A Little Beauty, Alotta Jacky

Thursday, January 14, 2016 Unknown 0 Comments

Many years ago while working on set, I met a young lady by the name of Jacky Lai. Her energy was infectious and no matter how early or late we worked until, her smile beamed through like a shot of RedBull. I had the privilege of painting her perfectly symmetrical face and would always look forward to our talks, ranging from current events to philosophy, artistry to religion, sometimes forgetting this young woman was nearly twenty years of age. She always had this fascinating understanding of people and the light heartedness of a child. There was always something so very special about this lady that I never really could pinpoint. Years later I finally understood why it wasn’t a particular ‘specialness’ but rather her whole being – the universality of who she is and when she loved something, especially acting, she could make you fall in love with it too.

What really connected us to each other is our Vietnamese background and our love for all things creative. We are both artists with a dreamer mentality and a crazy work ethic rooted from immigrant upbringing. We can laugh at all things big and small yet sit across an oval table and discuss business affairs. Our artistry is one that revolves around beauty and the portrayal of it. Me, being behind the camera and her, in front, shared similar struggles but had different ways of dealing with and accepting it.

Jacky spoke about how beauty can hinder your chances of booking projects, being too pretty to be believable, not pretty enough to lead, big head, thick thighs, too Asian, and not Asian enough. “You can never win because beauty is a bias, opinionated matter and so it comes down to you and only you. See that beauty inside, love the not-so-beautiful and that too will be an asset.”

When I watched Jacky perform, you can tell that this is what she was born to do. The joy, the focus, the passion, it felt like God was sprinkling magic in the air. She left the room silent and I for one, was holding my breath. At that point I knew that beauty came from the love of life and pride in what you do. The world cant break you, words cant phase you, and the strength in seeing beauty within yourself and the work you give to the world is the most beautiful gift of all.

I know that for many years to come, Jacky will shine light to this belief wherever she goes. Her exceptional talent will resonate long after you’ve watched her on screen. She is a star in the making and I am so excited for others to recognize her abilities. Along with crazy special talent, is a strong, beautiful young woman.

All the best to our Canadian star and her future endeavors.