Masiela Lusha – The Living Air

By starrymag | November 5, 2016

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) The producers of Sharknado 4 offered me the role of Renee in this movie called Forgotten Evil. For me as an actress (and many actresses in this business) the biggest reward is doing a film that feels like art. The story is about a girl trying to find her identity. I feel like many of us have a phase in our lives where we just feel like hurt and we have to relearn how to love ourselves. This was her journey and it was one of the most rewarding experiences because it feels in some capacity like it could heal. It healed me and I hope that it can heal the audience with the film.

Q) What did the Sharknado producers see in you that made them feel you were right for Forgotten Evil?

A) To this day, I don’t quite understand the connection between Sharknado 4 and Forgotten Evil. There isn’t any overlapping characteristics between Gemini and Renee, but I guess they saw something. I guess they must have seen some vulnerability. I think despite battling sharks that Gemini has this underlying sensitivity. I think that’s what they pulled into Renee and it was so much fun. Talk about a rewarding piece of art! It is one of the most rewarding experiences I have had, emotionally and physically.

Q) Where did you connect with Gemini from Sharknado 4?

A) In Sharknado, I felt the greatest connection with wanting to right any injustice. I think a lot of us carry that as we don’t like to see injustice and that’s what I directly and immediately connected with Gemini. She was introduced in Sharknado 4 so she was a blank slate. She wasn’t built yet so as we were filming the director, Anthony C. Ferrante, and I sat down and basically wrote out the character. First, she was introduced as a family friend and then she was a cousin and then she was a babysitter and then we finally established her as a member of the Shepard family. Through that journey we were able to develop her to be seen as a person and that came as wanting to right any wrong and fight for injustice and wanting to make sure everyone was safe, especially her family, as a core value.

Q) What kind of stunt work did you have to do for the film?

A) When I was offered the role as Gemini, I cancelled all my travel plans and within 48 hours I was on set. So, I didn’t really process what kind of stunts they would expect from me. There was one particular stunt that everyone (the writers, producers and actors) decided was something I wouldn’t be able to do, which was jumping off the Stratosphere Hotel. I kept hearing that I wasn’t able to do it and would have a stunt double. And the more I kept hearing that the more I felt encouraged that I was actually going to be able to do it. I said that I would jump whenever they were ready and as many times as they needed. At four o’clock in the morning I found myself on top of the Stratosphere Hotel looking down because that is what the director wanted. Initially, I planned to look straight forward so I wouldn’t feel dizzy or nauseated, but he said he needed me to really look down and study the landscape. He told me to take a deep breath, jump and not scream. You have to love it! I just went into automatic mode and jumped. I did it a few times. I think that was probably the best experience of the stunt portion of my acting career.

Q) Did that inspire you to want to do future stunt work?

A) I hear Sharknado 5 is in the works. So, we’ll see what kind of stunts they will throw Gemini’s way if she is a part of that. We’ll see. It is such a great set and a real family. Initially, I was apprehensive to step into a franchise where everyone knew each other and had worked together so long that they had become family members. I was apprehensive entering that family unit. I immediately felt their connection as friends beyond the film, but they brought me in. I think it will be an even better experience next time around if Sharknado 5 comes to fruition.

Q) What do you think it is about the Sharknado series that makes it such a fan favorite?

A) I think people love the family orientation to it and that it is so unapologetic fun. We’re breaking all the rules and we love doing it. I think people can relate to that.

Q) What was it like working with these amazing stars from pop culture?

A) They were definitely a part of some of my memories as a child. They are a part of the fabric of my memories. I was surprised how immediately welcomed I felt. They immediately made me feel welcome. I have to say, I’ve never met Tara Reid before and I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect with any of the actors, but I have come to adore her. I consider her my sister. I think she is one of the most authentic actresses in the industry. She has been incredibly supportive and is incredibly supportive on set. I just love working with her. Ian Ziering is an immaculate professional. He was the first one on set and the last one to leave. He didn’t even complain once. Especially since I grew up with him in my mind, I was really concentrated on watching him to see how to work. I adored every moment I was on set with them. Anthony, the director, basically carried the film because we wrote so many portions of Sharknado while we were filming and a lot of it was improvised. By day three he lost his voice because he needed to motion that sharks were coming and scream in order to encourage us. He really dove far beyond what a director would do just to keep the energy alive. All that screaming was us terrified actually because Anthony was screaming in our ears. [laughs] To see him go so far, that’s why I’m an actress – because of that passion and creativity.

Q) The Living Air is a poetry book you created where you did a lot of translation from words of Mother Theresa into poetry. How was the concept for the book formed?

A) Specifically with the Mother Teresa translations, I always resonated with her story of understanding her path in life. Mother Teresa was twelve years old when she committed herself to one day working as a missionary. At eighteen years old she left home and never saw her family again after unfortunate circumstances. She is also Albanian. So, there was an underlying familiarity with her culture before she became a saint. I actually was introduced to her Albanian poetry when I was filming in Macedonia. I was filming Time of the Comet and coincidentally my character’s name was St. Agnes and Mother Teresa’s real name was Agnes. I read her poetry during breaks from filming and I thought that America was so great to me and had given me so many opportunities because I came at the age of seven or eight years old. So, I just wanted to give back to the American community and I wanted to give an international message of hope that I think many cultures can relate to and bridge them. It was just my way of thanking the wonderful opportunities that America had to offer.

Q) There are some original works in there, too.

A) Yes. I feel vulnerable discussing my book and poetry because it is my own personal journey. I understand in my heart how authentic it is and when I try to relay that I feel like I’m giving a look into my diary entries from growing up. So, there is an element of vulnerability to that. I know my fans can relate to that because of the experiences that they have had so that was enough for me to write the poetry. Again, I think art (under any medium) needs to be authentic and serve a purpose – like a mother healing or providing perspective. Because my poetry is so authentically me, there is no question that I would publish it even if it felt like a diary entry. It is not easy to go into my transitions and moods from sixteen until now – that’s basically the span of my poetry. So, basically all my love, insecurity, career, husband and best friends are all in there.

Q) We watched you grow up on our screens so we got to see you mature as a woman and person.

A) In my book, I do talk about my experiences on “The George Lopez Show.” It is a bit cryptic, but it is there. My experiences on the show were some of my most formative years. I was my first major project and I was introduced to the magic of television. I have to give full credit to the writers of the show for creating her and making her relatable to the audience. I remember they were so dedicated to writing such authentic material that they would even go home and fight with their spouses. And they would prolong the fights with their spouses just to get more material to bring back for the show. That means pure dedication when your craft permeates to all aspects of your life. It was just amazing to watch them because they would be working from 9am to 2am trying to come up with jokes that were real and the audience would relate to. They were my first example of what it means to work hard for your craft.

Q) The book is out digitally now. Have you been getting instant fan feedback to it?

A) Absolutely! It’s such a relief to see that poetry is still alive because it does serve purpose. My fans have been amazing. They have read it and it resonated with them. To hear their version of a poem – it can be quite vague sometimes, but they have their interpretations of it that can be so concrete to them. That in itself is rewarding to me because I feel right there the poem has inspired them and they have incorporated it into their own life journey. That is the most rewarding thing to hear from my fans.

Q) Is there anything else you are interested in trying your hand at in the industry?

A) I think that ballet is the foundation of all movement, from my experience. That is one of my outlets. I absolutely need it in order to maintain that balance and that constant expelling of energy. Just like with poetry – I can never let poetry go in order to be complete and whole and grounded. It’s weird. All of these hobbies interlock and compliment one another that if one is pulled away the other doesn’t function as well – in my opinion. When you are acting, you have to close read the script. So, for me close reading the script is a poetic process to understand the nuances of what it means – an action or gesture. Like what is the backstory behind that gesture. It comes from my appreciation of poetry and creating art that is true. They all interlock though, every one of them.

Q) What else would you like us to be sure we share with your fans?

A) I have a couple of very simple recipes that as a wife I love to cook. I have a two ingredient dessert that my friends can’t wait to eat! Then, I have a gluten free pizza that I love to make. It’s actually easier than regular pizza dough! It’s cauliflower cut without the stems grated, parmesan cheese grated and mozzarella cheese grated and two eggs. Add any other Italian seasonings you would like such as Oregano or Garlic Powder. You mix it together and that is your pizza dough. It’s absolutely delicious!

Q) What would you like to say to fans and supporters of you and your work?

A) Whatever craft, whether it is acting or poetry, my single motivation is my fans. I know that sounds a bit cliché sometimes, but it truly is. If I feel if a piece of work doesn’t resonate with society or offer something positive to society then I simply won’t do it. I’ve turned down many projects because I felt it was more destructive than adding to society. I know that everyone’s time is precious so why would they waste their time reading a book that isn’t inspiring, joyful and healing. Everything is for them – my wiring and my acting.