Rising Star Annalia Fraser: “Let’s start a movement to teach self-confidence and self-love in schools from K to 12”
I strongly believe that self-confidence and self-love is very important and I believe it should be taught in schools from kindergarten to grade 12. I believe the education system plays such a tremendous role in children’s lives and that everyone working in schools should model that and encourage it. It is important for people to love/accept themselves before anything because that is how we truly find happiness.
As a part of my interview series with popular culture stars, I had the pleasure of interviewing Annalia Fraser. Annalia is a Canadian actress and model, born on November 24, 2002. She is a middle child, has two brothers and a dog named Mico (mi corason). She loves playing sports, tennis being one of her favorite and spending time with family and friends.
Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
When I was in third grade, my family was ready to get a dog. My parents decided to audition for a TV show called Pick a Puppy. This was my first time being exposed to the entertainment industry. That experience gave me a general understanding of what this industry was like. I fell in love with being on camera and working on set. It was such a fun cast and crew to be around, we all had a great time! I never really pursued my acting until last year when I started training and working on some short, feature and Indie films.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started this career?
When competing in Supermodel Canada our final challenge was to walk the runway in lingerie blindfolded. We all found out about the challenge seconds before going out, I was pretty nervous about it since it was my first time ever walking a runway, but it turned out to be really fun.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The funniest mistake I made was to go to the washroom in between scenes with the mic still on and attached to me. I never did that again!
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
An interesting project I am working on now is a short film I am acting in and directing. I have a love for tennis, so I am really excited I can incorporate my favourite sport into my film. This is my first film and it is a challenging project. I look forward to seeing how it turns out.
Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?
I have met so many and continue to meet interesting and amazing people, there is no way I can list even close to the amount of inspiring individuals. I was lucky to meet Carson MacCormac on the set of Shazam when I was working background. He inspired me to go further with my career and start to really pursue my love for acting. Tim Leyes is my go to photographer and took my first headshots. He is such a great person and I’m so thankful for everything he does. I also met Chelsea Mimms when I competed on Supermodel Canada and she was an inspiration, she believes you should pursue what you love and not worry what others think. That is a great reminder:)
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Make sure to take time for yourself. Even if you love your job, it is always important to find something that relaxes you and from time to time. I love playing tennis and that always makes me feel good. Another tip I would give is not to take anything personally. There is so much rejection and I think understanding that is very important. Take rejection as fuel to get better and not give up.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I strongly believe that self-confidence and self-love is very important and I believe it should be taught in schools from kindergarten to grade 12. I believe the education system plays such a tremendous role in children’s lives and that everyone working in schools should model that and encourage it. It is important for people to love/accept themselves before anything because that is how we truly find happiness.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
1.Be ready to work really hard. My first ever audition I thought I went in prepared but I really wasn’t.
2.Train as much as you can and use your imagination. The more acting classes I take the more my confidence builds, practice is key plus it’s fun hanging around people that share your interests.
3.Have fun and surround yourself with great people. Life is too short to take everything seriously, having fun is relaxing and I think you end up doing a better job, especially if you have people around you that are supportive.
4.It’s ok to make mistakes. Nobody is perfect.
5.If it feels scary/challenging, do it anyway. When I competed in Supermodel Canada, I was very nervous and wasn’t sure I could do it because I had no experience modeling. My parents encouraged me, and I had such an amazing time, met incredible people, learned so much and I realized how much I really love modeling and runway.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
No question, my favorite life lesson quote is “If you never try you will never know”. This is relevant in my life because there are so many times I want to do things but I am scared or nervous because it is out of my comfort zone or I don’t want to make a fool of myself. I have learned to try new things and do things that scare me. Each time I have said yes to something scary, I am rewarded with more opportunities, meet more amazing people and grow more confident.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Both my parents and two brothers are very supportive which I am so grateful for. My mom has always inspired me to do what I love and what makes me happy. She helps me with my auditions and drives me to my shoots which I appreciate so much. She is always very honest with me and I know she will always be by my side through everything. I definitely would not be even close to where I am without her today.
Some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this. 🙂
If I could choose anyone to have breakfast or lunch with it would be Jennifer Lawrence. I admire her versatility and would find getting to know her and her experiences very inspiring.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
All of my social medias are: annaliafraser
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational!