Catching up with Sara Malakul Lane

LA-based, English/Thai model and actress Sara Malakul Lane has been a good friend of somethingyousaid.com for a while now. We first interviewed her last year and she has since gone on to contribute to the site. It’s been an exciting 2014 for Sara, with various movie projects gaining cult followings and this month she appeared on the cover of Playboy Thailand, so we thought it was high time we caught up with her for a chat:

Hello Sara! Congratulations on being on the cover of Playboy Thailand this month! Can you talk us through the process of appearing in Playboy? How did the opportunity come about? Do you get to have an input as to who photographs you and the aesthetic of the shoot?
Playboy Thailand is a fairly new addition to the Playboy brand. It’s a little bit of a bait and switch tease though as I do not do the nude centrefold thing. The photographs are super sexy though and I am very happy with the way they turned out. The editor of Playboy (Valent D. Soisuvarn) is a good friend of mine and he approached me to do the cover. Playboy is such an iconic brand and I have always wanted to collaborate with them.

So it didn’t take much consideration to decide whether to do it or not? It was an easy decision to say yes?
It was an easy decision. Like I said, I’ve always dreamed of being on the cover and the team they chose included my favourite photographer who has been shooting me since I was 14-years-old so we were very comfortable with each other.

You also spent some time at the Playboy mansion earlier this year, didn’t you? How was that as an experience? Fun? Surreal?
My time at the Playboy mansion, funnily enough, was nothing to do with Playboy. It was actually a campaign for a clothing brand and the owner was good friends with Hefner so they shot at his house. I was most disappointed that he didn’t come down the stairs in a bathrobe with a cigar and two bunnies though (apparently he was out of town).

What else are you working on at the moment? You always seem to be doing about a million projects at once…
This year I did a total of three features, I am hoping to squeeze one more in before 2014 wraps out – keeping my fingers crossed.

When last we spoke, you had just finished filming Jailbait (pictured, below), which has since been released. You must be delighted with the positive reception it has received from fans…
Yes, the reception for Jailbait has been great – it definitely has its hardcore fans and has become somewhat of a cult hit. We put everything into that movie so I am glad it found its audience.

You were also in Buddy Hutchins this year, which was another very tough movie. You’re always getting beaten or attacked in your films! Do you ever yearn to be in a gentle rom-com or something?
I would love to do a rom-com. Although I think I have found my niche in the horror/thriller genre. I enjoy doing all the crazy stuff. My real life is kind of like a gentle romantic comedy so I enjoy getting tied up and beaten in my work – it makes life a lot more interesting.

How was working with Jamie Kennedy in Buddy Hutchins?
Jamie Kennedy is an amazing actor – we actually graduated from the same acting school (Joanne Baron/DW Brown) and had the exact same teacher, Tom Patton, who is one of the best and the toughest there is. So we kind of bonded over that and shared some stories.

What philosophies do you live your life by?
I am fairly conservative in my personal life so I like to take risks when it comes to work. I enjoy structure, routine and discipline but on the other side of the coin I like to be a little dangerous, so I build a box and go wild in it (I think Dustin Hoffman came up with that concept but I am not 100 percent sure).

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
Exactly where I am now, but more evolved, wiser, smarter, a little less on edge.

What are you going to do now that you’ve finished this interview?
I am about to shower, drink some mulled wine, watch a little CNN and go to sleep. Life is good.

If you don’t already, you should definitely keep up to date with everything Sara has got going on by following her incredibly popular Instagram page. 

Interview by Bobby Townsend. For photo credits click the individual picutres.