INTERVIEW WITH KYRIA OSSA
Kyria Ossa is an Ottawa-based actor.
Interview by Rebeccah Love
You were born in Bordeaux, France. Wow! Do you have any memories from there? Have you been back to visit?
As a kid I only spent 3 months in Bordeaux and after that we went to visit for vacation when I was 2 years old and ever since I never went back. My favourite memory was when we went to a fair and I got this huge cotton candy and it was bigger than my head. My mom still has a picture of it and it's hilarious to see tiny me eating cotton candy twice as big as me.
How did you decide that acting was something you wanted to pursue?
It was not intentional at first. Actually 3 years ago my mom was showing pictures of me to her coworkers and one of them said that I should be a model. We decided to go to an open call at Angies'/AMTI. I was then selected and the CEO and Owner Angie Seymour told me that I can do modelling when I'm taller / older but that I should start with acting and after that I just started loving it.
What was your first acting job? Were you nervous?
My first acting job was the movie I filmed last year called Killer mom and I got to play Erica. I've done a bunch of other jobs on set before for commercials so I was used to the camera but I was definitely scared of messing up my lines.
You've been cast as Erin in the upcoming Erin's Guide to Kissing Girls. What can you tell me about the story?
Erin's guide to kissing girls is a short movie about a 12 year-old, Erin, who tries to win over the coolest girl in school Sydni with the help of her best friend. The story was well written by Julianna Notten and I think people will really enjoy it.
What do you understand about your character, Erin? What is she going through? What are her best qualities?
Erin is definitely a bold spirit. She's confident in her own skin, she's quirky, and she doesn't care about anyone's opinion. Though she does goes through a lot of drama with the whole Sydni situation but I don't want to give any spoilers. Her best qualities are definitely her confidence, her smile and positivity.
What is it like being a 12 year old girl in 2017?
In my opinion, being a 12 year old it's a lot easier for school because we have so much technology available to us but I truly think we're loosing that connection with people that we had back then. With everyone being glued to their phones it's hard to communicate but life is still really great.
How do you find balancing your acting career with your school work?
Well I'm in middle school so it's not that big of a struggle right now since the homework isn't as intense but I do know it will get harder from here. Also, if I have to film during school days, we have a tutor on set to help us not be behind on our classes.
What is your greatest dream as an actor?
My greatest dream is to be a Disney actress or be in an award winning movie.
What is your favourite part of being on set? What is the most challenging?
My favourite part about being on set is the chemistry. For my latest movie sets I've been on, everyone is always really nice and it makes everything 10x more fun when the atmosphere is fun as well. The challenge is having to be on set on time and not be late and making sure I don't forget my lines.
If you were to write your own film, what do you think it would be about?
Probably about a girl who keeps moving schools and is afraid to be close to anyone because of her parents work and how she can switch schools at any second. So she doesn't make any friends and just likes being alone because she always thought she would be. But then she meets someone. I'm just a sucker for that stuff.
Who do you look up to, either in the film world or from your personal life?
I look up to my parents because they do everything and they still find a way to make time for us. My dad works so hard all the time just to provide for my family and my mom does everything for us and never anything for her. They truly are my idols and I love them so much.
What are you looking forward to?
I'm looking forward to anything and everything. I'm always ready for a journey or an adventure and I can't wait to see how my future turns out.