PETALING JAYA, Oct 21 — Although comfortable portraying action characters, actor and athlete Theebaan G, 36, now wants to challenge himself by taking on emotionally demanding roles to ensure his acting career is not confined to fight scenes alone.

Aspiring to be recognised as a versatile actor capable of bringing a wide range of characters to life, he said exploring roles that require deeper emotional expression would be his main focus over the next one to two years.

“I want to be recognised as an actor or artiste. Although I started out in action, over time I have also become interested in exploring other genres,” he told reporters after the launch and announcement of the Top 5 nominees for the 35th Malaysia Film Festival (FFM35) here recently.

The PASKAL The Movie actor said his interest in exploring emotionally driven roles grew after observing how other actors brought complex characters to life using various acting techniques.

He said his venture beyond the action genre began with a ghost character, followed by his appearance in his first romantic comedy drama, PL, I Love You, which is currently airing on Astro Ria.

 “I admit that I initially felt rather awkward performing in romantic comedy scenes, but I became more confident after seeing the results of my performance.

“Some fans have also sent me messages on Instagram, saying they did not realise I could act this way. This is something I am exploring, and I enjoy it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Theebaan expressed excitement over being shortlisted among the Top 5 nominees for the Best Action and Stunt Award at FFM35 for his performance in The Furious: Pertaruhan Maruah.

He will compete against Defenderz Action Team for Tarung: Unforgiven and Gayong 2, James Chung for Magik Rompak, and Wong Choon Meng for Legasi Bomba The Movie.

“The competition is certainly stiff, especially with Defenderz Action Team, which showcases impressive martial arts skills.

“I am hopeful, but I pray for the best for all the nominees,” said Theebaan, who won the national karate championship eight times before becoming Malaysia’s welterweight champion in mixed martial arts (MMA) in 2016. — Bernama