Masiela’ Favorite Reads

Masiela Lusha is not only famous as an actress but is also widely known for her flair for writing. When she was asked to pick her favorite books, it came as a surprise to all that she selected Aesop’s Fables and the original German translation of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Everyone thought that a writer of her caliber would choose something different like a good book of poetry. Therefore her choice amazed all, as these two books are widely considered to be children’s books. But for Masiela any book that is well written is a good pick, and both Aesop’s Fables and Grimm’s Fairy Tales belong to that category.

Children’s and Household Tales widely known today as Grimm’s Fairy Tales is her favorite as (in her words) “It's so fun reading the early stories on some of our country's most popular fairy tales. They were much darker then and were originally used to scare kids instead of entertain them!"

Aesop’s Fables or Aesopica, as we all know, are stories that conveyed a positive message. Though it was actually meant for children, these stories drive home moral values that can be found beneficial by all, irrespective of age. Masiela, truly this is a good pick as these fables are more relevant in today’s world than it was at the time of Aesop.

A Charity Foundation with a Purpose

Not every person feels charitable. Not every person DOES charity. There’s a huge difference in thinking good and doing good. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of one incident that becomes a turning point; just like King Ashoka who turned to Buddhism with gusto after a bloody war. This is exactly what comes to mind when you read about Masiela Lusha’s life changing moment in Balkans, where she saw hopelessness and suffering that brought out the missionary in her to form ‘The Masiela Lusha Foundation’.

The foundation is still embryonic and hasn’t taken off on a full scale yet. It however, has great dreams and plans for making a difference to the lives of many children and their homeless families. They visualize tapping the potential, intelligence and strength of each individual who hasn’t been given a chance to realize them. Mothers and children will be nurtured to move on to a better life. The foundation will be working in tandem with other charitable organizations, with the pursuit to provide the best facilities.

The first of many targets is the construction of a community shelter in Palmdale, and a school nearby. Another goal is to build a community across America and Europe that shares success stories. It would be a haven for people who look to have a new lease on life. The third and the most primary aim, is to build the Masiela Lusha Foundation Academy, specifically established to groom children for leadership. Children will be encouraged to explore literature, delve into inspiring biographies and debate about successful leadership philosophies. The intention is to strengthen the students to face the world and make a difference.

Masiela’s charitable spree was visible even during her school days initially, and later during her stint with the ABC, when she participated in community service activities on a large scale. Here’s a wish that her foundation is resilient, and has the support system to stand through the worst. If every one of us takes a leaf out of Masiela’s book and really do some charity, the world would be an infinitely better place to live in.

Becoming Carmen Lopez…

Talking about ‘The George Lopez Show’, what’s the first thing that you recall? If your answer is ‘Carmen Lopez’, then it’s not surprising at all. That’s the kind of impact she left on us. Carmen Lopez is not just the favorite of viewers, but she’s Masiela’s favorite character too. Becoming Carmen Lopez has been an experience Masiela cherishes the most. So, wouldn’t you want to know how she became the Carmen who won our hearts? Here you go!

Masiela was just 16 when she auditioned for the role of Carmen Lopez. Since the character was just 13, she went to the audition dressed in an over-sized fuchsia pink sweater with Winnie the Pooh overalls. During the audition when Masiela proudly exclaimed that George’s character reminded her of her own father, the entire room burst out laughing and one of the writers said, “We’re sorry to hear that!” Masiela instantly fell in love with the crew and their relationship bloomed into a friendship during the following year.

It was almost a month, before Masiela received a call for the final auditions. While she continued to act during this period, she realized that none of her other roles was as appealing to her as Carmen. During her second audition at the ABC building, Masiela delved into her imagination and gave a performance that projected her aptitude for the role. It was this performance that introduced the unforgettable Carmen to us. Two hours later, Masiela got a call from the producers with an offer that changed her life forever.

Masiela Lusha went on to rock the show as Carmen Lopez. As a vehement, zealous, vigorous teenager, she won the hearts of many. Masiela still has many roles to play and many things to prove, but as Carmen, she’ll always remain in our hearts.

Masiela Hosts ‘Models Around the World’

The philanthropist in Masiela Lusha was spotted again this July when she hosted the ‘Models Around the World’ charity event at Universal City Walk. This event was organized to launch the new TV show ‘Models Around the World’ and magazine. A humanitarian to the core she doesn’t miss any events that are organized for the poor and the helpless. She started her own charity foundation on seeing the plight of the people in her homeland. By hosting this event she was able to garner support for her foundation as well.

‘Models Around the World’, a new television show, aims to unearth the hidden talents of the world. The organizers of this show will travel the world to discover the local models, stylists and designers and give them a platform to showcase their talents. These participants will then compete against each other and the best of the lot will be awarded.

The organizers have also come up with a magazine called ‘MATW’ and the first issue of this magazine features Masiela Lusha on its front cover. Since Masiela is a model herself, her presence is in itself an encouragement for the participants.

Illuminary Visions

It’s no mystery that dreams are a start to any successful endeavor. Especially, in the world of Hollywood, you go nowhere without a dream. Most successful production houses in the industry have dreamed big. After the Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, Disney, Fox and Touchstone, we hear there’s another production house that’s got mighty plans. Heard of Illuminary Pictures? It’s a one-year old foundation by the immensely talented Albanian American actress Masiela Lusha. Relatively, it’s a babe in the big jungle, but growing rapidly.

Masiela’s only 23 and it’s surprising to see that she’s the CEO of a production house this young. Very impressive! She has high ambitions for her company. The aim is to be a part of high-concept, commercially viable, and entertaining features that would make a cultural and humanitarian difference among the international audience. Masiela herself has had oodles of experience in the industry as an actress. She’s started her career seven years ago with ‘Summoning’. So it’s an early start as an actor as well.

Illuminary Pictures has some promising scripts in its kitty- ‘Graf’, ‘On, Cupid!’, ‘Angel Hair’ and ‘Yellow Rose of Savona’. The production house appears to be very technology-friendly and is waiting to bring out some special effects flicks from its stables. Seems like it’s on the right track. So, here’s wishing the young and ambitious Masiela Lusha all the luck!

The Albanian among Hispanics

Stand up comedians make really good on screen actors in a comic role. It’s obviously a flair that comes naturally with their background. Jerry Seinfeld is the best example. He may be more popular for his non-acting skills, but people took to him because he was simply funny. ‘Seinfeld’ must have been one of the funniest shows ever to be aired on American television, and its characters are iconic. There’s another stand-up comedian whose show became immensely popular; that’s George Lopez.

The George Lopez Show was a Sandra Bullock production, showcasing the life of a Hispanic family. It’s believed that there’s a grouch among the Latino community that there haven’t been enough actors picked up from their stables. This show seemed like it was an answer to their grievances. An almost all-Hispanic cast accompanied George Lopez in this show. The only exception in this crowd was Masiela Lusha, the Albanian American actress, who played George’s firebrand daughter, Carmen. Her character was highly appreciated and became glued to her image. She had a very successful stint with the show while she was a part of it (the first five seasons), and won two Young Artist Award for Best Actress.

George Lopez plays himself here, just like Seinfeld did. There’s no change in name or character. It’s an uncanny similarity, something that’s been highly successful for both.

Masiela’s Journey to Fame

Positioned at the threshold of major stardom, Masiela Lusha traced her journey, in an interview with Michelle Blood. Auditioning in Hollywood has its share of ups and downs. Looking back Masiela is sure to feel proud of how much she has accomplished in her journey to fame; although there’s still much more for her to prove in the time to come.

As a level-headed person, with a supportive family, Masiela made her way to Hollywood with her mother, to pursue acting. Her journey began with TV appearances on ‘Lizzie McGuire’ and ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent’. There’s no doubt that it’s her positive attitude that led her to succeed in all her endeavors. With her role as Carmen in over 100 episodes of ‘The George Lopez Show’, Masiela broke all barriers in her path to fame.

Arriving in Hollywood, Masiela started taking acting classes. And taking classes from different coaches broadened her exposure and made her understand the different viewpoints in acting. This enabled her to build her own approach to Hollywood- an approach that sure has worked wonders for her!

Auditioning for numerous shows was another one of the stepping stones to her success. Masiela’s first audition for an ABC show didn’t get her the role. She went in prepared for a comic performance when the audition was to test her skill in drama. This made her learn, although the hard way, that it is important to study every show in detail before any audition. When Masiela auditioned for ‘The George Lopez Show’, it was a long wait. She thought that she didn’t win the part and went on with her other auditions. But, the wait was an indication that ABC was actually considering her for the role. Masiela thoroughly enjoyed her role as Carmen and proved her aptitude with her spectacular performance. She quickly shot to fame as the prototype of a bold, zealous teenage girl.

Masiela Lusha has twin-dreams with regard to her literary and acting careers. Nothing can stop her from pursuing them. She has a very clear picture of her future and tirelessly works towards achieving what she desires. The fact that failures do not discourage her, but rather motivate her to do better, demonstrates her winning spirit, which is sure to take her to unimaginable heights of fame.

Masiela Trivia

Multi-talented Masiela is full of surprises; in her on-screen performances and in her literary works, she leaves an ever-lasting impact on her fans. If you’re her admirer, you’re sure to know that she’s 22 and was born in Tirana in Albania, is a Scorpio; and of course that she played Carmen in ‘The George Lopez Show’ and also that she’s all set for her big-screen flicks this year. However, a true Masiela Lusha fan is not gonna be contented with that much info. For all those ardent fans out there, here’s some cool Masiela trivia!

Answering some basic questions from TeenMag.com, Masiela recently revealed some facts about herself, much to the delight of her fans: Would you have guessed your favorite star’s favorite channel is the Food Network? Or that she enjoys S’mores for dinner and for breakfast? Considering her hour-glass figure could you tell she’s a food fan and that you’ll find Coco Puffs and Fruity Pebbles in her cupboard? And here comes the ‘you-know-what’ revelation: Mc Donald’s is her favorite fast-food joint and she likes to order the double cheeseburgers. Can you believe that! Well of course, she sheds it all out doing her ballet everyday.

If you like Ariel from ‘Little Mermaid’ then you should be euphoric ’cause that’s Masiela’s favorite cartoon character too. And if you’ve been wondering, what’s the kind of thing that entertains Masiela Lusha, then here’s what you’ll find in her iPod playlist; Chinese, French and German pop and the weekly horoscope! Did you know that she owns a Sidekick cell phone and a Maltese named Daisy, who was a gift from the cast of the George Lopez Show, for her 18^th birthday?

Masiela admits that she’s an extremely shy person, and that’s ironic considering that she’s a talented, ambitious, young woman. She likes to start her day by reading something intelligent. Someday, she wants to receive the Oscar and the Pulitzer Prize. So, let’s all wish her the very best of luck in realizing her big dream.

Muertas- Portraying Harsh Reality

As Araceli, a factory worker in Juarez, Mexico, Masiela Lusha demonstrated to the viewers her versatility and her ability to handle heavy roles, amazingly well. The story of ‘Muertas’ is based on the brutal killings in Mexico, and Araceli is one of the women of Juarez, who want to escape to America. When Masiela understood her role from the script, she realized the weight of her character and worked towards doing full justice to it.

In preparation for her role as Araceli, Masiela learnt Spanish, as the role required her to speak the language. She gave her best performance by memorizing the dialogues and giving them the right feel. Masiela draws inspiration from Araceli, in her conviction and willingness to take risks. “Portraying one of the characters victimized in Juarez was an experience I’ll never forget”, says Masiela.

Every film gives her a unique experience making her learn something about herself. Whereas Muertas, Masiela says, reflects her mother’s experiences of fleeing from a communist country. “The film was a tribute to my mother’s integrity and strength” she says. However, Araceli is a personification of inner power and determination- features that characterize Masiela Lusha as well.

Lady with the Midas Touch

Masiela Lusha is definitely a lady with the Midas touch. If you don’t believe then take a look at her career graph, which is enough to vindicate this statement. Masiela’s destiny was already decided when the Teen Magazine included her in the list of five for the “Most Likely to Succeed’ in 2000. Soon after that she was selected by a Hollywood agent from a list of 600 aspiring actors. From then on there was no looking back for this beautiful lady.

Be it television, movies, literature, or her personal life she has tasted nothing but success. George Lopez Show, the smash hit American sitcom, was a great break in Masiela’s TV career. Her role of the rebellious Carmen Lopez was liked by all and she got several awards for wonderfully portraying the inner conflicts of Carmen.

If we take into account Lusha’s movies, she got the opportunity to work with some of the great directors and the characters that she portrayed were all equally fantastic, be it Araceli in Muertas or Lisa in My Father’s Eulogy. Her forthcoming movies Time of the Comet and Blood: The Last Vampire are also incredible. It’s heard that she has performed both the roles with lot of conviction and passion.

As for Masiela’s literary career, it also had a great take off. She was awarded the youngest author in the world for coming up with her first book of poetry aptly titled ‘Inner Thoughts’ when she was all of 12 years. Her second book of poetry was published when she was 17. She is now busy finishing off her first novel, The Bessa.

Lusha is a philanthropist to the core and was lucky to be able to start her own charity organization. Her dream of setting up a community shelter with chains across America and Europe will soon be realized, as a first step she has started works for setting up the center in Palmdale.

So isn’t Masiela Lusha a lady with the Midas touch?

How Carmen Captivated…

America’s sitcom-lovers will never forget Carmen Lopez of ‘The George Lopez Show’, for her vitality, vigor and her girl-next-door appearance. What about Masiela Lusha’s role as Carmen, captivated viewers? Let’s take a look.

Carmen Lopez, George Lopez’s daughter, is a high-school student often displaying annoying characteristics. She’s zealous and a rebellious force, who possesses the vehemence of a typical teenager. And that’s perhaps why teens identified with her and adored her character.

Carmen goes through the problems of a regular high-school girl and the courage that she displays while dealing with them, is the most appealing aspect of her role. Carmen’s character is completely empathized with, when she is forced to leave school because of a rumor spread by her ex-boyfriend and when she is expelled from her second school for running away and partying with a rapper.

Even in her brash ways, Carmen charmed her fans; especially when she tries to convince her boyfriend into having a baby. Although Carmen’s character was eventually written out of the story, her fans haven’t forgotten her. She is the prototype of an adolescent girl yearning to escape the confines of a family that doesn’t understand her. And this archetypal teen-temperament is what makes Carmen’s role entirely appealing to any Masiela Lusha fan.

The Social Activist in Masiela Lusha

Masiela Lusha may be known as a young star, making waves with her TV shows and her upcoming big screen venture, but few know the social activist in her. Lusha was still in her teens, when she joined the Great American Bake Sale campaign in 2004, to end childhood hunger.

In the campaign, Lusha encouraged kids to use their baking skills in the fund-raising bake sale and utilize these funds to help in attaining the goal to end childhood hunger. Lusha’s on-screen facades may not reflect her social activism. But, if you’re a Masiela Lusha fan, then you better be clued-up about her compassionate role in social causes.

Masiela Lusha and the Time of the Comet

The ravishing, sizzling and vivacious Masiela Lusha is back again as Agnes in the yet to be released romantic comedy ‘Time of the Comet’. But hold on guys; don’t start fantasizing as she is playing a Catholic nun in love with a Muslim rebel. Based on a book of the same title by the internationally acclaimed Albanian writer Ismail Kadare, it’s a film that Masiela can be proud of. Set in the backdrop of war torn Albania and the subsequent World War II, it narrates the beautiful story of a young woman on her way to become a nun against her wishes.

Masiela was last seen on the silver screen in 2007 with her powerful portrayal of Araceli in the documentary ‘Muertas’. This time she has an author backed role and if the inside sources are to be believed, Lusha has given a power-packed performance by expressing beautifully the inner conflicts of Agnes as well as her vulnerabilities to the core. Even the writer Ismail Kadare has appreciated her work in the movie.

It has got an international star cast with Blerim Destani donning the role of the Muslim rebel and the famous German actor Thomas Heinze appearing as King Wied. This film, though already released in Macedonia, is set to hit the theatres in USA in October, this year. One of the highlights of the movie is Masiela Lusha being tied on a crucifix. So fans of Masiela, gear up to watch her giving a stunning performance if not a sensual performance.

Masiela Lusha’s Vampire Façade

Masiela Lusha is set to reveal her latest façade as a vampire in ‘Blood: The Last Vampire’. The movie is said to be a very promising package for Lusha’s fans and with all the views and reviews coming up, it sure has raised expectations. The movie is adapted from a famous anime with the same title and has been enhanced with action sequences choreographed by the famous Corey Yuen who worked on movies such as ‘War,’ ‘Bulletproof Monk,’ and ‘Transporter 2.’

As a vampire, disguised as an innocent high-school student named Sharon, Lusha will perhaps prove her versatility in any character that she plays. Having proved her capabilities in a comic role in ‘The George Lopez Show’, her aptitude for drama and romance in ‘Muertas’ and ‘Time of the Comet’, this movie would reveal yet another of her aptitudes- for action-based roles. Lusha herself seems to be quite impressed with the well-rehearsed sword-fighting sequences, which she says ‘felt like dancing’.

The story-line looks quite promising too, with Saya (Gianna Jun), as a government undercover agent who joins Sharon’s (Masiela Lusha’s) school to investigate and discover the disguised vampire. When Sharon’s façade is revealed, the action sequences begin, taking the viewers through a thrilling and chilling experience. ‘Blood: The Last Vampire’, is a film that has been very enjoyable for Masiela Lusha…will it be the same for fans like us? To find out, we’ve got to wait until October this year, for that’s when the movie is scheduled for release.