It’s only Julien Buteau’s first time acting and he’s already landed a leading role.
Buteau, who is of French and Malaysian Chinese descent, is acting opposite Juliana Evans in web series, Mata Cinta.
He stars as the lustrous-haired cashier Ariq Anaqi at a local pharmacy chain who’s setting hearts aflutter among his female customers.
In walks avid photographer Mata Hari (Juliana) who leaves her camera at the store one day, setting a love story in motion.
“I started out working as model and as a talent for TV commercials about two years ago to earn some extra pocket money,” Buteau, 23, shares how the opportunity to star in Mata Cinta came about.
“Then last June, I got a call from Astro asking me to come in for an audition. I went for it and they called me back later to read the script for Mata Cinta to see if I fit the part and that was it.”
Born in Penang and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Buteau is currently pursuing a double degree in management and journalism.
Filming for Mata Cinta took more than two weeks to complete. He talks about balancing his academic and filming responsibilities: “It’s about time management. You have to use your free time wisely. I try to get as much rest as I can so I look refreshed on set.”
1. Mata Cinta is your first acting job and you’re playing the lead role. What was the biggest challenge you faced?
I was nervous, of course. The crying scenes were hard. Like the water in the dam was full, but it just wasn’t breaking through; the tears weren’t falling down (laughs).
But in the end, the director could see my emotions.
Also, my Malay is not perfect. I learnt Malay back in primary school. There’s just a tinge of an accent. So, I improved on it by consciously speaking Malay more often in my daily life with those around me.
Julien Buteau Is a university student majoring in management and journalism. Photo: Handout
2. What was it like working with a big-name actress like Juliana Evans?
She’s a big star but you don’t realise that when you’re working with her.
She’s really humble. She’s always ready to share her experience and expertise when you ask for advice.
The cast as a whole was close. Everyone was very approachable and comfortable with being in each other’s presence.
3. You’re currently pursuing a double degree in management and journalism. How did you come to pick such a unique combination?
I love the aspect of journalism because I hope to be a broadcast journalist one day, reporting on current news. I also love it as it allows for creative expression.
As for management, I wanted to give a bit of structure to my degree and having some business knowledge is useful as it is applicable to a lot of things.
4. After Mata Cinta, are you considering pursuing a full-time acting career?
Showbiz is something I’m giving a lot of thought to but I’m taking it step by step. It’s not something you can just jump into. If there are good, challenging roles and a good team of people working on it, I’m definitely keen.
I’ve never imagined pursuing an acting career. Having experienced how fun acting can be, I would love to be more involved in it.
The corporate world (compared to acting) is quite intense and structured. But for now, I’m just focused on finishing up my studies. I have one more year to go.
5. Do you speak French? How in tune are you with your French roots?
I do speak French. I studied in France for a while actually and I’ve visited my dad’s hometown, Nantes. But because I grew up in KL, I’m closer to my Asian side.
I’m half-Chinese so I also speak Mandarin. I’ve even done a bit of hosting for a show that taught Cantonese and Mandarin slangs.
New episodes of Mata Cinta is available every Monday on www.gempak.com.
