Hazeeq Dean, model-turned-actor and our May digital cover star spills some facts you may know about him — from the florist business he’s got going on to his rather unusual eating habits.
You might have seen Hazeeq Dean here and there in various TV dramas, playing the antagonist vying for success or posing a threat to the hero, but in his heart of hearts, he yearns to portray the romantic lead. Hazeeq’s on-screen performances may be understated but he leaves quite a lasting impression on the viewer — with his unique delivery of dialogue and his looming presence. Outside of the scene-stealer’s aura on our screens, here are ten things you might not know about Hazeeq Dean.
Hazeeq can be quite manja (pampered). He opens up our conversation by admitting that he can be a big softie with the people he loves. “People may think I’m cold or dismissive of the people in my life, because they see me play the villain or the antagonist,” Hazeeq jokes. “But I’m actually a very manja person in real life.”
He doubles as a florist, and runs an online flower business. If you’re curious about Hazeeq’s “Flowerboy” moniker on his Instagram, it’s because he is the flower boy. On top of modelling and acting, Hazeeq also has a flower business on the side — based in KL and Selangor, and he is the one who arranges and cuts the flowers himself. “I’ve been doing it for about five to six years now,” he elaborates. “It all started when I bought flowers for a girl for the first time in my life. And I’ve never bought a flower for a girl before! So from there, I realised it would be a very good opportunity for me to learn how to arrange flowers, and open up a flower business.”
He’s a very picky eater. Strange food habits are not unheard of — but Hazeeq’s is certainly strange! We’ve heard of people who dislike food because of their textures or tastes, but in Hazeeq’s case, it’s the colour that bugs him. “I don’t really eat red foods,” he tells me, laughing at my perplexed expression. “Even sambal, or ayam merah… if there’s an option between ayam merah or ayam rendang, I would go for rendang. If it’s between ayam merah and masak lemak, I would take masak lemak. For me, the colour red in food just makes me gross out. I don’t know why — I’m aware that it tastes good! But to eat it, it’s just not for me.”
He is also ‘picky’ with other things in his life. Besides his food, Hazeeq considers himself quite particular when it comes to big decisions in life. We get it — for an up-and-coming actor like himself, it’s completely normal to be 100% sure about something before you pursue it. “Especially when it comes to jobs whether it’s modelling, commercials and so on,” he adds. “It’s so that I can properly understand what I’m signing up for. What am I doing this for? Some people might think that’s too ‘soft’ but for me, it’s just a different perspective. It goes beyond jobs, I do it for other life choices too — like friendships and relationships.”
He’s a big ‘family’ guy. As someone who’s a self-proclaimed manja boy, it’s not surprising that Hazeeq has a close-knit relationship with his family. “I always make it a point to go back home for dinner every day, ever since I was 18,” he says. “And so if I can, I would like to continue it until I build my own family.”
He loves travelling. Travelling, for Hazeeq, gives him a new outlook on life. “I would hate to never get out of one place,” he confides. “I believe that you won’t be able to broaden your horizons if you just stay in one place.” His favourite place to visit again and again is Melbourne, Australia. “I’ve been elsewhere too, but to stay and to grow in a place, I think Melbourne would be the best. The raw food is cheap, cars are cheap, houses are cheap compared to here. And the people there are really nice. It would be so cosy.” Taiwan is also a place he would love to stay long-term if he were more fluent in the language.
He likes looking at the mirror maybe a little more than the average guy (but it’s not because he’s vain about his looks!). Hazeeq blushes and shrinks a bit as he admits this, but to him staying neat and tidy is the most important thing. “People always tell me, ‘Man, you’re so vain,’” he laughs. “But I swear, I’m not! I just don’t like looking selekeh (dirty). A little bit messy here and there is fine, but not selekeh. Cleanliness is just really important to me, that’s all.”
He’s passionate about life. Hazeeq always ensures that he doesn’t just let life pass him by — he thinks very deeply about everything he does, and he constantly works toward bettering himself. “If I want something, I’ll work my ass off just to get it,” he affirms. “It’s been that way since I was very young. I would always ask myself, ‘Why should just I be someone ordinary when I can be extraordinary?’”
As a big ‘family’ guy, he has always been very obedient to his parents. He’s his parents’ favourite child (at least, we’re definitely sure of it!). “It might sound like just common decency, but I think a lot of people tend to overlook that trait,” he muses. “Everything I do in life is for my parents. My parents are quite old right now, and I want to be with them for as long as I can. I had opportunities to study overseas before, but I chose not to solely because I wanted to be close to my parents for longer. It’s just how I am, I guess.”
He thinks skincare is extremely important — and believes that all men should think that way, too! Men’s skincare, especially where we are, is so often overlooked. In our culture, the perception about skincare is that it’s very much a ‘womanly’ thing — but basic skincare is vital to taking good care of our skin and keeping it well-nourished. “I do have a daily facial routine,” Hazeeq says. “I have my cleanser, moisturiser and sunblock. These are the basic essentials. I’m grateful that ever since I was young, my older sister always insisted that I apply them. I used to hate it, but as I got older — and especially now in this industry — I’m like, ‘Okay, I get it now.’ So, to all the men who think it’s not important or that it’s just for women, you’re wrong. That’s a really shallow point of view.”
Read our full interview with our cover stars, Daniel Fong, Hazeeq Dean, and Mierul Aiman, in the latest issue of LSA Digital Cover Vol. 009 HERE.
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Written by
Puteri Yasmin Suraya
Senior Writer, Features and Tech
Hailing from an English Literature & Creative Writing background, Yasmin has a deep love for fiction and poetry. When she’s not reading or café-hopping, she spends most of her time in the comfort of her own room binge-watching period romances, (badly) belting out show tunes, and curating Spotify playlists to match her mood for the week.
