Congrats, Deanna Zachary

Malaysian actress-singer Deanna Yusoff now wants to be known as Deanna Zachary. But that's because of an image revamp rather than due to any wedding bells which were thought to have rung.

She revealed that her name change earlier this month was partly inspired by her upcoming supporting role in the new romantic movie I Do.

Principal photography and main casting on the Singapore-Malaysia-US collaboration will begin later this year, and it's scheduled for a February 2013 release.

The 45-year-old, who has a Malay father and Swiss mother, told The New Paper: "That explains all the SMSes I've gotten congratulating me on my 'new marriage'!

"I've wanted a new image for some time now.

"My father's name is Zacharia, and when I learnt that I would get to go to Los Angeles to film my scenes for I Do, I thought that being known as Zachary rather than Yusoff would make it easier for international audiences to accept me.

"At the same time, Zachary is still very much a name that's been a meaningful part of my life, so it still represents me, in a manner of speaking."

She added: "I've been taking a break for the last few years because I needed to take a step back and recharge myself, re-think what I wanted to accomplish in life.

"The generation that grew up with me will now see a more mature and experienced Deanna."

One area in which she has definitely become more confident is her love life.

She said: "Speaking from personal experience, when it comes to falling in love, women tend to give too much with no thought as to how a relationship should be reciprocal.

"As a result, they may end up disappointed and feeling empty, even betrayed when the relationship doesn't match up to their expectations.

"I've made that mistake before, and thankfully I now make sure that both parties are equally committed and share the same philosophies in a relationship.

"It sounds so simple, but it's not something someone can tell you - you have to learn it for yourself."

Deanna coyly pantomimed zipping up her mouth when asked about her current relationship.

She would only reveal that she has been dating her current beau for a few years and that he's not in the film or media industry.

Deanna said: "I respect his privacy and don't want him to be exposed to the media. "Having privacy is one key aspect of making a relationship work."

The business of love

She also revealed that working on I Do was refreshing for her, as it didn't represent her idea of an average Hollywood love story.

"It meaningfully explores the theme of what extent people will go to for love, independent of setting. People will go to great lengths when they're driven by love, I can tell you that," she said with a laugh.

A similar sort of drive had seen Deanna set up her premium chocolate business, Artisanal Asia, which ships the Swiss Grandjean chocolates direct to consumers.

She said: "It's a whole different ball game to manage a real hands-on business."

And with the momentum of managing her own business and a "second wind" behind her acting career, Deanna is moving forward full-steam once again.

She said: "I used to be insecure and uncertain about my status as an artiste, and many people actually told me that they feared for my career.

"I'm very excited about going to the US to film (for I Do), and finally getting accepted as an international actress.

"Moving past the big 4-0 isn't a hindrance for me because I don't feel or act my age - I've still got it as an actress!"

This article was first published in The New Paper.