is the CNY Grand Bazaar at KL Sports City, Bukit Jalil from Jan 13 to 31,” said Johan.