Cover Timur Gabriel (Photography: Daniel Adams)
Timur Gabriel (Photography: Daniel Adams)
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The Malaysian actress opens up about her success as a sketch comedian online and how she is ready to take on new roles in TV and film
You may recognise Timur Gabriel from her one-year stint on The 8TV Quickie, a daily short-form variety show she hosted alongside Mark O' Dea and Jenn Chia until 2016. But it is more likely you have come across her on Instagram and TikTok, where she regularly goes viral with relatable comedy skits about Malaysians travelling abroad.
Life in the limelight is not an unfamiliar experience for Gabriel, whose father is Malaysian vocalist Datuk Zainal Abidin, but up until The 8TV Quickie, it was mostly unwelcome due to the intense scrutiny over her parents' divorce. “The 8TV Quickie was my first proper exposure to the film and entertainment industry. I was studying psychology and business management when I was cast and even then, I knew I wanted a fresh start; I didn't want to be known as my father's daughter. I chose to take my mother's name and to become Timur Gabriel,” she says.
When she began exploring acting as a career, Gabriel quickly realised that the industry in Malaysia at the time was not ready to accept her as she was: “I wasn't fair-skinned or skinny; I didn't meet any of their requirements to be an actress.” She distinctly remembers receiving a comment from the public, suggesting that she had “muka macam Miss Universe, badan macam Mr Universe” (a beautiful face with the body of a man).
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Disheartened by her career trajectory, or lack thereof, she decided to pack it up and move to Germany with an opportunity to pursue a master's degree at Humboldt University in Berlin. “I know it sounds unbelievable but I had never left Malaysia before this. I could never afford it,” she shares. There, Gabriel put her acting aspirations on the back burner and got a run-of-the-mill job as the social media manager at a German online fashion retailer.
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“It all changed when Crazy Rich Asians came out in 2018,” she says. “I saw Henry Golding, a young actor from my country, making it big in Hollywood and realised I may have a shot on the international stage too.” She began submitting her profile, which included a self-penned monologue, Modern Malay, about her experience navigating Malaysia's rigid societal standards, to talent agencies.
Gabriel was soon approached by her current manager and signed to Buchwald, one of the leading talent agencies in the world. “I trained for two months with acting coach Adrian Castilla, and they started submitting my tapes to every single audition. I was auditioning for roles in TV shows and films by the biggest production studios,” she shares.
Her acting career was gaining momentum but it all came to a grinding halt when the pandemic hit with severe impact to the film and TV industry. She recalls her frustration as auditions and callbacks became more infrequent: “I felt like it was another chance that was taken away as quickly as it was given to me.”
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Then, almost by accident, Gabriel found herself a new gig in online comedy skits earlier this year. “I saw a video online about a foreign girl making fun of Malaysian-flavoured crisps and it really irritated me, so I stitched myself reacting to it and it blew up,” she laughs. “When that happened, I realised that I never got into comedy. And it was a great way to lean into writing and acting. So, I decided to try something different.”
With millions of views on her videos, she credits the time spent at her day job for her continued success on Instagram and TikTok. “Over the years, I've learned about all the elements that go into social media beyond content creation. I was able to hone in on that skill, whether it's reading the comments or looking at the analytics, to really understand what my audience wants to see,” she says.
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Gabriel also notes how she has tapped into a new audience in Malaysia, one that is less critical of her background, looks and choices. “With comedy, we're all just here to laugh. The focus is taken away from who I am, what I'm wearing, all of that. Instead, the responses are purer, more loving.”
She reflects on her newfound success online, concluding, “At the end of the day, the work that I do on Instagram and TikTok is to serve the purpose of acting."
And there has been a positive shift in how she is perceived by directors and casting directors in recent months, as they are able to see her range. “They have even asked me to audition with my Malay accent, which I used in some of my videos,” she says.
As she continues to tirelessly work towards her next big break, Gabriel can count on her new online community for support as her acting career continues to pick up, with a guest-starring role on Paramount+ TV series One Trillion Dollar launching in the latter half of 2023 and a film slated for release in 2024.
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Based in Kuala Lumpur, Zue Wei Leong is the senior style writer at Tatler Malaysia. Read her stories on the latest in fashion, beauty and jewellery or follow her on Instagram at @fshnbrnr.
