Actress Harissa Adlynn recalls past financial struggle and how it made her stronger
Harissa Adlynn sees herself as a soft-spoken and sensitive woman.

But just because she is gentle at heart does not mean she is incapable of facing adversity.

The singer-actress was 16 when her parents separated and she was left financially struggling with her mum.

It was so bad to the point they could not afford proper meals and had to live in a guest house since they had nowhere else to go.

“It was the darkest period of my life,” Harissa told StarLifestyle.

“I moved schools after Form 3 since the tuition fees at private school were too high.

“There were many days when I felt upset, but I was determined to stay strong for my mum because she was already feeling low due to the situation with my dad.”

And then Covid-19 happened.

Although the global pandemic cast a shadow over millions, a glimmer of hope emerged for Harissa when her mum secured a well-paying marketing job.

Harissa's trials have taught her to never give up on hope and faith. Photo: ART CHEN/The Star“The boss was very generous in paying his staff.

“He even provided my mum with a company car to get around after the lockdown. A lot of miracles happened that time,” she said.

Through these trials, Harissa – who turns 21 next month – became stronger. She also gained a few life lessons.

“I learned that if I can go through this, I can go through anything,” she said.

“This incident taught me to never give up and to always hold strong onto faith because God can give blessings at any moment.

“It also taught me to be more grateful for what I have today – that I can wake up, have eyes to see, legs to walk.

“It is so easy to take simple things like these for granted when there are many who consider it a blessing.”

But not every aspect of Harissa’s childhood is riddled with darkness. The young artiste enjoyed a rather fulfilling life before her parents separated.

Harissa started dancing when she was five, a skill that took her to many dance competitions worldwide – including in the United States, Russia and Vietnam.

In school, she did public speaking, cheerleading, charity work, dancing and singing. She was also a prefect and top student.

“I love trying new things and would always try to get myself involved in whatever activities I can.

“I also love performing and being in front of an audience.

“I started playing guitar when I was nine and later began writing my own songs,” she said.

In 2017, Harissa released her debut song Aku Sayang Kamu for the drama Wanita Terindah.

Other tracks she has worked on include Metafor and more recently, Desert Bloom, which she wrote for the people of Palestine.

Harissa’s music career allowed her to build connections with various people in the industry – including her current manager, who later offered her a role in the 2022 drama Julia’s Secret Recipe.

From there, she started receiving more acting offers and has since starred in shows like Ash & Aish (2022), Bawah Blok (2023), Diva Seroja (2023) and more.

Her latest drama Iskandar Chempaka sees her playing a young woman who is determined to win the approval of her mother-in-law.

As a newcomer in the film scene, Harissa is set on making her mark in the industry.

1. What are the pressures you face as a newcomer in the film industry and how do you deal with them

There is a lot of competition in this industry and as someone who is still new, the pressure to do well is high.

But the big challenge for me is differentiating between my real life and character’s persona. Someone once told me that there are actors who do not know how to differentiate between the two and end up losing themselves.

I did not think of it as an issue until last year when I started getting more “crying” roles.

All my characters were very depressing. I had to film like three to four crying scenes each day and that started affecting me in real life.

After a long day's work, Harissa will wind down by making music or playing with her cats. Photo: AZMAN GHANI/The StarI also suffer from anxiety which would sometimes cause me to faint on set. I started having anxiety when I was in Form 4 and it worsened after my dad passed away two years ago.

After my last drama Iskandar Chempaka, I realised that I cannot wait until the last day of shooting to throw my character out the window. I needed to prioritise my health.

So whenever filming wraps up now, I will go home, train my brain to stop stressing over my characters and go back to doing the things I love like making music and playing with my cats.

I also try to surround myself with the friends I made before I started acting so I will not be left alone to my thoughts or keep thinking about work.

2. You excelled in both academics and co-curricular activities in school. If you weren’t an artiste today, what would you be doing?

I took pure science when I was in secondary school and was interested in becoming a forensic pathologist.

But that takes many years of studying (one must complete at least 12 years of school and training to become board certified in forensic pathology, according to the University of Health of Medicine and Health Sciences), and I do want to get married and have kids once I have a stable career.

So if I was not singing or acting, I might be doing psychology with a focus on children because I love kids or maybe even marine biology because I love animals.

I also love the beach and sea a lot because I surf as well.

3. How did your love for surfing come about?

I was seven years old when I started surfing.

My grandma is from Kuantan and lives an hour away from Cherating.

There was this one time my parents brought me to Cherating after visiting her and when they arrived at the beach, they saw many people surfing there and encouraged me to try it out.

Harissa started surfing when she was seven. Photo Harissa Adlynn/InstagramSince I was the type of kid who enjoyed trying new things, I was all up for it. I ended up loving it so much and would go to Cherating at least twice a year to surf.

But I have not been able to do that lately because of work. I am hoping that I can find some free time this year to return to Cherating because that place is like a second kampung to me.

I had many surfing instructors who later became like family to me.

4. On your Instagram, it is evident that you do lots of charity work. Is there a cause you are particularly passionate about?

To be honest, it is hard to pick just one because I always try to be the most passionate version of myself with every charity work I do.

I would say that I am passionate about every single cause because different people have different hardships in life.

Every year during Ramadan, I would help out at the old folks home, childcare institutions and donate to those who are sick, disabled or in need.

I would give out food and supplies to homeless people at Jalan Chow Kit too.

5. With Hari Raya just around the corner, what are you looking forward to most?

I am looking forward to wearing my first Baju Raya of the year because every Raya, I would order one that is custom-made for me.

My mum plays a big part in determining what I wear, so it is she who actually decides how my Baju Raya should look like. I am just excited to put it on and take photos in it.

I am also looking forward to spending time with loved ones and of course, enjoying the food – especially lemang because we only have it on special occasions.
According to the 20-year-old, she and her mother could not afford proper meals and had to live in a guest house since they had nowhere else to go.