<p>With a slew of new projects, his breakthrough performance in <em>Projek: High Council</em> is just a titbit of what the 27-year-old actor-model offers.</p>

<p><span>There&rsquo;s no hint of fatigue from Nadhir Nasar as he logs in promptly to our photoshoot at 10 AM. He greets me effusively as if we were lifelong friends and tells me he has just finished a full day shooting a drama in a forest somewhere in Selangor. &ldquo;Trust me, the mosquitoes were savage, even a repellent won&rsquo;t hurt them,&rdquo; he explains eagerly. Stripped off the light layer of skincare on his face and the leisurewear that you would normally see on the Fear of God ad campaign, Nadhir is no less striking in real life. He is sitting calmly on an operator chair in a black T-shirt, his skin beautifully translucent and his hair casually pushed back.</span></p>
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      <p><span>Our banter is lighthearted and friendly, occasionally code-switching between Bahasa Melayu and English. I sense an immediate warmth and vibrant energy about him as we skip past the pleasantries to chat about his oft-cancelled travel plans due to a tight schedule. But he is not regretful as he values the opportunities he has been presented with throughout his career which might not have appeared in his life had he said no in the first place.</span></p>
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<p><span>Nadhir acknowledges his current gig as an actor is what he had planned since the day he decided to pursue media and broadcasting studies at a local university. &ldquo;I have always wanted to become a film director, and I feel like to be a film director I&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">have to start from the bottom. So, I learned about the indus- try during my tertiary studies to navigate myself properly and accordingly to my vision. Right after that, I got into modelling to allow myself to feel comfortable and at ease whenever I&rsquo;m in front of the camera. After four years, I pursued acting and I must admit it wasn&rsquo;t easy for me in the beginning &mdash; actually up until now (laughs) &mdash; but every step is a learning process and I&rsquo;m very grateful for all the guidance and discoveries that I&rsquo;ve received from everyone around me.&rdquo;</span></p>
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      <p><span>The self-belief and assuredness led the precocious Nadhir to pursue a side character in his early 20s. He made his debut in a local telefilm where the likes of Beto Kusyairy and Erma Fatima were also part of the cast. &ldquo;When I was on set and saw the rest of the cast who were among the people that I have admired for such a long time, I questioned myself if I really belonged here. However, doubt quickly gave way to assurance after the kind treatment that I was given. Everyone was very welcoming, and they were aware that I was still a newbie at that time, so they gave me time to discover the character on my own and some insights on how to make it work. I&rsquo;m very humbled to be blessed with such an experience when I first started my career in this field, and I feel like that kind of encouragement and trust are the values that have shaped me into what I am today.&rdquo;</span></p>
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<p><span>While Nadhir might display seasoned professionalism on camera, his off-camera demeanour of child-like ebullience leads the expressive actor to open up about his particular challenges on the job. &ldquo;I find it difficult to master my moods and emotions for certain roles. As an actor, you have to wear many hats and put on different masks as how they are described. And as much as you want to leverage yourself and showcase your versatility, many factors can directly or physically affect you that make you feel like you are not ready for the job. There are times when you are offered a role where you connect with the character. Also, there will be times when you feel like the person you are commissioned to portray isn&rsquo;t a task that you can pull off and the only way for you to make yourself ready for&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">it is to rehearse more. I still have&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">a long way to go and a lot more to learn. I am very keen to explore every possibility and I wish to do it gracefully.&rdquo;</span></p>
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      <p><span>Though the media spotlight is shining on him at the present, his life in the sprawling metropolis is surprisingly low-key; he shies away from glamourous parties and events associated with the job. Nadhir is a self-confessed homebody and finds comfort in curling up on the couch and listening to classical or house music by the likes of Zhu or Bad Mouse. He attributes reading books as his biggest achievement on weekends. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m like an octogenarian,&rdquo; he throws his head back laughing as I catch a glimpse of his unique brand of humour. &ldquo;I just like life at a slow pace, my own pace. If I&rsquo;m meeting someone, the moment I actually step out the door is a victory.&rdquo;</span></p>
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<p><span>While Nadhir might lean towards being a closet introvert, he certainly doesn&rsquo;t appear that way in front of the camera. </span><span>Project: High Council </span><span>is a significant break for Nadhir Nasar and he says it is by far the most challenging character that he has ever played on screen. &ldquo;The process that went behind the characterisation of Naim (his character) and the physical preparation were the hardest parts of filming the TV series for him,&rdquo; But beyond just honing his acting skills, he shares that the series has taught him valuable life lessons, such as the power of human connection. &ldquo;The show highlights what it means to be human; what it means to live,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;To go back to the basics, and that you can&rsquo;t take anything with you for long.&rdquo;</span></p>
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      <p><span>On a tantalising note, we turned to the topic of why Nadhir loves acting in the film industry. His answer is curiously simple. &ldquo;Acting is like a drug to me. Just to be clear, I don&rsquo;t do drugs,&rdquo; he jests. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a medium for me to escape from the reality but that&rsquo;s not all. I love acting because I think it&rsquo;s beautiful to be able to step into other people&rsquo;s shoes. And as a person living in this world, you have to be able to open your heart and be vulnerable. Acting does that for me. I also believe that this is the talent God has bestowed on me, and I need to utilise it,&rdquo; But as with all the members of his generation, Nadhir is also not content to be just defined by his acting career. In between acting jobs, he is also pursuing his dream of becoming a film director and has just published a short film, </span><span>Villa Rosly</span><span>, which&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">was shortlisted in the BMW Shorties last year.</span></p>
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<p><span>&ldquo;Finding your style comes with trial and error, and it&rsquo;s OK if you settle for more than one style because, after all, you are dressing up for yourself and not for anybody else.&rdquo;</span></p>

<p><span>His Instagram account (@ nadhirnasar_) is a bold display of sartorial experimentation with fashion-forward suits, boxy ready-to-wear and sprinklings of quirky makeup alongside other postings of his latest acting and modelling activities. A quick scroll and it&rsquo;s evident that he is well-loved and seen as a style icon, praised for his effortlessly on-point outfits and flawless selfies. However, while Nadhir loves fashion, he admits that sometimes his personal style may not appeal to many. &ldquo;I dress according to how I feel on the day. I might be inspired by a recent movie I saw or music that I just listened to. I&rsquo;ll rummage through my wardrobe to find something that speaks to that feeling,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I am so enamoured by the laid-back style, the quirkiness and the sense of balance that fashion designers like Rick Owens and&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Jerry Lorenzo put into their designs. The amount of thought that goes into producing something so considered yet original. It&rsquo;s easy for me to get whiffs of brilliance from these individuals,&rdquo; he muses. &ldquo;Finding your style comes with trial and error, and it&rsquo;s OK if you settle for more than one style because, after all, you are dressing up for yourself and not for anybody else.&rdquo;</span></p>

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<p><span>It has been a wild roller-coaster ride for Nadhir since he made his first move in the creative realm but the effervescent actor is unfazed and soldiering on while holding a piece of advice from his father close to his heart, &ldquo;Do not give up in life and God will give you the things you want when you are ready.&rdquo;</span></p>

<p style="text-align: center;">Words &amp; Creative direction <strong>Syazil Abd Rahim</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Photography <strong>Herbeyap</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Styling assistant <strong>Amelia Tan</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Grooming <strong>Nicole Ng</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Hair <strong>Ellie/parkcitymakeup</strong></p>

Interview: Projek: High Council's Nadhir Nasar is just getting started

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