Fly Entertainment Artiste Suhaimi Yusof spills the beans about news satire programme The Noose and new characters in store
By Cheryl Chia
Suhaimi Yusof, who burst onto the scene in 2001 as the funny sidekick of the late Hong Kong comedienne Lydia Sum on the Channel 5 sitcom Living With Lydia, has done fairly well for himself, starring in other local programmes such as Police and Thief, as well as other Malay-language programmes from sister channel Suria.
His impeccable comedic timing has led him to play stereotypical Malay ‘newscaster’ Jojo Joget on The Noose since 2008. We catch up with him to find out what has been going on in the Noose world and what his dreams are.
You are known for your quick wit and humorous roles but what is your dream lead role?
I’ve always wanted an action-packed lead role. You know, the kind where you’re involved in car explosions, helicopter gun fights and yet being funny at the same time. I was definitely inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger. But I guess that has to remain in my dream for now…
Apart from playing Jojo Joget on the Noose, are any new characters in the works for you?
Henderson Pooper, a panicky American-wannabe war correspondent, Mr Kannan, a tongue twister community leader, and a few other never-before-seen characters.
Michelle Chong has since left The Noose. How has that changed the group dynamic on the set?
Well, we kind of miss her too. She’s very fun to be with both on and off camera. Each of us is like a finger on a hand. With one finger missing, you’ll definitely feel the absence. So it’s still functional but a little uncomfortable, I’d say.
You’ve worked with several prominent celebs over the years. Who has inspired you the most?
Gurmit Singh is funny and smart at the same time. Mark Lee is an Ah Beng and a gentleman. My highest admiration is for both of them because they’re very intelligent celebrities and very fun too. I learnt a lot of stuff from these two.
What has been your proudest moment on the job?
Using my income from a successful local comedy DVD production I’ve produced and sold a few years ago, I donated to three poor villages in Indonesia. My tears were rolling down my cheeks when the village orphans were pictured smiling with food in one hand and money in the other. We as celebrities can make a difference to the world.
If you could be a super hero, who would you be and what would be your power?
I want to be the Invisible Man. My super power will be used to beat every immigration department in the world so I can travel anywhere around the world without a passport and visa. Ha ha ha!
What do you do on a typical weekend when you aren’t working?
Playing FIFA 13, and I use Liverpool to beat Manchester United 13-0 over and over again. Yes, I repeat this every weekend I get.
What are your future plans?
To escape and buy a kampong house in a far, remote corner of the world and equip the house with state-of-the-art technology, with food stocked up enough to last me a decade. Away from the hustle and bustle of city life; this is an ultimate retirement plan. Hey, I’m serious.
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