KUALA LUMPUR – An up-and-coming local actor has described his tumultuous journey, from sleeping rough on the streets in his youth to debuting on the silver screen this week.
Michael Lean Chien Er, better known by his stage name Kael, is all set to celebrate his first cinematic appearance in the recently released ‘Mar Rak.’
Though Kael now appears well-groomed to the point he could easily be mistaken for someone raised in an affluent neighbourhood, the reality is that he hails from the school of hard knocks.
Life on the streets
Born on May 11, 1989, in Klang, Kael has a diverse background, with a mix of Chinese, Peranakan, and Siamese ancestry.
His early life was marked by immense hardships. A parent’s mental illness and his family’s disintegration forced him to face a world where he had nothing, and he often found himself roaming the sidewalks of Kuala Lumpur.
At the age of eight, one of his parents brought him to Kuala Lumpur in search of a better life. However, the broken family’s financial instability led to a life of constant displacement and uncertainty, and eventually, Kael’s abandonment altogether.
“My family was broken,” Kael told Scoop when met recently.
“I slept at the bus stop alone for almost two weeks,” Kael recounts. “(After a parent came back) We managed to find a motel to stay in, but we got kicked out from three different motels.”
These difficult years saw Kael living on the fringes of society, surviving on the streets, and often going without food. Prior to his homelessness, he was even subjected to physical abuse by a relative.
“I was abandoned for a year in the hotel,” Kael said.
“After weeks went by, the hotel employees kept knocking on my door, but I was scared. They needed to vacate the room because they needed to rent it out to others, but they (the employees) brought food often.”
The kindness of a stranger eventually led Kael to a glimmer of hope.
“Eventually, in the Petaling Street area, there was a chicken rice shop and an ‘uncle’ who ran the place and whose niece was concerned about me,” he explains.
“The niece believed I was abandoned and so she brought me to a nice café in UDA Ocean, and I ate like no one’s business.”
This compassionate act introduced Kael to a new chapter in his life. It was the beginning of a family bond that would alter the course of his life.
“She brought a friend who brought me back to her home, and her mother became my foster mother,” Kael said. “And she eventually became my foster sister.”
Growing up in an orphanage
One year later, his foster family went through some financial issues, so out of concern for his well-being, Kael was sent to an orphanage in Yayasan Sunbeams Home in Ampang, where he grew up from the age of nine to 17.
The orphanage, while providing stability, also offered Kael valuable opportunities for personal growth.
“It was a good home that trained me and sent me to music school,” he said.
“I took my guitar rock school of music until grade 5, and it was sponsored by Bentley Music. They sent me to football training by First Touch academy, and a lot of leadership camps.”
The nurturing environment allowed Kael to develop his talents and build a strong foundation for the future.
Determined to transform his life, Kael pursued tertiary education in Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman (KTAR) where he studied social science, counselling, and psychology.
“It helped me to approach my own self and my life in a proper manner. So I managed to graduate with a diploma around 2006 and 2007.”
No business like show business
Kael’s journey took another fortunate turn when he decided to embark on a career in entertainment. He began working with an agency that collaborated with the orphanage that he grew up in.
Gradually, he made a name for himself in the music industry, first with his indie rock band, the Marquee, and later as a solo artist.
Aside from his entertainment career, Kael also runs his own company GIMM Events doing events and entertainment production.
“Finally in 2016, I left the company and started my own thing and went full on with singing in a solo career,” Kael says.
This bold step marked the beginning of his ascent in the commercial music and entertainment industry.
He released several Malay singles, including Original Sound Tracks (OSTs) for dramas and films.
His latest endeavour, ‘Mar Rak’ produced by Pentas Wayang Production, was released on Thursday (November 2).
The film tells a compelling tale of secret love between two individuals, Krasem and Rashida, who must overcome the obstacles of religious and ethnic differences.
Kael’s role in the movie represents a significant milestone in his career, one that he eagerly accepts as a foundation for greater success.
Kael explained that the Datuk TS Jeffry-directed movie, featuring cast members Shatirah Amanda, Nina KSC, and Dyvianna James, contains elements of Manora, the traditional Siamese theatrical, musical dance performance originating from southern Thailand.
“I was quite anxious because I don’t have any traditional dance background, but I told myself to take up this offer because this will definitely be a stepping stone for me. So I challenged myself. I’m not a Kelantanese so I challenged myself to learn the ‘kecek’ (dialect) in one month.”
“I said ‘yes’ and took up the offer to act in the movie because at that time it was right after the pandemic, and this was clearly an opportunity for me to rise up to the occasion.”
‘Mak Rak’ is now playing in cinemas nationwide. – November 4, 2023