Conquering Hollywood

I'd rather be a starving artist in LA than a hi-so celeb in Thailand,'' says blueblood actress and model Sara Malakul Lane, who is now carving out a career for herself in Hollywood after success in Thailand.

"I take each day as it comes and do my best and enjoy it. I would rather be a starving artist in LA than be a hi-so celeb in Thailand"

I recently had the chance to talk to the 26-year-old beauty while she was on a three-week vacation in Thailand from Los Angeles. But it's hardly a vacation, as Sara's schedule on the day of our interview is packed with photo shoots. The previous night, she had just flown in from a presenting job in Hua Hin, as well as attending a launch party for the Thai edition of the lads' magazine RALPH on which she graces the cover.

Sara was born in Guam to an English father, Alastair Lane, and a Thai mother, Tuptim Malakul na Ayuthaya, who is a descendant of the Thai royal family. But Sara uses the name Malakul which is synonymous with the Thai royal family.

Being half Thai and half British, Sara has the looks that make her sought after _ both at home and abroad. ''I've been dividing my time between LA and Thailand for two years. This year, I signed a two-year contract with Mark Teitelbaum to star in Hollywood movies, so my mother and I have just bought an apartment in LA and it looks like we can't come back home as often anymore.''

Mr Teitelbaum also manages Megan Fox, the star of the movie Transformers. Sara's acting coach also tutors megastars Will Smith and Michael Woolson.

Her Hollywood career began when she starred in Belly of the Beast opposite Steven Segal. ''The movie was shot in Thailand, so the crew decided to check out the local talent by doing a casting session here. I did the casting around four to five times and got the role,'' she said.

Two weeks later, Sara received a call from the same production company to star in the movie Volcano, in which she played the lead role opposite Chris Martin. Producer Mark Thompson introduced Sara to her current manager during a private dinner in LA.

"It’s very tough [in Hollywood]. You have to find something in yourself that is very unique and different"

''It took me a year to decide whether to go and try my luck in Hollywood. I was scared. I found every excuse in the book not to go. I then remember that somebody once told me to do what you are most scared of, so my mother and I hopped on a plane, bought a car and it turned out to be the best decision ever,'' explained Sara.

It was very fortunate as its ''not every day an executive from Hollywood comes to your door with an offer to represent you''.

However, breaking into Hollywood is not easy. ''There are many actors in LA, and it's harder. There's no guarantee of anything. Here, I can wake up in the morning and I have a job. I earn good money. I have my family and friends.

''It's very tough [in Hollywood]. You have to find something in yourself that is very unique and different. I can sit with a script for six hours for a scene in which you can be filing your nails. I have four different acting coaches for comedy, auditions, drama and scenes. There, it's like training for the Olympics.''

The acting coach she shares with Will Smith, for instance, makes her strut like a chicken in front of other people to help her lose her inhibitions. She may have to crawl around the room like a dog, a cow, or a child. ''Making me feel silly will make me break the ice. I go to both private and classroom tutorials,'' she says.

Sara also models on the side, mostly still shots and some TV commercials, but not to a great extent as acting takes a lot of her time and energy.

''Shooting a movie in Thailand and in LA is pretty much the same thing. The standard is the same, but the market is different. There's a lot of competition in LA. The best of the best come from all over the world hoping to make it in LA. I try not to think about it during a casting to prevent any negative energy.''

Sara also receives the full support of her manager. Not only does he negotiate different contracts for her, but after she does an audition, he tells her what she did right or wrong. ''He finds out from the casting director. Inside information is very important,'' she said.

She has been in the entertainment industry for a total of 10 years and was encouraged by her uncle Piya to start modelling. He was with the popular woman's magazine Dichan at that time, and promised to put Sara on the cover when she ''proves'' to him that she is worthy of making it on her own.

''It took five years to prove myself. I first started with starring in a music video when I was 13-years-old. Thai Rath newspaper then took a picture of me and printed it in the entertainment section,'' she says, recalling that it helped her exposure and led to offers to star in commercials, soap operas and modelling jobs.

It was not easy when she started modelling. ''People didn't understand why I needed the job and the money. They felt I was taking away jobs meant for them.''

Since then, it's hard to calculate how many magazines or commercials she has featured in. ''I have an entire storeroom completely full of them. I can't count them all. I've been on the cover of magazines in Malaysia, Singapore, Milan, India, the US, China, Korea and Thailand.'' She has also starred in six soap operas, four Thai and three foreign movies, with another in pre-production.

So what does the future hold for Sara in Hollywood? ''I take each day as it comes and do my best and enjoy it. I would rather be a starving artist in LA than be a hi-so celeb in Thailand. In LA, it's all about talent and what you have to offer. If you are Steven Spielberg's daughter, people are even stricter with you. Here, if your family owns a big company, it's different.''

She lives near the famous Venice Beach and in her spare time likes to go cycling or for a swim in the ocean. ''If I miss Thailand, all I have to do is go to 'Thai town' so I don't feel too far away from home.

''Thai people are very supportive. If my car breaks down, I can immediately think of five people that I can call. If I crave for som-tum [Thai papaya salad], I can also have it delivered.''

What Sara misses the most is her family. ''I miss my brothers. They are my best buddies, and I can't live without them,'' she says of Alex, 28, and 20-year-old Tony. She also misses massages. ''No massage in LA beats the ones in Thailand,'' she and her mother agree.