Despite boasting a decade’s worth of acting experience, Elfira Loy enrolled in a diploma in entertainment arts last year.
“You cannot put a time limit to knowledge. Learning is a process you go through until you die,” says the 22-year-old actress on her decision to take a break from acting to further her studies in the entertainment field.
She first got her start in showbiz starring in Ali Baba: The Musical Theater when she was just 12. Elfira has starred in a slew of TV series such as Qalesya, Waktu Rehat and Demi Dia ever since.
But she had to put aside those experiences and lessons in order to gain new ones. “I had to empty my cup, I had to treat myself as a zero,” she said.
Throughout the course, not only did she tap into her creative side such as singing and dancing, she also delved into areas like marketing and entertainment law.
Elfira has completed the course and is now waiting to don the graduation cap. “It’s an achievement for me. It was hard having to juggle my studies and take care of my business, but in the end, it was all worth it,” shares Elfira who has ventured into the fashion and F&B business.
Now, Elfira is back on the small screen, leading the cast of Mr Secret Admirer along with Fezrul Khan.
“This is my first time acting with Fezrul. I heard a lot of things about him before filming the show like he’s a method actor and that made me feel scared,” Elfira shares about working with her co-star. “But after acting together in our first scene, it went well, there was nothing scary about him at all, and day by day, we developed a good chemistry.”
Elfira Loy stars in a new TV series called Mr Secret Admirer. Photo: blackpepperproductions (Instagram)
In the HyppTV drama, Elfira plays Zureen, a private nurse hired to take care of Syed Redza (Fezrul) after a car accident leaves him paralysed. He doesn’t get along with Zureen at first but gradually the two begin to fall for each other.
The actress says she didn’t find it difficult to play a nurse as the show’s emphasis isn’t on the medical aspect of the job. The challenge, however, lies in capturing her character’s emotions. “When it comes to emotions, when you have not acted for a long time, you don’t know if you can do it or not. But I always believe in myself,” she says.
Elfira, who describes Zureen as “soft-spoken, calm and patient”, reveals she is quite different from her character in that respect: “I’m very fierce, but for this character, I have to be patient. There were times when I accidentally reacted in a way that I would (typically) react and my director would tell me, ‘Cannot, Zureen is not like that’.” Portraying Zureen has helped Elfira to be a calmer person.
Besides filming Mr Secret Admirer, Elfira was also busy modeling designer Hana Tajima’s collection for Uniqlo early this year. As the face of the campaign, the actress was whisked away for a photoshoot at Hana’s home in New York. “I said yes immediately,” the actress recalls the moment she got the call.
Elfira, who was in New York for five days, says she loves Hana’s designs because it complements her petite frame. “I was so excited to meet her. I went to her house and saw her studio where she sewed and designed everything. I felt so lucky.”
Mr Secret Admirer airs every Friday at 9pm on HyppSensasi (HyppTV Ch 116).
