Madison Shamoun
Photography: Ben Cope
Styling: Cara Gordon
H&MU: Lauren Gott
1. Can you tell us more about The Lake? What is it about? What is your character like?
The Lake is about a father who tries to reconnect with his reluctant birth daughter over the course of a summer. My character is forced to stay with him in Cottage Country and is not eager to get closer to him. She’s confident, smart, wise beyond her years, and was parentified at a super young age.
2. What does diversity and empowerment mean to you? How are you using your platform to make a difference for causes you believe in?
I think as an actor, there’s so much we have no control over. For me, it’s all about the roles that I’m not taking on. I don’t have any interest in accepting projects that perpetuate negative black stereotypes. I think that’s the biggest way to make a difference.
3. What inspired you to pursue a career in acting? Can you tell us about some of the roles you played earlier in your career?
I’ve always wanted to be an actor. I used to watch movies hundreds of times until I had all the lines memorized. I would then perform them in the neighborhood and force all the other kids to be a part of it. Storytelling is my favorite thing to do. Making people laugh, changing their mind, and making them feel something they weren’t expecting to feel brings me so much joy.
4. I saw online that you have a BA in acting from UCLA. What are some of the most important things you learned in school that you still use in your career today? What are some of the most important things you had to learn in your career that you wish you were taught in school?
UCLA gave me a lot of tools to add to my box. I still use the warmup and warm down techniques we learned early on. Uta Hagen’s 9 questions always come in handy. The only thing I wished they had taught us more of is the business side of the industry!
5. How would you describe your personal style? Do you have any beauty or fashion essentials that you can’t live without?
My mom and I were just talking about this! I feel like my style is either really done up (hair, makeup, nails, and fully coordinated outfits), or sweatpants. There is no in between. A good pair of sunglasses and some small staple jewelry pieces are my essentials. I also love a no-makeup makeup look with products from Glossier.