100 Malaysians, 100 Milestones – LSA100 this year celebrates the progressive evolution of Mierul Aiman as a young actor who’s inching closer to his dreams to be a film actor. With the recent release of Projek: Exit that touches on the issue of mental health and family conflicts, Mierul continues to touch the hearts of many with the perfect dose of emotions, vulnerability, authenticity and artistry.
He considers himself a true blue ‘anak seni’— but Mierul Aiman is someone who lets his work speaks for itself. He is a man of few words, but his acting and the roles he plays resonate a resounding echo through the entertainment industry. He is a talented young man representing a new generation of actors today.
From his debut on Projek: High Council to his highly perceptive bodyguard role of Ghazi on W: Two Worlds, his prominence in the industry has grown positively especially since the recent release of Projek: Exit where he plays Hadi, a 17-year-old with cystic fibrosis, alongside Shasha Abedul and Naim Daniel.
In the two years that I’ve known Mierul, he has shown so much progress in his acting career. Within a year, he has since been on four drama series – all of which are equally impactful leading roles that continue to shape his perspectives. Today, he exudes a different aura when he walks into the studio for the LSA100 cover shoot. He is much more confident, and he knows how to work the camera – not just relying on those sets of perfectly chiselled jawline. He has his eyes on improving his craft, and his determination shows. What he has said to me two years ago has come to complete fruition to say the very least – to be recognised as one of the most respected actors in Malaysia.
He sits down today, more matured and seasoned. He commands the room with his presence. We sit down with him and look back at his journey in the past year, and how he feels coming this far.
Portraying Ghazi in W: Two Worlds must have been both exciting and challenging. What was the most transformative aspect of stepping into this seminal role, and how did it shape your perspective as an actor?
It’s been really exciting to play a character ‘in uniform’. They (uniformed characters) have to be structured and they have a way to carry themselves while performing their respective duties. I put a lot of pressure on myself because I am a very expressive person. So when playing Ghazi, it taught me how to control my energy – when to give and when to receive.
As a bodyguard to Aliff, Ghazi has to put on a very stoic and calm face, almost expressionless in most situations. But upon receiving a command, Ghazi bursts into an aggressive and explosive character with the objective of ‘protecting’ people – in this case, it’s his boss and best friend, Aliff (portrayed by Hun Haqeem).
As Mierul Aiman, I learned a lot in terms of channelling my energy to different things in different situations. At the same time, it also taught me that keeping calm and reserving my emotions are both important as a human being. Ghazi, somewhat, woke me up. He really taught me how to hold back, and control my emotions.
You’ve recently starred in Project: Exit, which carries similar intensity and themes to your work in Projek: High Council. What lessons did you take from the previous drama that helped shape your portrayal in Project: Exit?
I started in this industry with a high-quality script for Projek: High Council. Now with Projek: Exit, what I learned is that the script defines the actor. It controls everything.
Let me give you an example. Sometimes, with some scripts, we need to do more in terms of improvising the character and colourise the role we get. When a script is exceptional, it pushes the actor to take it to the next level as everything is so precise and accurately detailed. We focus on the little things – our feelings and how we react with the dialogues. When I fully immerse myself in the script, it forces me to go beyond my limit. That’s my objective as an actor – to see how far I can go and how far my emotions can be pushed with every character I play. These experiences also shape me to be a better actor.
How significant is Projek: Exit to you personally?
(laughs) Acting is like me on a time machine lah. I travel through my personal life experiences with the role I play.
For me, I don’t feel that pressure because I believe in my team who’s working so hard on set. And with more experience, I am also believing in myself a lot better. When I receive the script, the first thing that I have in mind is to focus on myself. Macam mana Mierul nak bawa character ini to life. Everything that I need to know are already on the script. So I focus on the characterization and how I want to play this character well.
Projek: Exit focuses so much on mental health that it becomes my own therapy. The whole duration on set feels like a therapy to my own traumatic experiences that I’ve faced before. The show has also made me realise that we need to be heard and be seen for everything that we’ve gone through. I believe this character resonates with many people out there. And like this role, you and me, we are not alone.
Like the rest of the Projek series, they all have very authentic storylines – it’s real. It speaks volumes in terms of mental health and what many of us have had to go through in our past. I’m glad that the generation today is more ‘woke’ to accept this.
This year, you also took on a very different role as the lead in the romance drama Dari Mata Turun ke Hati, which shifted away from the action-packed or comedic roles you’ve been known for. How did you prepare for this more serious, emotional character, and what was the most rewarding part of exploring this new side of your craft?
The first thing I did when I got this romantic piece is evaluating myself in a ‘love situation’ and how vulnerable I can be in such a scenario. I saw love as something so uncontrollable. When we are in love, it’s unexpectable – there’s joy, there’s sadness. And with that, I found the meaning of being vulnerable.
Love is so vulnerable, right?
Yes, sometimes you act unreasonably because of love. We open ourselves up so much more to keep two souls more connected. In romantic roles, I need to channel all my vulnerabilities – shedding away those ‘manly’ vibes – so I am able to show the softer side of myself.
Having experienced both intense, physical roles and now exploring a deeper emotional side in romance dramas, how do you feel these different genres have influenced your growth as an actor?
I’ve always seen myself as an actor and my objective is to predict my trajectory – where I can go, and how much more I am able to learn. Through highs and lows, it’s always about challenging myself.
Ultimately, I want to be a film actor. Doing drama is like practice… a trial before the real big arena, which is film. In film, you need to be very precise and push so much more to connect with your audience. After I’ve discovered myself, I believe I will be much more prepared and matured to tackle bigger things like a lead role in film.
Being named one of the LSA100 awardees highlights your impact in the industry. How has this recognition made you reflect on your journey, and what do you hope your success represents for aspiring actors in Malaysia?
I’m so grateful! I’m just a kid and when I look back, I’m really just that kid with big dreams. One of the things that I dream of is I want to be here where I am right now – and with LSA100, I feel my prayers have been heard by God. All my hard work… striving for the bigger things is slowly paying off. You can dream but the key to dreaming is the belief! It keeps me inspired and it will inspire future generations – all the dreamers out there. Everything we’ve been through in life is a lesson – it opens up new doors, and every new door you enter leads you to new journeys… turning your dreams to reality.
