Sharifah Amani binti Syed Zainal Rashid Al-Yahya (born 10 June 1986), better known by her stage name Sharifah Amani, is a Malaysian actress. She is the best known for her role as Orked in Yasmin Ahmad's 'Orked' trilogy (Sepet, Gubra and Mukhsin).

Sharifah Amani
Born
Sharifah Amani binti Syed Zainal Rashid Al-Yahya

(1986-06-10) June 10, 1986 (age 37)
NationalityMalaysian
Occupation(s)Actress, director, host
Years active1992—present
Spouse
Ahmed Faris Amir
(m. 2022)
Parents
  • Syed Zainal Rashid bin Syed Zainal Abidin Al-Yahya (father)
  • Fatimah binti Abu Bakar (mother)
Relatives

Biography edit

She is the second daughter of veteran Malaysian actress, Fatimah Abu Bakar.[1] Sharifah is mixed of Arab-Chinese-Bengali parentage.[2] As a teenage writer for the New Straits Times YouthQuake slot, Amani covered assignments like the Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla press conference, concerts by Bollywood stars, Deep Purple and the 3rd IIFA Awards in Genting Highlands. Sharifah has also dabbled in theatre, having acted as Ophelia in the Bangsar Actors Studio's Hamlet (2005), directed by Faridah Merican.[3]

Personal life edit

On September 10, 2022, she married the CEO of Impact Integrated, Ahmed Faris Amir. The couple were married by the Head Imam of the Saidina Umar Al Khattab Mosque, Bukit Damansara and the Assistant Registrar of Marriages, Department of Islamic Religion in the Federal Territory (JAWI), Ustaz Mohd Rahimi P Ramlee officiated by the bride's father, Syed Zainal Rashid bin Syed Zainal Abidin Al-Yahya.

Career edit

Film edit

She is most famous for portraying the character Orked in Yasmin Ahmad's Orked trilogy. The first two films are Sepet and Gubra. In the latest instalment, Mukhsin, Sharifah Amani plays the adult version of Orked who "meets" her 10-year-old self (played by her younger sister, Sharifah Aryana).[4] She previously played the supporting role as a sexually abused teenager in the film Gol & Gincu.

She co-stars in the Malaysian film, Cinta, where she is one of ten actors playing 5 different couples portraying different situations based on the theme of love and relationships. Her mother co-stars with her in this movie.[5] In the Cantonese Malaysian horror movie, Possessed, she plays a supporting role as Fara, the assistant and close friend of a Chinese girl, Lisu, who migrated to Malaysia to make it big as a singer. Unfortunately, Lisu is brutally murdered and Fara, as the only witness of the murder, goes insane and is committed to a mental asylum.[3]

She is the main cast in Muallaf, where she acts with Sharifah Aleysha, another one of her younger sisters. This film is also directed by Yasmin Ahmad.[6] To fulfil her role in the movie, she shaved her head bald because in one of the scenes in the movie her character's head is shaved by the father for being too 'wild'.[7]

Television edit

Following the relative success of Gol & Gincu[8] in the supporting role as a sexually abused teenager, she reprises this role later in several guest appearances in the TV series based on the movie (Gol & Gincu The Series), as originally broadcast in 2006 on the Malaysian TV channel, 8TV. In 2006, she also hosted a make-over TV show (sponsored by Revlon Silky Girl) on NTV7 with her elder sister, Sharifah Aleya.

In March 2007, TV3 has started broadcasting the dramedy series Emil Emilda in their Samarinda timeslot, starring Sharifah Amani as the lead role of Emilda.[9] She stars in title role of Emilda, a bespectacled geeky filing clerk working in a fictitious TV station, where she catches the attention of the CEO due to her hard-working nature and passion for the broadcasting industry. The CEO finds out his long-lost son, Emil/Boboi who has been missing following a car accident 20 years ago has been sighted. En route to follow up on the information regarding his son, he dies when his private helicopter crashes. It is then revealed in his will that he has chosen Emilda to be his temporary replacement as CEO until his son can be located to be his rightful heir.[citation needed]

Controversy edit

In 2006 at the 19th Malaysian Film Festival, when accepting her award as Best Actress she said "I sound, like, stupid, if I speak Malay, so I'll speak English".[10] This statement had been interpreted by some parties as if Sharifah was ridiculing the Malay language (being an official language used in the ceremony plus at the national level in Malaysia) when she had meant that she was not really fluent in it.[11] She later claimed that she was misquoted when her statement was translated by the Malay media.

Filmography edit

Key
Denotes film / dramas that have not yet been released

Film edit

Year Title Role Notes
1992 Selubung Palestine Children Debut film appearances
2005 Sepet Orked
Gol & Gincu Najihah Hafizam aka Jiji
2006 Gubra Orked
Cinta Arianna
Possessed Fara
2007 Puaka Tebing Biru[12] Atilia
Mukhsin Adult Orked
1957: Hati Malaya Ani / Aishah
2008 Punggok Rindukan Bulan Riza
Selamat Pagi Cinta Suci
Muallaf Rohani
Cicakman 2: Planet Hitam Iman
2009 Sayang You Can Dance Mia
15Malaysia - (Episode: Chocolate) Short film
2010 Magika Bawang Putih
2011 Appalam Siti Malaysian-Tamil film
Hunters
2012 Pontianak Vs. Orang Minyak Maria Ogawa
2013 Kolumpo Siti Nur Hayy
PSIKO: Pencuri Hati Wani
2014 Terbaik dari Langit Sara
2015 Gangsterock Kasi Sengat Nian
2016 Pekak Dara
Pigeon[13] Yasmin
2017 KL 24: Zombies Independent film
Sindiket Aminah
Mencari Rahmat Ratna
2018 Gol & Gincu Vol: 2 Najihah Hafizam aka Jiji
2019 Motif Inspector Dewi
2020 Hail, Driver! Female Passenger 1
2021 Zombitopia Maya
2023 La Luna Hanie Abdullah
2024 SyurgaKu Sofea Short film

Other film credits edit

Year Title Role Director Notes & Awards
2009 Talentime Assistant Director Yasmin Ahmad Best Director Award FFM 22
2010 Sangkar Director Herself Anthology film
2011 Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa Assistant Director / Stunt Yusry Abdul Halim Malaysia's second highest-budgeted film (£8 million)
2012 Kampung Bangsar Director Herself
2013 Hawa This film is an anthology film in Ikal Mayang
2018 5minit

Television series edit

Year Title Role TV channel
2006–2007 Gol & Gincu The Series Najihah Hafizam aka jiji 8TV
2007 Emil Emilda Emilda TV3
2008 Sindarela Zoela
2009 Rona Roni Makaroni Rona Astro Ria
2010 Tiramisu Melur TV3
2011 Cita & Cinta Zalia TV9
2015 Ajaibnya Cinta Hammara TV3
2016 Cinta 100kg[14] Wati
2019 Kopitiam: Double Shot Alia Viu
2022 Murder By Moonlight Bella Astro Citra

Telemovie edit

Year Title Role TV channel
2009 Antara Garisan Weeda Astro Ria
2010 Dali Cinta Nisa TV3
Karma Salina Tia
2011 Kashaf Imani Nisa Astro Ria
La Ikro Hafiddin Nurlisa Astro Prima
2012 Fatihah Untuk Abah Fatihah TV3
Pelarian Miza
2013 Lembut Bukan Lelaki Lembut Astro Ria
Diari Ariana Ariana TV2
2014 Nostalgila Zett Astro First Exclusive
Saloma: Pandang Kasih (Bahagian 2) Siput Sarawak
2015 Melur vs Rajawali Hannah TV1
2016 Fatin Fatin TV3
2017 Selamat Tinggal Aidilfitri Dhia Astro Prima
Kembalikan Syawalku Nurse Astro Citra
Ti Amo Venezia Nadia
2018 Cikgu A+ Teacher Zeti TV2

Television edit

Year Title Role TV channel
2006–2007 Latido Host TV9

Podcast edit

Year Title Role Notes
2020 Dengar Cerita Narrator Episode: "2 - Dalam Gambar"
Shakma Productions' Podcast Guest Episode: "Bold, Beautiful & Blessed"
Lepak Seni Co-host With Shamaine Othman
Kopi Konversations Guest Episode: "Sharifah Amani, Malaysian Film, Culture and Everything Else"
Ruang Bertamu Episode: "Acting in Malaysia"/"A Passion for Acting", with Amerul Affendi and Nadiya Nisaa
2021 Content Forum: Let's Talk Episode: "Reel Women" (alongside: Fatimah Abu Bakar, Sofia Jane, Susan Lankester, and Daiyan Trisha)

Awards and nominations edit

18th Malaysian Film Festival 2005

  • Most Promising Newcomer Award (Sepet)

19th Malaysian Film Festival 2006

  • Best Actress Award (Gubra) * the youngest winner of the category (20 years old)

References edit

  1. ^ Tan, Emily (22 May 2006). "The Secret Life of Sharifah Amani". Sun2Surf.com. Retrieved 24 August 2007.
  2. ^ Abdullah, Jamiliah (10 July 2005). "Aleya bintang semakin berkilau". Utusan Malaysia. Retrieved 24 August 2007.
  3. ^ a b Possessed Official site: Cast & crew Archived 5 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Blog article @ wordpress.com
  5. ^ Cinta @ Yahoo! Malaysia movies
  6. ^ New Straits Times article Archived 15 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine (not available as of 24 August 2007)
  7. ^ Berita Harian article (not available as of 24 August 2007)
  8. ^ Gol & Gincu official website
  9. ^ Blog entries @ blogspot.com
  10. ^ The Star article (not available to public as of 24 August 2007)
  11. ^ "Kenapa saya berucap bahasa Inggeris" [Why I spoke English in my speech]. Utusan Online (in Malay). 15 August 2006. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  12. ^ Puaka Tebing Biru at IMDb  
  13. ^ Kho, Gordon (26 October 2016). "Actress Sharifah Amani's love affair with Japan continues". Star2.com. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  14. ^ Drama Cinta 100kg (TV3)

External links edit