A new era of the Malaysian creative forces you are about to see everywhere. Get to know them now before they take over.

Daryl Tan did not step into acting with grand illusions of artistry; he just wanted to be a star. But somewhere between his first Astro drama and the gruelling lessons of the craft, something shifted. The grind cracked him open, taught him to cry, to laugh, to feel. Now, the emerging Malaysian actor is not chasing fame but connection. For Tan, the real win is not the spotlight; it is when someone says, &ldquo;Your character helped me face my problems.&rdquo; That is the kind of star he wants to be. Malaysia&rsquo;s acting landscape is incredibly diverse in language, genre and audience. How has that shaped your approach to building a career here? Being an actor in Malaysia is a pretty unique gig. We grow up surrounded by so many races, cultures, and languages that it becomes second nature to adapt. Not every actor gets to perform in multiple languages, but for us, it&rsquo;s almost built in. That&rsquo;s the real edge: we can step into different characters with a kind of honesty that&rsquo;s backed by our multicultural DNA. It also means audiences across Asia tend to resonate with us better; cross-cultural communication is just part of who we are. And who knows, one day, maybe even international audiences will be tuning in. As an emerging actor, how do you balance seizing opportunities with making sure the roles you take align with your artistic vision? At first, I said yes to almost everything. For a new actor, experience felt like the most important currency. But I learned fast, not every role is worth it. Some projects left me uneasy, whether it was the team&rsquo;s energy or the way the production was run. It turns out those uncomfortable moments were lessons in disguise. They taught me how to spot a story that&rsquo;s worth telling, and a team that actually fuels you instead of draining you. These days, I&rsquo;m still hungry for opportunities, but I&rsquo;m also sharper about what I take on. If a role helps me grow and matches my values, that&rsquo;s when I know it&rsquo;ll take me further.

Creativity in acting often draws from life. How has living in Malaysia influenced the way you connect with your characters? Malaysia&rsquo;s a cultural mash-up, and that&rsquo;s where the magic is. I&rsquo;ll hit the &ldquo;pasar pagi&rdquo; just to people-watch &mdash; how they talk, how they move, how they connect. Or I&rsquo;ll notice the way my neighbours celebrate their festivals, soaking in the little details that say so much about who they are. That kind of everyday observation sharpens my understanding of emotion and background. Lately, I&rsquo;ve been brushing up on my Malay, too, not just to bond with friends, but to really get their perspective. For me, it&rsquo;s bigger than acting notes. It&rsquo;s about opening doors to the Malay entertainment scene and stepping into roles I never thought I&rsquo;d play. The Malaysian film and theatre industries are evolving, but still face unique challenges. What do you see as the biggest opportunities right now for local actors?
Right now, the biggest opportunity is that the world is hungry for 126 fresh stories. And Malaysia&rsquo;s multicultural edge? That&rsquo;s our secret weapon; we&rsquo;ve got endless perspectives waiting to be told, and it&rsquo;s just about how we package them. Plus, the playing field&rsquo;s wide open. Between social media, TikTok dramas, streaming platforms and film festivals, there are more ways than ever for an actor to get noticed. Even a short clip can travel way beyond Malaysia. It feels like the doors to the global stage have never been this open.

"There are moments I feel lost, wondering if I am leaving a mark or how audiences truly see me. But maybe that&rsquo;s part of the journey: the push and pull that keeps me reaching for more." - Daryl

Do you think that Malaysian audiences respond differently to certain types of performances compared to international audiences? Local audiences here are razor-sharp. Drop a line in Hokkien or Cantonese, or nail a small everyday gesture, and they&rsquo;ll instantly think, &ldquo;That&rsquo;s me. That&rsquo;s real.&rdquo; But the flip side? They&rsquo;ll also call you out online just as quickly if something feels off, sometimes even louder than they praise what they love. I see that as a win. It means...

Get the latest issue of <a href="https://www.magzter.com/MY/AMTD-Digital-Media-Solutions/LOFFICIEL-HOMMES-Malaysia/Fashion/">L'Officiel Hommes Malaysia</a> for the full story

Photography Floyd Grey Creative Direction, Styling &amp; Words Syazil Abd Rahim Hair &amp; Makeup Joey Yap Photography Assistant Sze Yang Styling Assistant Fekar Khairul

Malaysia Day Special: Daryl and his daring world

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