THE moment Anna Jobling walks into the Coffee Bean outlet at Bangsar Village II, all eyes were fixed on her. The beautiful 18-year-old Kuala Lumpur lass of mixed parentage has a magnetic charm.
She has been modelling for the past three years, and last year, she won two beauty pageant titles. However, Anna wants to be more than a pretty face, and aspires to be an actress and a television host.
Did you always wanted to be a model?
“I have always wanted to be a model since I was a kid. I used to take my mother’s makeup and experiment with it. [But] I never thought this dream would become a reality.
“My family was shopping in Ikea when an agent scouted me for TV commercials. [At the time], I was only five years old. But I did not have the confidence to be a model. I was very shy.
“My parents and I did not take the offer seriously. I wanted to focus on my studies, and swimming. I was a competitive swimmer for Selangor at that time.”
When did your journey as a model begin?
“When I was 15, my mother learned that Amber Chia ran a modelling academy, and my mother enrolled me. I learned how to catwalk and how to groom myself. It really boosted my confidence. I began to accept modelling gigs.”
Where will we see you five years from now?
“I have a desire to be a TV host and actress. I do not mind hosting any show. But [I would like to] host an entertainment show where I can be myself.
“As an actress, I would love to play a ‘negative’ character. Some people think I am too sweet. I want to prove them wrong.”
What is the greatest misconception people have about you?
“People think modelling is easy. That all you do is smile in front of the camera.
“Photoshoots can take hours. They can be time consuming and demanding. Once, I had to be on set at 4am for an advertisement shoot.”
What are your strengths and weaknesses as a model?
“I am pretty easy to work with. I take direction very quickly. I am never lazy. I always take criti-cism with an open mind.
“I am fluent in English, and I can speak Malay. But I think I need to brush up on my Malay if I want to act in Malay films.”
Describe your childhood years.
“My father is from the United Kingdom, while my mother is Malay, and from Malacca. I am their only child.
“My father is calm, and my mother keeps me grounded. She makes sure I am on the right path.
“My father works as an engineer in an oil and gas firm, while my mother is my manager.
“I can’t picture myself with a sibling. I enjoy being their only child, and I always got what I wanted. But I was never a demanding child. I love my childhood.”
Do you like working with your mother?
“Yes. I feel safe all the time. She makes sure I am always on top of things and I am never late for my shoots. Sometimes, my mother nags me. But I deserve it.”
What are your other interests?
“I love watching films with friends and family. My favourite genre is horror.
“I love animals. I have 14 cats. All of them were strays I picked up from the street.”
Tell us about your diet and exercise routine.
“I love animals so much that I became a vegan five years ago. I cannot bring myself to eat animals. Besides, I heard there are a lot of hormones being injected into animals these days.
“I [consume] less carbs, too. And I love running and swimming.”
A lot of models develop eating disorders. Did you ever face that problem?
When I first joined the modelling industry, everyone kept telling me that I should lose some weight.
“I did reduce my weight. I watched what I ate. But I’ve never believed that you have to starve yourself to lose weight. You have to look healthy, too.
“If you starve yourself, you will not look healthy. Eating disorders are a serious problem, and we should try to curb them in our industry.”
