HE'S been acting for two decades now but many still associate Aedy Ashraf as a child actor.
"I get that a lot. Many still think I'm this young actor who plays teenaged characters onscreen.
"Perhaps only when I turn 40 or 50, will people think Aedy Ashraf's an adult," he says with a laugh.
The 30-year-old artiste, whose full name is Mohammad Addy Ashraf Rosmadi, began acting at the age of 10, in the Associate Professor Datuk Dr Abdul Razak Mohaideen-directed 2003 movie, 'Jutawan Fakir'.
He later went on to play teen roles in films like 'Cinta Kolesterol' (2004) and 'I Know What You Did Last Raya' (2004), as well as TV series 'Dunia Baru' (2006) and 'Oh My English!' (2012).
His boyish looks may be part of the reason why his "child actor" image sticks with local entertainment enthusiasts.
"I probably look young to many. Good news then, as the life span for me to play young men roles will be longer than others," he says in jest.
In the action film, 'War On Terror: KL Anarki', which opens in cinemas today, Aedy plays Khalid, a police officer in an anti-terrorist special force.
The film, co-directed by Kroll Azree and Frank See, is presented by the police, Multimedia Entertainment, Golden Screen Cinemas, Astro, Six Fun Media, and jointly presented with Honor X9b, with Cuckoo as main sponsor and AHB as its sponsor.
It tells the story of a group of terrorists led by Lang (played by Qi Razali) who blows up a train station.
The anti-terrorist special force, led by Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Rahman (Adlin Aman Ramlie) and his team — Khalid, Anis (Farali Khan), Zack (Noki K-Clique) and Bob (Kahoe Hon) — is then assigned to investigate.
While Lang is successfully apprehended during a raid, his brother, Joe (Naque Ariffin) manages to escape.
The situation gets bad when Joe threatens to destroy Kuala Lumpur City if his brother, Lang, is not released, prompting the police to race against time in order to save the day.
"I've acted in several films in the past, but this would be my third time playing the lead, and my first action film," explains the actor who had starred in 'Tentang Bulan' (2006) and 'Dorm Melati' (2017).
For those who still associate Aedy with his teen roles, not only is Khalid an adult police officer, but he is also a father to a young girl.
"To help make Khalid look older, I kept a moustache," Aedy says with a grin.
He adds: "My friend became a father at 21, so it's not a problem for me to do this."
Aedy says he did all of his stunts in the film, including one which required him to jump off from a multiple level apartment building while swinging on a rope.
"I'm actually scared of heights. So, I didn't even dare to look down during filming.
"Only after the scene was completed, I looked down and realised how high it was. I don't think I'd have been able to do it if I had looked down beforehand," he admits sheepishly.
On his relationship with fellow actor Amelia Henderson, Aedy says that she is his biggest supporter.
"I'm also inspired by her commitment to work. We both support each other.
"As actors, we still have a lot to strive for. So, while we are comfortable with the relationship we have now, we haven't decided on taking it to the next level just yet," he says when queried.
Aedy and Amelia are part of a cast for a TV series expected to air in March next year.