DistantNews
Support us
Child actors once avoided controversy, faced blacklisting: Elfira Loy
🇲🇾 Malaysia /Culture & Society

Child actors once avoided controversy, faced blacklisting: Elfira Loy

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Malaysian actress Elfira Loy recalled a different era for child actors, emphasizing stricter industry practices and protection.
  • She noted that parents were always present on set, and production crews closely monitored child performers' behavior and movements.
  • Loy contrasted this with the current industry, where she believes child actors have more freedom, sometimes leading to less control over their image.

Malaysian actress Elfira Loy fondly remembers her early career as a child star, highlighting a stark contrast in industry practices compared to today. Loy, 32, expressed gratitude for the protective environment surrounding child actors in the past, noting that the industry prioritized their rights and welfare.

In the past, we weren't too free. We didn't just come to the set and do our own thing. We had runners. Wherever we went, the runner would take us and bring us home. We couldn't just wander around. So, I can say everything was more organized back then.

— Elfira LoyElfira Loy described the structured environment for child actors in the past.

"In the past, we weren't too free. We didn't just come to the set and do our own thing," Loy shared at a recent pickleball event. She explained that child actors were always accompanied by a "runner" who managed their transportation to and from filming locations and ensured they didn't wander off. This structured approach, she believes, kept things much more organized.

Loy emphasized the crucial role her mother played by consistently accompanying her on set. This parental supervision, she stated, prevented anyone from taking advantage of her. She recalled that many dramas featured child actors, and production companies adhered to clear guidelines, demonstrating a firm approach to managing young talent.

Back then, many dramas involved child actors, and each production had clear guidelines. As child actors, we knew they were very strict. Even though I started early in the industry, my mother always accompanied me wherever I went. So, I was always under the care of my parents, and everything was indeed under control.

— Elfira LoyLoy highlighted the strict guidelines and constant parental supervision that protected child actors.

Furthermore, Loy observed that child actors in her time were mindful of their behavior due to the risk of being blacklisted by production companies for any controversy. "If you were involved in gossip or something bad just once, you could be blacklisted," she said. She contrasted this with the current situation, where she feels more gossip can sometimes lead to more job offers. Loy suggested this shift might contribute to a perceived lack of control in the industry today, where some may not prioritize maintaining a positive image as an artist.

If you were involved in gossip or something bad just once, you could be blacklisted. It's not like now, where the more gossip there is, the more job offers you get. Perhaps that's one reason why things like this are becoming more uncontrolled, or some people no longer realize that as artists, we need to prioritize maintaining our image.

— Elfira LoyLoy contrasted the consequences of controversy for child actors then and now.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog