Olivia Munn as Sloan Sabbith in The Newsroom.(Courtesy of HBO Asia)

Two weeks ago Asia welcomed The Newsroom'€™s Olivia Munn to Singapore as she came to promote the new season airing on HBO.

The 33-year-old joked about how she wanted to try Singaporean laksa, a curry soup served with rice noodles, and how she landed a role as financial reporter Sloan Sabbith in Aaron Sorkin'€™s work.

'€œI'€™m not a Broadway actress, just some Asian girl who came from YouTube or something. Like I came in the room and they said: '€˜Wait, no, no, she'€™s not from our pedigree'€™,'€ she comically recalled the day auditioning for the role.

She went to casting after finishing NBC comedy series Perfect Couples, in which she got recommended by Tina Fey.

'€I'€™m not a blue blood kind of drama, you know, there are Broadway people and the rest of the world.'€

Born to an American father and Chinese-Vietnamese mother, the Oklahoma-native did not hide the fact that she once was just another face in the crowd. Starting as a co-host in a technology and pop culture show on the G4 cable network, Attack of the Show!, in 2006, it took some time and seasoned appearance on the cover of men'€™s magazines '€” Playboy, Maxim, FHM to Esquire '€” for her to be noticed.

In the technology show, she was known for her wit and sense of humor. Once she dressed up as Star Wars'€™ Prince Leia and another time in French maid and jumped onto a giant cake. She even beatboxed on Access Hollywood Live.

Her light take on everything is not always responded with a laugh. When Comedy Central'€™s The Daily Show with John Stewart took her as a correspondent, she was criticized for only being there for her looks instead of comic chops.

Her portrayal of a smart, sexy and socially awkward journalist in The Newsroom adds more controversy to her image. Although she is praised for making Sloan a strong character, Sorkin is often criticized for bringing up her role, a smart woman who often receives sexist banters because of her looks.

'€œI think that is our society. People are nicer to people they find aesthetically pleasing. People give more attention to people that they find attractive,'€ she said.

Munn said she was struggling to grow up with a step-sister that has blond hair while she is '€œhalf-Chinese with freckles and brown hair'€ and how her teachers and friends were nicer to her sister.

She used to resent her Asian looks as a child. She remembered when she was six, she looked in the mirror '€œjust hating my Chinese eyes, hating that I have freckles, crying because somebody else got more love because they were Western looking'€.

Only when she was 16, and returned to her hometown after being in Japan with her military family, she realized that she could embrace her imperfections. She looked around her humble surroundings and finally fitted in for being not '€œperfect'€.

'€œWe do such a disservice to ourselves when we are mad that something is not the way we want it to be. The world is not fair. It'€™s complicated. You feel so much better when you realize all of the shades that make gray,'€ she said.

Her insecurity about her Asian looks is still with her until today and she always does her own hair and make-up.

Munn refutes the claims that she is not aware of the negativity relating to her sexuality, she said women should not have to apologize for being women.

When she took a role as a stripper in Steven Soderbergh'€™s Magic Mike, she said it was the statement she tried to get across. '€œSometimes when a woman has to be sexual she has to apologize. I want [the character] to not apologize for it.'€

The same is for her Sloan character. Munn said she wanted Sloan to wear a fitted suit, not something that is covering up in a way that she'€™s apologizing for being a woman. '€œI want her to flaunt her femininity.'€

With such blend of insecurity and bravery, Munn continues her journey in Hollywood.

She currently lives in Los Angeles where The Newsroom is filmed and during her spare time she loves riding her Triumph Bonneville T100 motorcycle with a full face helmet.

'€œIt'€™s amazing because when you ride a motorcycle and for a woman to control something that big and that powerful,'€ she said, '€œwhen you ride a motorcycle, you have to know how to control it. You have to control gears and make everything work. You have to become one with the motorcycle.'€

'€œIt'€™s such a powerful feeling to know that you can operate that kind of machinery.'€

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