Syamsul Yusof facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Syamsul Yusof
شمس اليوسف‎
Syamsul interviewed in MeleTOP in 2016.
Born	Mohd Syamsul bin Mohd Yusof (1984-05-21) 21 May 1984 (age 41) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Occupation	Actor film director writer producer rapper singer
Years active	1998–present
Spouse(s)	Puteri Sarah Liyana ​ ​ (m. 2014; div. 2023)​ Ira Kazar ​ ​ (m. 2023; div. 2024)​
Children	2
Parents	Datuk Yusof Haslam (father) Datin Fatimah Ismail (mother)
Relatives	Syafiq Yusof (brother) Faizal Yusof (half-brother) Rizal Ashreff (cousin) Sabrina Ali (cousin)
Awards	Best Director (FFM)
Musical career
Genres	Hip hop pop nasheed
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2012–present
Associated acts	Mawi, Dato' AC Mizal, Shuib Sepahtu

Mohd Syamsul Mohd Yusof (born 21 May 1984) is a famous Malaysian actor, film director, writer, producer, rapper, and singer. He is the son of well-known producer and director Yusof Haslam. Syamsul became the youngest director to win the Best Director award at the Malaysian Film Festival when he was just 25 years old.

He has won the Best Director award six times at the Malaysian Film Festival and Anugerah Skrin. He was also named Best Director at the 57th Asia Pacific Film Festival in Cambodia for his horror film Munafik. In 2018, its sequel, Munafik 2, became the highest-grossing Malaysian film ever at that time. Later, his 2022 epic war film, Mat Kilau, broke that record.

Early Life and Family Background

Syamsul Yusof was born on 21 May 1984 and grew up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He comes from a family deeply involved in the film industry. His father, Yusof Haslam, is a very famous director.

His brother, Syafiq Yusof, is also a well-known film director. Many of his relatives, including his cousins Rizal Ashreff and Sabrina Ali, and his half-brother Faizal Yusof, are actors and TV drama directors. Syamsul studied film, TV broadcasting, and journalism at the Malaysia Institute of Integrative Media (MIIM).

Syamsul Yusof's Film Career

Starting as a Director and Actor

From 2003 to 2007, Syamsul Yusof directed and acted in many TV series. These included popular shows like Gerak Khas, Sembilu Kasih, Air Mata Maria, and Tragedi Oktober for Malaysian TV channels.

In 2007, he directed his first feature film, Evolusi KL Drift. He co-wrote the script with his cousin, Rizal Ashreff. His father first rejected the script, asking for changes. After revisions, the film was approved with a budget of RM 1.35 million.

Despite being new to directing and feeling pressure to maintain his family's reputation, Evolusi KL Drift was very popular when it came out on 3 April 2008. The film's success opened the door for him to direct many more movies.

Directing Award-Winning Films

After his first successful movie, Syamsul directed Bohsia: Jangan Pilih Jalan Hitam. This film faced some challenges due to its title and other issues, but it still became a success. He then directed the sequel to Evolusi KL Drift, which was released on 25 March 2010. This film was also a big hit and earned him the Best Director award at the 23rd Malaysia Film Festival.

In 2011, Syamsul directed his first horror film called Khurafat: Perjanjian Syaitan. He also starred in it alongside Liyana Jasmay. The movie was released on 13 January 2011 and earned RM 8 million, which surprised many in the film industry. Critics praised his first attempt at a horror film.

That same year, he also directed KL Gangster. He was very careful during its production. This film earned almost RM 12 million, which was twice what his father's film Sembilu II achieved. KL Gangster also won him the Best Director award at the 24th Malaysia Film Festival for the second year in a row.

He then directed Aku Bukan Tomboy, his first comedy film, released on 17 November 2011. This was followed by Jalan Kembali: Bohsia 2 and KL Gangster 2. After a three-year break, Syamsul returned with his film Munafik, released in February 2016.

Later in 2016, he acted as Aiman, a character with mental health challenges, in the mystery science fiction film Desolasi. This film was directed by his brother Syafiq Yusof. Syamsul also appeared in the romantic biographical film Makrifat Cinta, released in February 2018.

Music and Future Projects

Syamsul also enjoys making music. He released an EP (a short album) called The Love Legacy with Anwar Fazal. It included songs like "Bidadari" and "Apakah Semuanya Itu," which was used in Evolusi KL Drift 2.

In 2016, he released a new song, "Kalah Dalam Menang," with singer Mawi. This song became the theme for his film Munafik. They continued to work together on other songs, like "Bukan Propaganda," used in Desolasi.

In October 2020, Syamsul announced on Instagram that he was writing the script for Munafik 3, the next film in the Munafik series. He also plans to direct and produce a new horror film called Khawarij with Astro Shaw. This will be their first time working together on a film he directs.

Personal Life and Family

Syamsul married actress Puteri Sarah Liyana Megat Kamaruddin on 8 March 2014. They have two children together: a son named Syaikhul Islam (born 2017) and a daughter named Sumayyah (born 2019).

On 16 January 2023, Puteri Sarah went to the Syariah Court to end her marriage with Syamsul. This was because he had secretly married Ira Kazar, the daughter of veteran actor Kazar Saisi, in Thailand on 6 January 2023. Syamsul later divorced Ira Kazar on 5 September 2024.

Filmography

Films Syamsul Yusof Worked On

Year	Title	Credited as				Role	Notes
		Actor	Director	Writer	Producer
1998	Maria Mariana II					Bridesmaids	First film appearance
2005	Gila-Gila Pengantin Popular					Ijam
2008	Evolusi KL Drift					Zack	His first time directing and writing a film
2009	Bohsia: Jangan Pilih Jalan Hitam					Muz
2010	Evolusi KL Drift 2					Zack	Won Best Director at Malaysia Film Festival
2011	Khurafat: Perjanjian Syaitan					Johan
	KL Gangster					Shark	Won Best Director at Malaysia Film Festival
	Aku Bukan Tomboy					Burn
2012	Jalan Kembali: Bohsia 2					Muz
	SAM: Saya Amat Mencintaimu					Jefri
2013	Gangster Celop					Adam
	KL Gangster 2					Shark
	Oh Mak Kau!					Lutfan
2014	Abang Long Fadil					Shark / Zack / Mus
2016	Mat Moto					Mus	Small appearance
	Munafik					Ustaz Adam	Won Best Director at Malaysia Film Festival and Asia Pacific Film Festival
	Desolasi					Aiman
2017	Abang Long Fadil 2					Inspector Wahab
2018	Makrifat Cinta					Mahathir
	KL Special Force					Asyraff
	Munafik 2					Ustaz Adam
2022	Mat Kilau					—
2025	The Original Gangster					Don	In post-production
	Khawarij					Adam	In pre-production

Television Series Syamsul Yusof Appeared In

Year	Title	Credited as			Role	TV channel	Notes
		Actor	Director	Producer
2005–2007	Sembilu Kasih				Syamsul	TV3
2007	Airmata Maria				Johan
2008	Farah Syakira				Syamil	TV2
2009	Cik Ah Cik Nin					Astro Prima
	Gerak Khas (Season 11)				Syamil	TV2	Episode: "Diburu Along"
2011	Khurafat: The Series				—	Astro Ria	Story
2012	Tanah Kubur (Season 4)				Malek	Astro Oasis	Episode: "Bunga Haram"
	Ameera				Ameer	TV3
2012–2013	Evolusi KL Drift: The Series				Zack	TV2
2014–2018	Gerak Khas				Supt. Jefri		Also co-producer
2018	Sejadah Untuk Dia				—	Astro Oasis	Original idea
2021	Ramadani				Tuan Rahmat	TV3
2021–2022	Gerak Khas Undercover				—		As co-producer

Telemovies Syamsul Yusof Appeared In

Year	Title	Credited as			Role	TV channel
		Actor	Director	Producer
2009	Maisara				Mus	Astro Prima
2012	Asmara Beijing				Rizal	Astro Citra

Television Shows Syamsul Yusof Appeared In

Discography

EPs (Extended Plays)

• "The Love Legacy" (2012; with Dr. Anwar Fazal)

Singles

• "Kalah Dalam Menang" (2016; featuring Mawi)
• "Bukan Propaganda" (2016; featuring Mawi)
• "Senorita" (2017; featuring Dato' AC Mizal & Shuib Sepahtu)
• "Selamat Tinggal Masa" (2018; featuring Black)
• "Menangislah" (2018; featuring Mawi)
• "Satu Kalimah" (2020)
• "GK Undercover" (2021)

Awards and Nominations