Suriya Reveals Why He Became an Actor: ‘There Were Financial Issues at Home… I Intended to Give My Mom Money’

For Suriya, becoming an actor was never supposed to be a carefully planned career move.

The Tamil superstar recently opened up about the circumstances that pushed him towards cinema, revealing that financial difficulties at home played a major role in his decision to enter the film industry.

Speaking during a conversation involving the cast and crew of his upcoming film Vishwanath and Sons, Suriya recalled how unexpectedly he found himself in front of a camera.

The actor admitted that, unlike his brother Karthi, he never dreamed of becoming an actor.

‘I never knew that I would become an actor’

Suriya’s co-star Radhika Sarathkumar recalled meeting him when he was a young actor and described him as “unbelievably shy”.

She also spoke about being surprised by his transformation in Kaakha Kaakha, saying that there was “no stopping him” after the film.

Responding to her comments, Suriya revealed just how unplanned his entry into acting actually was.

He said he had never imagined becoming an actor and revealed that he only discovered he would be facing the camera five days before it happened.

Unlike actors who undergo extensive preparation before their debut, Suriya said he learned largely through experience on film sets.

“I learnt everything in front of the camera,” he explained.

But there was a more personal reason behind his decision to continue.

‘There were financial issues at home’

Suriya revealed that his family’s financial situation forced him to take acting seriously.

“There were financial issues at home, and I needed to act. I intended to earn and give my mom money at the time,” he said.

What initially began as a practical decision gradually transformed into something much bigger.

Suriya said the affection he received from audiences, even when he made mistakes during his early years, made him realise that acting was no longer simply a way of earning money.

The love from viewers, he explained, created a responsibility to improve and take his craft seriously.

From a shy newcomer to a Tamil superstar

Suriya’s journey from an uncertain newcomer to one of Tamil cinema’s most recognisable stars has been marked by a willingness to experiment.

The actor credited filmmakers who trusted him with different kinds of roles and allowed him to discover his abilities as a performer.

Among the films that proved particularly important to him was Vaaranam Aayiram, a project that helped showcase a different side of his acting.

The film continues to be admired by audiences, and his Vishwanath and Sons co-star Mamitha Baiju also described it as inspiring and one of her favourites.

For Suriya, those opportunities played an important role in transforming acting from an unexpected job into a responsibility he genuinely cared about.

Suriya opens up about missing daughter Diya’s childhood

The actor also became emotional while discussing another aspect of his life — fatherhood.

Suriya admitted that his demanding professional schedule meant he missed important moments during his daughter Diya’s early childhood.

He recalled being extremely busy with work and travel during those initial years and acknowledged that he missed out on a lot of her growing-up years.

However, the birth of his son Dev made him reconsider how he was balancing his career and family.

Suriya said he realised his mistake and consciously tried to become more involved in his son’s childhood.

The revelation offered a rare glimpse into the personal sacrifices that came with his long and demanding acting career.

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‘When Diya was born, I bought our first home’

Suriya also shared a deeply personal memory connected to his daughter’s birth.

He recalled purchasing his family’s first home after Diya was born, connecting the milestone with the traditional belief that the arrival of a daughter brings prosperity to a family.

“We usually say that when a daughter is born, Goddess Lakshmi has come home,” Suriya recalled.

He said that when Diya was born, he bought their first house and the family symbolically had her enter the property first.

The memory remains particularly meaningful for the actor because it connects one of the biggest professional achievements of his life with an important moment in his family journey.

What is Vishwanath and Sons about?

Suriya is now preparing for his next release, Vishwanath and Sons, which is directed by Venky Atluri.

The film features a notable ensemble cast, including Mamitha Baiju, Raveena Tandon and Radhika Sarathkumar alongside Suriya.

With the actor reflecting on his unexpected journey into cinema, the film arrives at an interesting point in his career — one that began not with a childhood dream of becoming a star, but with a very different motivation.

What started as a need to earn money for his family eventually became a career spanning decades, numerous acclaimed performances and an enormous fan following.

Suriya’s story is therefore not simply about becoming an actor. It is about how an unexpected beginning can evolve into a lifelong responsibility — shaped by family, audience affection and the willingness to keep learning.