By Marfika Adnan Haris Fadzilah
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 (Bernama) -- Best known for portraying gentlemanly and romantic characters since the early days of his acting career, Datuk Yusry Abdul Halim has expressed a desire to take on more complex gangster roles.
Introduced to the silver screen through the film Awas! more than three decades ago, the member of the famous KRU sibling trio said he was drawn to playing violent antagonists with their own backstories and inner conflicts.
“I have never really been offered a somewhat violent role, such as a gangster. I always get the good-guy roles. If possible, I would like to play a character who is not simply evil for the sake of being evil, but has traits that help us understand why he turns out that way,” he told Bernama.
Speaking after appearing as a guest on Bernama Radio’s Cerita Pop programme yesterday, Yusry, 53, said he also had to consider his age and the fact that his children were growing up when choosing roles.
“I cannot just take on any role without thinking. I would feel embarrassed if my children watched me playing certain characters,” he said, expressing gratitude for continuing to receive offers to play leading roles despite being past the halfway mark of his life.
Yusry said such considerations reflected a shift in his priorities, with family time now taking precedence over the years he spent building his reputation and pursuing popularity in the entertainment industry when he was younger.
“As an artiste, it would be dishonest to say we do not pursue popularity, because that is part of the job. I experienced that and had my fill of it when I was younger. Let the younger artistes pursue it now. If possible, I want to watch my children grow up and fully experience what it means to be a father.
“Work is important, of course, but when I do take on a job, my intention is to earn an honest living,” said the second of four siblings, who now believes in focusing on one job at a time.
On his involvement as a multimedia content designer and visual projection designer for the 2026 staging of Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical (PGLM), Yusry said the visuals he developed were designed to complement the physical sets created by the production’s art director, ensuring a cohesive visual aesthetic.
He said the role required a creative approach different from filmmaking, as theatrical background visuals needed to be developed in a more abstract and symbolic manner rather than depicting things literally.
“A musical theatre production cannot translate everything literally. We have to work in an abstract manner because the performers on stage are supported by physical sets with distinctive geometric designs, in keeping with the visual language established by the director,” he said.
The 2026 revival of PGLM, presented by the Enfiniti creative team, will run at the newly opened Jeffrey Cheah Performing Arts Centre (JCPAC) in Sunway Square from Oct 31 to Nov 15.
-- BERNAMA