Rising Star Eimanne El Zein On the Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry
Don’t put your life on hold for your career. I think I mentioned it before, but every time I’ve paused the hustle and gone back to doing the things I love, my career actually finds a way to pull me back in. The more you take care of yourself and do the things that make you feel passionate and alive, the more attractive you are to the world, and you shine in a way that people notice even in an audition room.
As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Eimanne El Zein.
Eimanne El Zein was born in Seattle but raised all around the world in such places as Lebanon, Dubai, Germany and Canada. She spent her childhood directing short films with her friends. While studying film production in University Eimanne fell into modeling when she was cast as “Miss March” in the Whistler Exposed Bikini Calendar. From there she booked her first NATIONAL MAGAZINE COVER and has since modeled for such brands as LULULEMON, FITBIT, WRANGLER JEANS and JEEP. While she found success in modeling, Eimanne still had the passion for acting and has trained in SAN FRANCISCO, NEW YORK and LA.
Acting brought her recurring roles in BACK TO EARTH: INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE and PROJECT CHILD: ORIGINS as well as a lead role in the award-winning short BROTHER’S KEEPER. In pre-production is her newest project for Instagram TV entitled ON YOUR KNEES explores faith and freedom through the eyes of a young Muslim woman. A lifelong Vegan, Eimanne uses her platform to highlight conservation and sustainability. She is an ultra-marathon runner competing in 100-mile marathons as well as participating in other extreme sports such as rock climbing and dog sledding.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Well, I definitely didn’t have a “normal” childhood, something I was jealous of at the time as I was growing up, but now it’s one of the things I find to have contributed the most to who I am. I was born in Seattle but grew up in Lebanon, Dubai, and Germany. And no, we weren’t a military family! But my dad was quite the entrepreneur, and when one business would go bankrupt, he would pick himself up again, move to a new part of the world and start over. My mom was always following with my brother and I, and our two cats, shortly behind. While the chaos of uprooting our lives every two years was maddening for a little girl who just wanted some stability, it also gave me a unique perspective and access to all kinds of different stories that have since fueled my creative passions.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
Indiana Jones — that’s what brought me to acting! I watched that movie and wanted to BE Indy. I wanted that kind of adventure, and as a kid I thought that kind of exploration and discovery must be all gone from the world, and probably also pretty dangerous… So I thought to myself, “what else can I do so that my life is always different and exciting? Always giving me that sense of challenge and exhilaration?” Well, acting! Actors were always living the adventures on screen. They got to experience the fullness that I wanted in my life. I knew I couldn’t see myself sitting in an office, a life of adventure was the only reasonable option in my mind. So that’s what I decided I had to pursue.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Probably just the fact that I’ve stuck with it and actually ended up in LA. After my initial childhood lightbulb moment about acting and adventures, I discovered that there actually was real adventure in the world still while I was in college. So, I got a little distracted by other things that could give me that fullness I desired. Things like snowboarding, ultra-running, mountain biking, horseback riding, etc… But every time I got distracted, the world of film found a way to pull me back in. Every time I thought this hustle was too hard and I would focus on other things, then I would remember why I started, remember my purpose, and book something huge that propelled me forward again. You can’t escape what you’re meant to be doing, and if you remember why you’re doing it, then the days in pursuit are always a dream come true.
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?
I made the mistake of bringing my mom to set one time… She ended up sharing baby photos and embarrassing stories about me with everyone at the gig! The lesson was, moms are great, but sometimes work should just be a place to focus.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I’m directing a new series now that is both interesting and exciting! It’s quite unusual and based on an original idea I had about two years ago. It’s about your average Millennial girl trying to balance school, friends, and life, while also hiding her newfound career as a dominatrix from her Muslim immigrant parents. It’s called “On Your Knees”. We’re working with a great cast and nearly finished with filming at this point. The whole thing has been so rewarding because not only have all our shoot dates been amazing, but I’ve been lucky enough to work on it with people who strongly believe in our message. It’s a show about truth, and about being comfortable with your authentic self, no matter what other people want you to be.
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
I think I would first ask myself, what is it you’re truly afraid of? Is it really fear of failure? Is it fear of being judged? Is it fear that you’ll have wasted your time? Fear of “failure” runs deep and can mean many different things. Figuring out what it is you are actually afraid of can help you face it and come to terms with your purpose. Even picking a more straightforward career path has risk of failure, and if you do that, are you truly going to be happy? If all you want to do is make a lot of money, maybe don’t pick acting, choose something else. There are a lot of jobs where you can make some cash. But if your fear of wasting your life away in a job you don’t care about outweighs the fear that you won’t “make it”, then you can do nothing else. You have to go for it! There are many ways to be successful in this career and industry. It’s never going to be straightforward, but in my mind, it’s always going to be worth it. Maybe that’s not the case for everyone, you have to figure it out for yourself. WHY are you pursuing acting? Or directing? If it’s money and fame, I think there are easier ways to get there. But if there’s something deeper driving you, then it’s my opinion that no matter how things turn out for you, it will always be time well spent.
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
I’m happy to hear that, I think it’s becoming more universally recognized as important and it’s already making a difference! I can give you the biggest reason why it’s important to me and how my life might have been different if there had been more diversity and inclusion while I was growing up. As someone who is half Lebanese, I’ve always found myself caught between two vastly different cultures. And many of my American friends didn’t understand the rules or restrictions I had at home. It made it hard to relate and I often felt alienated or alone. I tried to fit in with the western culture where I lived, my look suggested that it should’ve been easy to blend in, but there were always differences. The second I said my name people would ask “oh that’s nice, where’s that from?” When I responded that I’m Lebanese, they immediately reply “you don’t look Lebanese”. As though my 3rd-grade friends in suburban Seattle and their parents were suddenly experts on what all Arab people look like. It created a disassociation within me. I started to reject being Lebanese, I just wanted to blend in and be fully American. I just wanted to have friends, like so many of us, I just wanted to belong. For me, there were no examples on TV of mixed people who were faced with the challenges of being excluded based on culture. If there had been, maybe I wouldn’t have grown up feeling quite so alone. Maybe I would’ve been more proud of who I was and wouldn’t have let bullies get the best of me living overseas and when I returned to the states in middle school. Having known what that is like, it’s not something I would wish for any other little kid to go through. That’s why I’m drawn to telling stories that make sense of growing up between two worlds, and of finding where you belong. I want everyone to know that they matter and have a place in the world. Film to me is the best way to do that. Diversity and representation in the media helps people know that they belong.
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. Don’t put your life on hold for your career. I think I mentioned it before, but every time I’ve paused the hustle and gone back to doing the things I love, my career actually finds a way to pull me back in. The more you take care of yourself and do the things that make you feel passionate and alive, the more attractive you are to the world, and you shine in a way that people notice even in an audition room.
2. Find a mentor. Life and work is so much easier when you have someone that can guide you or support your journey with an outside opinion. It can be challenging to find the right person, but it’s worth it to consider people you meet as options even if they aren’t in the film industry. Learning from someone who has had success in any field can propel you forward in a way that’s much easier than making all of their early-day mistakes on your own.
3. Play. If you’re not having fun, then what’s the point? Even when the work is stressful and pushing you to the edge of your limits, you should still be able to find some pleasure in the excitement of it all and not take it too seriously.
4. Rest. This is so important. We don’t operate at our best if we’re not resting and taking care of ourselves. Getting enough sleep, exercising, eating right, they’re the basics, the fundamentals, but you need them in order to thrive.
5. Take a dance class. Specifically — ecstatic dance! When I discovered this, my life changed. It’s such a good outlet for big emotions and anxiety, for shaking off the stress of the “industry”. You also learn so much and internalize a lot of things that become useful in acting itself.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
All of the ones above! The same things that will help you get further in your career, will also help you thrive and find longevity.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire 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. :-)
Thank you! And I wholeheartedly agree that you never know what an idea can trigger. In fact, I’m starting a new group called the “Hollywood Inspired Leaders” and our whole purpose is to find ways to use our creative abilities in service of the greater good. I’ve always thought art to be incredibly healing, and film specifically has huge potential to reach and influence people in a positive way. We are just about to have our launch party to bring together other forward-thinking filmmakers and influencers to collaborate on possible avenues of a future movement.
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?
I’m really grateful to anyone that I’ve ever called a teacher in my life. These are people who have shared their time and knowledge with me in such a profound way. They’ve shaped who I am and helped me to grow into who I want to be. We would be lost without teachers!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite life lesson quote for myself right now is “Be the one percent”. If you’re trying to make it in a career where 99% of people fail or give up, then you have to do what it takes to be the one percent that doesn’t. For me that meant designing a training plan of sorts to keep myself accountable to my goals. Things on that plan included making TikTok videos, practicing Arabic, learning a new skill, reading motivational books, and taking scene study classes. Anything I can do to give myself an extra edge!
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 just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
Breakfast with Lizzo would be amazing. I’m obsessed with her Instagram, and I love how she’s found such a strong core message and values to share with the world. She has a great mix of spirit, purpose, and fun! I’m sure we’d enjoy amazing mimosas.
How can our readers follow you online?
Follow me and my series on Instagram! Stay in touch :)
instagram.com/onyourkneesseries
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
