Modern warrior and rising young actress, Gaia Weiss shared with us her convictions and strengths.
So, tell us who you are in a few words…
"A mentor of mine once told me, "Actors are emotional stuntmen." I relate so much to this statement. Stunts are not only about falls, but there are also about strength, adrenaline, and the feeling of freedom that I find on stage or on the set. A firing desire for freedom that perhaps comes from my ancestors being nomads."
The biggest or most important fight you had in your life?
"I think I've always refused labels; people generally try to define you to put you in a certain box. What drives me as an actress is the fact that I can take on different roles and express various aspects of my personality through each one. I was truly lucky to be able to play very different characters, but I had to fight, also move to London, so that I wouldn't be limited to roles that were only related to my looks."
Aren’t we all a mix of shadows and lights? What are yours?
"I find light by trying to cultivate optimism and appreciate the simple things. But sometimes I let myself be invaded by anxieties and I fall into a vicious cycle: perfectionism, procrastination, punishment. I can be extremely intransigent, and this is ultimately my greatest weakness."
The moment you revealed your strength the most vividly?
"For the longest time, I felt excluded because I didn't feel like I was part of any community. My father is French, my mother is Polish and at a very young age I was already travelling, spending time abroad, in Poland, in England. At school I was always too " this", not enough " that" and everywhere I went I felt like a complete stranger. I was not understood, and I could not understand others. Today, the very fact that I am imprinted with several cultures, different traditions, and also being the heir to a such a beautiful family history gives me strength. Understanding my roots has allowed me to build myself as a woman as they represent the engine of my creativity, and from there comes a curiosity towards the world and the others."
Everyone as a conviction, a statement guiding our path, what is yours?
"I often come back to this sentence: "When things change inside you, they change around you.” It is an opportunity to remind myself that we are creators of our own reality."
Mind Upload is the beginning of our heroine’s story. Our heroine ALYH downloads her mind into a universe in which she evolves and surpasses herself. What abilities would you develop if you were offered this adventure?
"I've always dreamed of having the ability to teleport to another place! On one hand, we could reduce our carbon consumption considerably, but it would also be a huge time saver and I would finally spend time with my friends and family living across the world... I've always dreamed of a world without borders where everyone could learn from each other's culture."
Enter into your safe space, like ALYH who creates by her imagination a world between solar punk and brutalism. What would yours look like?
"There are two places where I feel truly at peace. First of all, the desert. I am fascinated by the immensity of the desert, finding yourself in the middle of immense mountains like old sages who have been sitting there for million years. And in the forest, with a side of mountains like an initiatory path, where the old sages take the appearance of hundred-year-old trees. My safe space should look like a mix of both."
Never renounce to: What would you say to your best friend or child?
"Never give up on your most cherished goals. They may evolve over time, they may become more specific, but if you feel driven by something, go ahead and pursue it. I am convinced that we can contribute to a better world by following our instinct, which is our best guide. We just have to learn to rely on it."
The best… Tell us something you are proud of:
"I am proud to be able to make a living from my passion, and to gradually become aware that the greatest freedom is the one you develop within yourself."
Image: Matthieu Camille Colin
