Erra Fazira

Erra Fazira
Born	Fazira Wan Chek 9 February 1974 (1974-02-09) Sungai Choh, Rawang, Selangor, Malaysia
Occupation	Actress, Singer, fashion model
Years active	1994 – present
Partner	Yusry bin Abdul Halim (separated/divorced) Engku Emran Engku Zainal Abidin (2007 - present)

Erra Fazira (born Fazira Wan Chek; February 9, 1974) is a Malaysian actress, singer, fashion model, TV Host, film producer, as well as former beauty queen.

She rose to fame in the early/mid 1990s following her roles in Sembilu, Sembilu 2, Maria Mariana and Pasrah. She received critical acclaim and a Malaysia Film Festival award for her portrayal of Nora in the film Hingga Hujung Nyawa. She received another three Malaysia Film Festival award nomination for her performance in Soalnya Siapa?, Persona Non Grata, and Anak.

Early life

Fazira was born in Sungai Choh, a small town in Selangor, Malaysia, the first child and the only daughter of Wan Chek and Azizah Zaik. Her parents were of Chinese origin. Fazira was an actives student during her school days, preferably as to develop her passion of acting, which she showed an interest on it at very early age, has joined many school's clubs and societies such as Scouting, St John Ambulance of Malaysia, English Language Society and Culture Club. She was also an active sports student back then, has represented herself and her school in Netball. She said that the knowledge and socialization that she gained in joining those clubs played an important role in making who she was as Erra Fazira today.

Fazira had went to many different schools and this change of schools was due to things that cannot be avoid to. Fazira had been attending the same secondary school together with her good friend, Umie Aida, at SMK Putri Melawati, Kuala Lumpur.

Career

Early success: 1992; Miss Malaysia beauty pageant

At the age of eighteen, Fazira went to take part in the 1992 Malaysian beauty pageant after being persuaded by her aunt. She went to competing against thirteen other hopeful girls and eventually won the title of Miss Malaysia/World 1992. Even before the initial pageant held its final competition, Fazira has already been a household name as to the bold publicity given by the members of the press, acknowledged Fazira's status as the only Malay girl to compete in the pageant. As Miss Malaysia, Fazira went on to competing in Miss World 1992 pageant, representing Malaysia which was held in Botswana during the same calender year. Even though she didn't win the biggest pageant that year, it was the start of everything for Fazira or soon to be known as Erra Fazira.

Breakthrough: 1994-2000

It is the stardom after being crowned as the Miss Malaysia/World 1992 that gave Erra even bigger opportunity to jump into local entertainment industries. It was the break for Erra when she's got the offer from director, Yusuf Haslam, to star as the lead role in Sembilu. The film opened in cinema on August 18, 1994, and was one of the local box-office hit film grossing over RM4.39 millions during its showing period. The film also marked the first time Erra working together with her then former dating partner, Awie. The film was so successful, Erra's performanced being praises and said as good as the already known, popular, and established actress such as Sofia Jane and Tiara Jacquelina. Other and larger films roles followed, including a sequel of Sembilu, Sembilu 2 the following year. Erra reprised her role as Wati and although with only the same character over two span years of this early career, she's already won many of the Malaysian heart.

From 1996 until 2000, Erra went to starred in 4 Yusuf Haslam's directed films including the portraying of Maria Zakaria in both Maria Mariana and its sequel Maria Mariana 2 films which established her among Malaysia's highest-paid actresses and celebrities. In the 2000s Soal Hati film which Erra starred alongside Afdlin Shauki, where she played the character of Nurul Ain whose in love with Afdlin Shauki's character, Daniel. Daniel is someone with a high education background and rich, fall on the first sight with Nurul Ain when he accidentally bumped into Nurul Ain. He then introduced himself as Ahmad, instead of Daniel, afraid of his background would make Nurul Ain won't befriended with him. But Nurul Ain eventually found out about Ahmad's true identity and felt she was being fool all this while. The film was very well-received by audiences and won, among those awards, the Malaysian Film Festival Award for Best Actress for Erra herself.

2001 - present

Starting 2001, Erra begun to work with many different director for her films including Ahmad Idham's Mr. Cinderella (2002); A. Razak Mohaideen's Cinta Kolestrol (2003) and others. In 2004, Erra went on to starred opposite her then former husband, Yusry bin Abdul Halim, in the 2004 Hingga Hujung Nyawa, one of the four film she starred on directed by Mohaideen. Through this film, Erra once again being awarded the Malaysian Film Festival Award for Best Actress as for the portrayal of Nora Halim in the movie.

2002 also marked the first time Erra making a television appearances in acting for telefilm and hosting her own program show, Fesyen Tempo.

References

• http://www.listal.com/erra-fazira
• http://pageantisland.com/fazira-wan-chek-miss-fotogenic-winner-miss-malaysia-world-1992-contest