LSA100: Tastemaker Amelia Henderson reflects on her year of growth, gratitude, and giving more of herself

To sum up Amelia Henderson’s illustrious career — from her modelling gigs, acting and hosting full-time — is a near-impossible feat. The past year alone has taught her plenty, and Amelia is looking to bigger and better things, whether it’s through her acting or her beloved podcast Studio Sembang.

The year is 2015 and Amelia Henderson is the latest face of Astro Supersport to capture the hearts of sports lovers all across the nation. I vaguely remember watching her host The English Room only a few years before, but it wasn’t until she debuted as a sportscaster that I felt Amelia truly embodied the role of Astro’s sweetheart. Many of my friends at the time — strapping college boys and girls, still fresh out of high school — were completely enamoured of her. It’s not difficult to see why, even on this slow-moving Friday as she’s coolly sat on the sofa. Amelia just has ‘it’.

Back in the late aughts, the concept of the “It” girl was not as easily tossed around as it is today. To make a name for yourself with little to no reliance on social media meant that you had to have been working harder and for longer than most. And Amelia, having spent nearly two decades in the local entertainment industry — doing a lot of everything from acting, hosting and modelling — has more than earned it to say the least.

“Oh, no, c’mon, please don’t be,” Amelia tells me, right as I reveal that I had been a little nervous about speaking with her. (Partly because, being the same age, it feels as though I’ve watched Amelia grow in her career on my TV screen, albeit from a distance. And partly because I’ve just always thought she was so cool.) Just a few moments ago she’d whizzed into the studio with a burst of energy, launching straight into an excited spiel about meeting director James Wan at the premiere of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. “I’m just Amelia, I’m not some ‘sparkly’ — I’m not meant to be put on a pedestal, you know?”

These days, Amelia is rarely seen not behind a mic. She and her brother Alexander first launched Studio Sembang — a refreshing ‘tell-all’ podcast that reveals the other side of a celebrity’s life — in October last year, and it has since become one of the most beloved local podcasts out there. It won the ‘Personal Favourite Podcast’ award at the Anugerah Podcast Syok in 2022. And earlier this May, Amelia made her red carpet debut at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, where she got to speak with some of the most distinguished filmmakers in the world.

“It was such a privilege that I got to be there, and it was so eye-opening,” Amelia says of the experience, still visibly starstruck. “It reassured me that although we are a small country, and sometimes we feel disempowered on a global level, we can actually do it.”

We spend a few minutes mulling over the film Tiger Stripes, which won the top prize at Cannes Critics’ Week, and the impact it could bring to our very own budding entertainment industry. Amelia has seen everything there is to see, she’s watched the industry grow and change over the many years — its faults and its merits. And Amelia has certainly got a lot to say as soon as we’re seated.

How would you describe the past year for you? Any standout moments that meant a lot to you personally?

2023 was very challenging but also very rewarding. I think 2023 really pushed me past the boundaries of what I thought I was gonna be capable of — but in the best possible way. Because had I not been put in situations that were a little bit uncomfortable for me, I wouldn’t have grown past them and expanded on what I thought I was personally capable of. One of the highlights for me this year was my interview session with our prime minister. I got to moderate for him at the Youth Forum, that was really cool. And another highlight was the coverage of the Cannes Film Festival, which was also really cool. On top of that, my podcast celebrated its one-year anniversary, which was also really awesome. We had so many incredible guests this year, considering we started late last year, right? So, this was the year of Studio Sembang for me. So, just so many different things.

But behind the scenes? A lot of strife and challenges. I feel like this was the year that, from trying to maintain such a squeaky-clean image in my career, I found myself put in the spotlight for a lot of really conflicting issues for me. At the same time, it was exactly those situations that I’m probably the most grateful for. Without them, I don’t think I would’ve come out even better, like, a newly-revamped version of myself because of how much I’ve had to push through. 2023 was a year and a half. Good things, bad things — these are all part of character building, you know? [Laughs]

What are some of the biggest lessons that the year has taught you?

I think I had a really interesting conversation with a friend just yesterday, and it has echoed the concept of growth in 2023 to me, which is that the limit of what you’re actually capable of is set by yourself and what you believe it to be. So, be very careful with your mindset and what thoughts you’re giving power to. Make sure they are expansive enough to accommodate for your full set of capabilities. That’s very important. Because there were a lot of moments this year where I was really worried I wasn’t going to be able to make it through. And somehow I did.

But also, another thing I learned in 2023 is how imperative teamwork is to success. Growing up, there wasn’t a proper infrastructure before. There was no ‘management’ for kids back in the day when I was shooting. It was just me and my mom. And my career was centred on what decisions I had to make for me to ensure that I had sustainability and longevity in my career. So, in the last year I started building my team and now we’re a full-fledged company. We do behind-the-scenes influencer marketing as well. I have a lot of really good people around me that I can rely on, and I don’t feel like I have to do it by myself. It’s growth lah, this year for me. Big time.

Let’s talk a little bit about the Cannes Film Festival! How was that experience?

I was representing Malaysia for TikTok and we did some coverage for Southeast Asia as well. Essentially, I got to interview people on the red carpet before the premieres. I got to attend six or seven premieres I was at, and saw a lot of films like Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. I got to see May December, which was really, really interesting. There was the Firebrand, one of my favourites that premiered at Cannes this year. And met a lot of people who are incredibly influential in the entertainment industry.

One of the highlights of that trip for me was actually seeing how much impact Malaysia has been making in the global landscape. Because as somebody who has poured so much of my life into the entertainment industry here, it can often feel like you’re trapped inside a local bubble. Like, where is our content going? Are we able to properly export as how we should be? And when I was there, one of our movies did so incredibly well there, Tiger Stripes. It made waves at the Cannes Film Festival. And it just reassured me that, well, we are a small country, and sometimes we feel disempowered on a global level, but actually we can do it. It just takes a lot of work, but we have incredibly, incredibly talented creative people here who are doing the work for the rest of us. You know, exporting stuff and making our name known for the best possible reasons and all that we have to offer. 

You’ve been in the industry for so long and have seen its evolution and challenges. What do you think has changed or could change for the better, based on what you’ve observed?

I think things are changing. From what I’ve seen in my personal experience — and this is not to subject anybody to my opinion, it’s my opinion and my opinion only — I’ve been through the more traditional media. I’ve done TV shows, I’ve done radio, and very traditional formats of media. I think a lot of the time, what happens is that us as Malaysians, we tend to not speak as highly of our own content as we should. And I feel like that’s a little bit sad, because we’re constantly being exposed to international productions, which are obviously setting the bar globally for what we expect entertainment to be. But when we don’t support our own craft, we don’t allow it the eyeballs that would lead to the financing and encourage us to create the output that can compete on a global level. In terms of consumerism, we tend to not be as supportive of our own stuff as we should be. Or we tend to measure it against international standards of what is ‘good’. And then we think that we have failed in comparison.

I think we can try to ask for a little bit more understanding of the fact that we have so many incredibly talented people here. Hopefully what we see is a shift happening because of streaming and digital platforms. They’re pushing producers to be a little bit more competitive with their storylines, a little bit more innovative. If you look at this year alone, we’ve had some incredible shows, like Projek: High Council. Critically acclaimed and very well-executed. I hope the Malaysian audience is ready to be more supportive, because when there’s already slow movement in the right direction, it should be creating space for us to encourage more people to try. And as somebody who gets to deal with the most creative people every day, there’s always a concern of, ‘What if we push the boundaries too far?’ But, I mean, if we can’t even support our stuff locally within the country, how are we ever going to plan on it getting eyeballs elsewhere?! I think things like that will take time. Everybody has their own path.

On your acting career, what do you make of your roles so far? And what are some of your future expectations for yourself?

I think — and I may have done this to myself — in recent times, I’ve kind of taken on very similar roles. This year, I took a step back and really evaluated myself from an acting standpoint. Like, what it is I’m trying to put forward in the acting that I do. I don’t wanna get ‘preachy’ about it, but I do believe it’s on every creator to make sure that what you’re doing is fully and ethically responsible. Yes, you’re telling stories. But for me, I’ve realised — with age perhaps — that it’s very important that if somebody is watching a story that I’m doing, I want them to leave with, like, a good feeling or having successfully escaped from their life for the duration that they’re watching the show; or having learned something. That’s the niat (intention). So, I’ve had to self-audit a bit more in terms of some things that I’ve done in the past that maybe I didn’t feel as reflective as that niat I had within me. This year I cracked down like nobody’s business on the acting roles that I took on, which is why maybe it feels like I haven’t been acting in a really long time.

Sometimes for you to find the right fit in terms of the character, it’s not as straightforward as it seems. With a hundred and one projects per quarter, there’s only so many that are going to feel like, ‘Oh my god, I have to play this character.’ And I’ve tried to be more discerning about things like that. I have a couple of characters coming up that I’m really excited for, because they’re really different from what I’ve done before. One is very, very true to me. This project is so dear to my heart and I think it’s going to be so freaking fantastic, I cannot wait. It’s called The Golden Goose for Astro Originals.

And I have never gone into it with commercial expectations, whether it will be a success or not. For me, what makes me happy is that I’ve done some previews with my producer and director, I’ve seen it. I’m proud of it. I’m proud of my participation in it, I’m proud of all the other actors, I’m proud of the team, they’re incredible. And so I think hopefully, if one person walks away from it liking it, it’s enough for me. [Laughs] For me, if I really wanna have kepuasan hati (satisfaction) for my career, I don’t wanna be doing the same roles. I would like to do a variety of different roles and if I’m able to do that successfully, then I’ll feel like, ‘Oh, I’m an actress.’

So, tell us about Studio Sembang. It’s been a year now. How did that come about? What got you to start your own podcast?

Honestly, Studio Sembang was birthed out of — and you know, I can be completely transparent with you — a little bit of conflict. It came from a point of view of where I was at that time. I had given everything that I possibly could to acting, from when I was a child. I felt very not ‘heard’ in my career, I felt… jaded. Like, ‘What am I actually doing this for? And what is the impact?’ It felt very ‘imposter syndrome’ for me. Because I felt like a lot of people looked up to me for some very bizarre reason that I really couldn’t comprehend. I didn’t understand how I was adding value to anybody’s life. It’s like, yeah, I’m doing this stuff. You see me every day on TV. And it’s great that you’ve attached some sort of meaning to my performance and I’m really, really, appreciative — I don’t want to sound like I’m not thankful for that at all, I’m super grateful — but for me, I just feel like it’s so disingenuous because they actually have no idea who I am. I’m taking characters that are not actually like me at all. And how can I be deserving and earn that support if I have not allowed my boundaries to fall and for them to see who I am as a person?

That’s what Studio Sembang was born out of. There was a need for me to connect with my audience, but at the same time it was me wanting to connect with the rest of the industry as well. Through Studio Sembang, I’ve had to have conversations with people that normally I would run into in one-off places, whom I love but we’ve never had the time to deep dive into each other’s life stories. It’s opened that up for me, for them, for the audience. It’s ended up being an overall win-win situation. And we’ve got so many expansion plans for Studio Sembang in 2024. It’s gonna be very exciting.

 

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What is the preparation process that goes into Studio Sembang? Because when you guys deep dive, you really deep dive.

You’d be surprised. There’s actually not as much preparation as you’d expect. For me, I’ve always been of the concept that when I’m interviewing somebody, I need to be well-researched. Because my backstory when it comes to hosting is that, yes, I hosted when I was a kid but my proper ‘coming back to hosting’ as an adult was when I did radio. And in radio, I really wanted the opportunity to interview people, but maybe at the time because of my inexperience — I’d just turned 18 — I didn’t have the opportunity that I wanted. And then I stepped into TV, and I had my own show on Astro Supersport. The only problem there was that it was sports. At the time, I was the least educated person on the planet about sports. [Laughs] I was thinking, ‘How am I gonna be a sports anchor if I have no idea what I’m talking about?’ I did so much research on sports, I cannot even begin to tell you, and I transformed myself. And I ended up learning so much about sports and falling in love with it through the process. I’m really proud of myself for that. That’s always been my ethos since then.

The only thing that made me not nervous to do the show was the fact that I was very well-researched. I knew everything about everybody that I was going to be speaking to. In fact, I really overdid the research, and I brought that into Studio Sembang as well. When I interview people, it’s very important to me that it doesn’t feel like I’m wasting anybody’s time. I know this from first-hand experience — they’re getting asked the same superficial questions on a day-to-day basis. And I know what it’s like to ‘turn it off’ in your head. A lot of the time it’s like, everybody’s been asking me this, and I appreciate that you think it’s going to be sensationalised and draw clicks or whatever, but I would not consume this content.

So, it’s more about positioning myself as somebody capable of bringing out the best and also giving the audience something that’s meaningful. If you have a dream of becoming an influencer or an actor, you have to see the realities of what it is so that you are well-equipped. I wanted to rebrand this whole idea of like, “Oh, you’re an entertainer, it’s a cop-out career. You’re so lucky.” Yes, we are so lucky, you’re absolutely right — but at the same time, it’s not empty luck. There is work put into it. Because you can blow up overnight and become viral, but how do you sustain that? And it’s not like everybody has had the luckiest run. I feel really happy, because if I’ve managed to open the eyes of one person pun enough lah for me. [Laughs] Whilst it is a superficial-based industry — I’m not gonna lie — at the same time, the people who work in it are really doing their best to combat it and try to bring more meaning through something as powerful as media.

Are there any challenges you’ve faced with Studio Sembang? Especially when getting the guests to open up?

I’m very, very lucky because I think it was just, right idea, right time, right everything. Because I’ve worked in the industry for so long, asking the guests to come on was no problem. The issue was more towards scheduling. And I think what I did at the beginning of the show was that I allowed myself to get vulnerable first. That usually sets a very comfortable environment for the other person. A lot of the shows that I’ve been on are incredibly well-produced, like big budgets, cameras and so on. You start feeling — like, as a person — a little bit scared to open up your boundaries in front of all these people that you don’t know.

So, our studio session is incredibly intimate. We have the utmost respect for privacy. Anything that’s said on the show, we’ll send the episode to the guests a few days before, and we’ll have them edit with us. So if there’s anything that they have said that they want to un-say, we’re completely fine with that. By setting that precedence, you’d be surprised at how much people feel more comfortable. And suddenly all these incredible, inspirational stories come out that nobody’s ever heard before. Because they feel safe. They don’t feel scared or think like, “How is this going to be represented? Are you going to twist my words and turn it into something that I actually didn’t say?” I can’t twist anything that you say because I don’t want to do that to you. And I think maybe authenticity is something that a lot of people are searching for now on social media. The times have changed. It’s no longer the most manicured, well-pressed picture. It’s more like, who are you?

Who are some of your favourite guests that you’ve had on Studio Sembang? Or your least favourite?

Ohhh, no! [Laughs] I can’t answer that. I really cannot. There is no answer! I think I’ve been very fortunate that every guest has brought a different ‘flavour’. We’ve had some really emotion-deep episodes. We’ve had guests who’ve cried. We’ve had some really fun episodes that might not seem that ‘deep’ in terms of discussion. But it’s not supposed to be a situation where I’m sitting there like, “Come tell me your deepest darkest secrets on camera and let me exploit you for views!” It’s not like that. I can’t go into it with a blueprint of, ‘This is how the episode is gonna go.’ I have no idea. My guest shows up and they are gonna run the show, and I’m just here to listen. Studio Sembang, despite our ridiculous shooting schedule, has content coming out every day. It’s crazy when you think about it, but it’s never felt ‘heavy’ for me.

On top of acting and hosting, you’ve also been embarking in the world of fashion, especially through collaborations with various brands such as BONIA for Raya this year. Could you share with us about your relationship with fashion and how that has transformed throughout your career so far?

My relationship with fashion is very… it’s difficult to say. As a kid, I did modelling a lot, too. Then when I wanted to come back into the industry when I was 18, my dream was to become a model. And I never made it. I was, like, the most unsuccessful model to have ever existed. I could not do the catwalk — it’s not that I couldn’t do it — I was too short. In my time, we did not celebrate diversity the way we do today. So, I was constantly told that I was short and that I didn’t have the body standards. It got to a point where I just gave up on modelling and went into acting, which was my first love anyway. It’s not a complaint because I think it worked out how it was supposed to.

I’ve always loved fashion. And I think what fashion is now has changed from being this unattainable and super exclusive thing that felt very inaccessible. Nowadays with diversity throughout all sorts of media and art, we see that fashion has become something that’s actually more relevant and accessible. It doesn’t necessarily have to feel like this very intimidating thing. It’s more so what makes me confident, and what makes me feel like I’m performing at my best or I’m presenting my best. I know it sounds like the most first-world thing, but that’s how I feel. I’m gonna wear it if it makes me happy, and I’m not gonna put pressure on myself to conform to any type of ridiculous societal expectations. What’s fashionable is what makes me feel my best. And that’s what fashion means in 2023. I think that’s been one of my favourite changes to see in the fashion industry. It’s amazing. I hope we see more and more of that moving forward.

As one of our ‘Tastemakers’, how do you think your personality and your career resonate with your fans and followers?

Oh wow, I don’t know! [Laughs] I think for me, I just feel like I’ve tried my best to stay as authentic to myself as I can. And I think maybe that’s what has been relatively successful for me. If people have been following me from then until now, I would hope they feel like I’ve not changed. That’s the most important thing for me. I had the privilege of entering the industry very, very early — so I think the glam of the industry, and the aspirational bits and the sparkle of it is not something that really fazes me. I don’t feel very ‘sparkly’ all the time, and I’m very comfortable with that. I’m very comfortable with people treating me just like a normal person versus some sort of ‘elevated’ being, it’s really not that. And it shouldn’t be like that for anybody in the industry. Ultimately, it’s a job. And what stands the test of time and leads to longevity within any field, is how authentic you can maintain despite whatever success you accumulate.

LSA100: 100 Malaysians, 100 Milestones

Lifestyle Asia KL introduces LSA 100, an annual list that recognises Malaysia’s most influential names and celebrates their talents, contributions, successes and milestones. As the bellwether of style, travel, design, entertainment, business, sports, and more, these 100 Malaysians represent the next generation of go-getters who are paving the way for sharing their know-hows with the world through the power of digital media. LSA100 comprises five categories namely The Rising Aces, The Trailblazers, The Disruptors, The Tastemakers and The Navigators. Find out more about LSA100 Class of 2023, HERE. 

editor-in-chief & creative direction MARTIN TEO | interview PUTERI YASMIN SURAYA | assisted by RONN TAN & MALLIE MARAN | photography EDMUND LEE | videography SIMON TAN | video editing JACKIE MAH | makeup KF BONG using YSL BEAUTY | hair MEI CHOI | stylist AZZA ARIF | wardrobe MARC JACOBS