Celeb Stop

Sunday September 6, 2009

Let’s hair it for the girl

By OLIVIA LEE

AT first glance, it may look like a drastic move: Her long straight hair has been dramatically replaced by a short crop. But Jaclyn Victor, 31, says that the metamorphosis was not as sudden as it seems.

"I have had long hair for so long, it became boring lah. So I said to myself, let's do something different," explains the country's first Malaysian Idol winner.

That marked the start of a working relationship with veteran hairstylist Andy Ho, who is responsible for Jaclyn's new look. "He took one look at me and said, ‘You must do a Rihanna' and I gasped," recalls Jaclyn.

The first thought that occurred to her was "Rihanna? Her hair is really short, right?" As exciting as that prospect sounded, Jaclyn was initially hesitant.

At that time, she had a photo shoot scheduled for her new album so she could not give Ho the green light. Hence, she settled for a bob instead.

It was only during the third visit to Ho that Jaclyn agreed to his initial suggestion.

"I said to him, do whatever you want. So, he coloured my hair and cut it really short. And wow, my head felt so much lighter!"

On why he suggested such a short haircut, Ho (who is the founder of Andy Ho Haute Coiffure) says he felt a long hairdo didn't do the singer justice.

"She has such strong features and a powerful voice, so she can carry a dramatic haircut," explains Ho. "As an artiste, she needs to constantly update her image and this current style makes her more contemporary. She will stand out from everyone else."

But not everyone has taken to Jaclyn's hairdo. For one, her mother thinks she made a big mistake. "But I guess it's a matter of getting used to it, right?" muses Jaclyn.

Well, I think Jaclyn looks great. Her hairstyle is stylish, chic and definitely makes her look younger. And she carries it well. During our interview,she seems confident and doesn't have regrets about trading her long silky hair for a boyish yet sexy do.

In fact, the star plans to keep it short.

Stylist Andy Ho working on Jaclyn's hair and makeup.

So, has she been compared to the Umbrella singer?

"Yes," she laughs. "Rihanna, Halle Berry, Fantasia and even Liza Minnelli. I think I still look like me. It's very refreshing."

In fact, her recording label is pleased as punch with her new look. The revamped mien is featured on her latest album, Jaclyn Victor III.

The vocalist

Singing has always been an integral part of Jaclyn's life. There are times during our interview when she spontaneously burst into song.

Jaclyn started singing at a young age in church and performed in a live band before making it big.

In 2004, her life changed forever when she beat 10,000 contestants to claim the Malaysian Idol crown. Since then, she has released two well-received albums. Her latest, the afore-mentioned Jaclyn Victor III, was launched on Sept 1.

Jaclyn shows off her latest album at the listening party.

At a listening party held a few weeks before the launch, the feedback was positive, much to Jaclyn's relief.

"I am confident that the album will do well," she says. After a pause, she adds, "Well, I hope so."

Jaclyn, who grew up listening to Whitney Houston, describes some songs on the album to be "old school" and hope that fans will take to it.

She adds that the album is completely in Bahasa Malaysia and her collaborative team of composers, lyricists and producers include Aubrey Suwito, Sharon Paul and Nai Kong.

The album also has contributions from Indonesian composers Nur Fatimah, Panji and Boy Razak. Overall, Jaclyn Victor III promises to be a very different album from her previous outings, according to the singer, who won the Vocal Power award at 8TV's Shout! Awards in July.

Jaclyn Victor and Mahesh Jugal Kishor play siblings in Yasmin Ahmad's movie Talentime.

The thespian

When it comes to her venture into acting, Jaclyn winces at the mention of it.

This is because she doesn't consider herself an actress. She made her acting debut as Bavani in the late Yasmin Ahmad's Talentime and exclaims, "I can't act to save my life!"

"I cringed the first time I saw myself (during the editing stages of Talentime). I am my worst enemy," confesses Jaclyn.

Whatever her reservations may be, film critics thought otherwise as Jaclyn was awarded the Most Promising Female Actor at the recent Malaysian Film Festival.

Has she changed her mind now that she has received a critical accolade?

"No. To be honest, I didn't think I'd win," says the refreshingly-frank gal. "I was pleasantly surprised and it's very sweet that they think I am worthy of the award.

"At the same time, I am sad because Yasmin wasn't there to see it," she says of the film director, who persuaded Jaclyn to give acting a go in what would turn out to be the producer's last movie.

Since her win, Jaclyn has been approached by other filmmakers but she hasn't confirmed nor rejected their offers.

"I think it's probably because I'm still in mourning. Besides, I'm not really an actress. Acting is not my main job. Singing is still my bread and butter," she asserts.

The fiancee

Singing and acting are not the only things our beloved songbird is juggling at the moment. She is also working on her long distance relationship with fiance Christopher Bellamy, who is British.

"People think I'm married just because I have this band on. But I'm not ... yet."

She states on record that they've been together for six years and engaged for three. They met when Jaclyn was singing with her band at Viper Room in KL Plaza a year before she entered Malaysian Idol.

Jaclyn with fiancee Chris Bellamy in a photo taken last year.

He was an expatriate working with Debenhams department store at that time and extended his contract for another year to be with her before having to return to London.

So why haven't they tied the knot yet?

"He's in Britain. What's the point of getting married if I'm here and he's there?" she asks.

The distance doesn't pose too much of a problem for the lovebirds with frequent visits, chat sessions and Skype to help them stay in touch.

"I'm used to it now. At the beginning I was a wreck but you have to get used to it," confides Jaclyn.

And of her fiance, Jaclyn describes him to be a quiet person who hates "all the ‘glam' thing".

"It's very hard to get him on the red carpet but he did, once," she states.

So what does the future hold for them?

"He said I should never stop singing. He's very supportive of my career and at the moment my career is here.

"Besides, he would much rather live here," she says with a smile. It is a good indication that we'll be seeing a lot more of Jaclyn in years to come.