POPULAR actor Remy Ishak excels both as an action hero and a romantic one, and having just become a "daddy" for the first time, he is playing one on iQIYI now.
The 41-year-old Melakan became a "proud father" in July last year when his wife of three years Ezza Yusof gave birth to their first child, Tuah Alam, who was revealed to fans after a three-month wait.
Remy is now starring in his first iQIYI drama series and it is a romantic comedy-drama titled 'Restu'.
SINGLE PARENT
In it, Remy plays advertising agency executive Razak, who is forced to become a single parent to 12-year-old Amy after his wife Julia dies in a car accident.
"I've been a parent many times in dramas and movies over the years, but this is the first time where I'm the single father of a teenage girl," said Remy at the launch of 'Restu' at The Met in Jalan Dutamas 2, Kuala Lumpur, recently.
Remy said becoming a father for the first time motivated him to play one on the small screen, even though Razak has a teenage daughter instead of a baby son.
"My circumstances and Razak's are totally different, but stepping into his shoes is something I can relate to since both of us are working 'daddies'.
FAMILY FRIEND
Remy also learnt about being a single father from a real-life single father who happened to be his family friend.
"My friend is coping well as a single father with a pair of teenage children. He gave me lots of useful tips on portraying Razak and I'm eternally grateful to him for that."
ADVENTURES
'Restu', which is produced by Infinitus Productions and iQIYI, and directed by Heykal Hanafiah, tells the story of Razak's many "adventures" as he navigates the challenges of parenthood following the loss of his wife Julia (Ezzaty Abdullah).
As Razak seeks a new companion, his daughter Amy (Puteri Rafasyah) sets forth three conditions for her approval, leading to a heartfelt journey of love, sacrifice and familial bonds.
Heykal said that the creation of 'Restu' was a labour of love, taking two years to develop.
"'Restu' may be the story of a young father's search for a 'new mum' for his teenage daughter, but its heart and soul is their relationship as a modern parent and child."
TWO MONTHS
Producer Gayatri Su-Lin Pillai said that 'Restu' was filmed over two months around the Klang Valley.
It also marked a first for Remy and his co-stars Elizabeth Tan, Ahirine Ahirudin, Wanna Ali, Siti Elizad, Junji Delfino and Adlin Aman Ramlie.
"We filmed Restu over 40 days in September 2023 in KL, Petaling Jaya and Putrajaya."
MARTIAL ARTS
Ahirine said that she was honoured to play Remy's love interest Jannah, a martial arts exponent.
"Jannah is like a big sister to Amy, and always keeps an eye on her," said Ahirine.
Siti Elizad, who plays Razak's colleague Sarah, said that even though her character was Razak's closest friend, it was not a sign that she would be Miss Right.
"I love Sarah because she is a woman who wears her heart on her sleeve and is also very motherly towards Amy."
OLD FRIEND
Wanna, who plays Julia's old friend Ain, said her character was mature and sensible, and always made sure that Razak and Amy were "all right".
Elizabeth, who plays make-up artist and social media influencer Melanie, said that her character might be the most "school girlish" of Razak's suitors, but she had a lot of skills to share with Amy and Razak which made her "hold her own" against the other three.
BEST INTEREST
Singer-actress Junji Delfino plays Datin Maria, the mother-in-law of Razak, who does not get along with him and is always striving to get custody of her granddaughter.
"She is difficult to get along with, but has the best interest of her grandchild at heart."
Puteri Rafasyah said that co-starring with Remy was part of her bucket list as he was her favourite actor.
Restu premiered on April 26 and runs for 10 hour-long episodes. It airs at 9pm every Friday and Saturday.