Masiela Lusha: Carmen with Confidence

She's an 18-year-old multi-tasker. An actress who stars as Carmen on t.v.'s "The George Lopez Show", pretty Masiela Lusha (who is Albanian, not Hispanic), puts in long hours on the set then treks to college. The young actress also loves to write and her self-illustrated poetry book was published when she was only 12. Masiela speaks several languages, oddly none of them Spanish although she is learning, and she started living the American Dream when she and her mom arrived in the states. Always comfortable in front of a camera, Masiela started as a model then made the big move to tinseltown to take on Hollywood with early guest starring roles on "Lizzie McGuire" and a t.v. host role on "Real Life Teens".

We got some cool exclusive pics of the actress on her set and in and around her dressing room then spoke with her about her past, her feelings about her character Carmen, her celebrity crush, details on what she wants in a guy she might want to date and a really cool 18th birthday celebration on the set.

TeenHollywood: You were born in Albania. When did your parents move here and why?

Masiela: It was just my mom and I and we came from Europe and we basically just wanted to come to America because it was the land of opportunity as it is now. We ended up staying in Michigan because my mom's uncle, my great uncle, was a doctor and he sponsored us.

TeenHollywood: How did you get into modeling there?

Masiela: I had this videocassette recording from 1995 when I was really young. My mom noticed that I always wanted to be in front of the camera and she signed me up to do modeling school with John Robert Powers. It was just something for me to learn not something to pursue a career in. I learned a lot from there and we took some pictures. A photographer said that an agent from California was coming into town. So we went to this seminar with 600 people and he picked 3 out of the 600 and I was one of the three. I was very fortunate to start off with an agent early on.

TeenHollywood: Can you tell me how you got your poetry book published and in stores at only age 12?

Masiela: We went to visit a few relatives in Austria during the summer and I just got my muse to write and express myself. I had a lot of stuff going on so I just wanted to write it all out. When we came back I had them all stuffed under my bed and my mom was asking me "So what do you want to do with all these poems'? I hadn't even thought about it, I said "nothing, probably when I'm forty years old I can see what I was like when I was twelve" and she said 'why don't you collect them all and try to write a book?' and I said 'ok, why not?' So we put all of the poems together and I started submitting them to all the different publishing houses. We submitted 50 and got back 3 responses saying that they would really be willing to pursue it into a book.

TeenHollywood: So you sent your drawing as well. Have you been an artist from an early age?

Masiela: I love to draw. I've always been drawing especially cartoon characters from Disney. I used to trace them and draw them from the t.v. screen.

TeenHollywood: Are you still writing?

Masiela: I have been exploring different fields such as novels and short stories. I took some classes at UCLA and I really liked them.

TeenHollywood: What are you studying at UCLA?

Masiela: English. I'm a Junior.

TeenHollywood: How hard is it to do your t.v. work and go to school too?

Masiela: Personally I don't get overwhelmed that easily. I need something to do. I don't like to just sit around and do nothing because by the end of the day I think I could have learned something. I'm not going to be happy with myself, I won't appreciate myself. What else can I do? Watch t.v. and let my mind turn into pulp?

TeenHollywood: Do the show writers ever let you give them some dialogue ideas for your character Carmen?

Masiela: What's so great about the show that I work on is the people are so great and so open to any idea that you have. I know from past experience with other cast members that if they believe their lines didn't fit their character they would talk to them (the writers) and right away they would change it or change the entire concept so it would fit better. They're very open like that but thank gosh for me I don't have to. I don't know how writers and directors can get into teenage girls' minds just like that. It blows me away how they know a teenage girl so well. Not just know how they behave, but know what they're going to say next.

TeenHollywood: So you don't have a dream to write one of the episodes?

Masiela: I've discussed it with one of the producers and I had an idea for a story line but I'm not confident enough yet to write an entire screenplay or an entire story. I think of it as a joke. These people went to school and studied it so much and here I come along "hey, can I write one."

TeenHollywood: What would you like to see happen to Carmen on the show?

Masiela: Right now Carmen is going through so much when it comes to her personality. She doesn't know who she is and she's really insecure. What I've noticed about Carmen is that she has this sense about her. She's very strong and if she has an opinion about something, she expresses it with a full mouth. That's what I love about her that she's very open minded and confident but when it comes to herself she isn't. I would like to see her change in a way where she's more certain about herself, doesn't feel she needs to be in the shadow of a popular boy in school to be somebody. I hope they are going to fix that and let her grow. I think that's something that everyone went through, I know I went through that so I can always use my experiences for Carmen's.

TeenHollywood: You speak German, French and Albanian but you don't speak Spanish?

Masiela: It' s so weird I know but I'm learning a lot of lines. I keep asking George and Constance "what's this, what's this, what's this?" and they all know and they all tell me. I'm starting to pick up some here and there.

TeenHollywood: When you heard you were going to be getting the part of Carmen did you make an effort to learn the Latino culture or learn a little bit about what the family would be like?

Masiela: To be honest, not at all, I let the producers, the writers, and the actors take me under their wing and show me. Almost everyone is Hispanic so I let them show me there. Plus, I don't see Carmen as anyone different. I see her as universal. I think she could be Hispanic, she could be from Australia and she would have the same problems. I think insecurity plagues every girl now.

TeenHollywood: You hosted this show called "Real Life Teen". Do you have any desire to become a t.v. journalist or a show host someday?

Masiela: It's funny you ask me that because that's what I've always wanted to be. I've always wanted to be a TV anchor or a host or an astronaut if those two didn't work out. I love being in front of people and I love just talking to them about everyday life. There's something about it that's very homey to me.

TeenHollywood: You took a belly dancing class when you were younger?

Masiela: Yeah and right now I'm learning how to juggle so I'm getting pretty good at that too. I've danced for seven years so I kind of have control over my body when I move. Belly dancing was just something I wanted to try, something different. I didn't want to tell people when they asked me "what do you dance?" oh "Jazz, Tap and Ballet." BORING! So let me do belly dancing.

TeenHollywood: What kind of music are you listening to right now?

Masiela: In my CD player I have Black Eyed Peas and I have Eminem and Britney Spears. That's the way my music tastes go. I like everything from Andrea Bocelli to Eminem.

TeenHollywood: If you could decide what to do on an ideal date what would you like to do?

Masiela: I would like to go to the observatory to see the stars or maybe just going to the beach late at night which is really nice because it's so beautiful when the water is black. I remember a few friends and I went to the Crystal Pier. It's the best place ever. It's in San Diego. There are these little cottages like little bungalows on the pier so when you sleep you literally hear the ocean under you.

TeenHollywood: What kind of qualities does a guy have to have if you're going to date him?

Masiela: Confidence. Not cockiness, there's a difference. I get turned off by cockiness. I need somebody that when they speak they know what they're saying and they believe in themselves. I don't know how many times I've been in the situation where it's so boring to talk to somebody because all they do is agree with you. Definitely confidence, somebody who's very polite. There are so many great guys out there that don't have to show etiquette but that's something I look forward to; a guy who can open doors for me and pull the chair out for me to sit down or at least show me that he knows. I am a girl in the end and I would like to be treated like one.

TeenHollywood: Have you had a weird fan encounter?

Masiela: There's this one guy who apparently was just convicted of robbing the government or something and he sent me this letter and it says 'when I get convicted and during my time in jail I'm going to write a screenplay and I would like you to play my girlfriend who was killed during this whole thing' and he sent a picture of his girlfriend.

TeenHollywood: That's pretty weird! Is Bryan Fisher still playing your boyfriend on the show?

Masiela: He's still with me and Carmen's going through a lot of trouble with Jason (Bryan's character) and pretty soon America's going to find out what it is.

TeenHollywood: Do you two get along? Do you give each other advice? Do you talk about the parts?

Masiela: I think we both know each other's characters pretty well. He's really cool!

TeenHollywood: Is Ashton Kutcher still your celebrity crush or do you have someone knew now?

Masiela: It's still Ashton Kutcher. In order to be funny you have to be confident. I noticed doing sitcoms that the more confident I became and the more I believed in myself or what I wanted to do with a certain line, the more I realized it really affected people. I think he has that type of confidence. Plus he's really cute.

TeenHollywood: What's the favourite dish that you cook?

Masiela: Rice pudding and chocolate chip cookies.

TeenHollywood: How are you like Carmen and how are you different?

Masiela: She was insecure and didn't know who she was and finally I'm becoming my own person and I don't have that anymore. The difference is that she's very open minded and she believes what she says but when it comes to being a person in society she's very insecure. I'm completely different in that sense. I expect people to respect me because I believe that everyone deserves respect. I respect them and I expect respect back. Something is going to happen with her and I think everyone who's been worried about her will finally relax.

TeenHollywood: There's a lot of teen actor competition going around like the rumoured Hilary Duff versus Lindsay Lohan thing. Do you feel like you have to compete all the time?

Masiela: Why should I compete? I'm nothing like them. I think it's crowded at the top right now. I think a lot of girls are pursuing it and a lot of girls are making it and that's great but I don't see myself competing with them. I let myself be different and I don't try to compete and show that I am a better version of them.

TeenHollywood: What's the best advice anybody every gave you?

Masiela: The one that comes to mind is my mom, she said "if you want to turn around and dig ditches you'd better be dig the best ditch there is." For any of those girls who really want to pursue acting, and want to pursue it full on and not just want to be a star, they should watch "Inside the Actor's Studio". I watch it every time there's a new actor on. They have like Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts coming in and giving advice to actors. It's incredible, that's where I learned a lot. Barbra Streisand once said, "what comes from the heart goes to the hear." I think that's so important as an actress to know how to sway your audience in one way or another.

TeenHollywood: How does the "George Lopez" cast get along?

Masiela: We're becoming like such a big family and it's such a warm feeling inside when you have these wonderful people who treat you like their own child and a companion. You don't feel like you have to prove yourself in a way, just go and do the lines the way you want. It's just such a great breezy environment you can't ask for anything better right now.

TeenHollywood; Who are you dying to work with?

Masiela: I just went to the premiere of The Prince & Me and the guy who plays the prince, Luke Mably, is really cute. He has that confidence.

TeenHollywood: What famous person do you most admire in life and why?

Masiela: Julia Roberts because I think she's beyond an actress. I think her craft and acting isn't just a job for her. I can see it when she performs. I can see the passion and I can somehow relate to that because it's what drives me. It's what keeps me from wanting to give up acting. I look up to her so much and I'm in awe of how she moves the audience with whatever she says and does and you can tell she's not trying to.

TeenHollywood: Tell us the story of getting your big 18th birthday surprise on the set.

Masiela: It was a Thursday night and it couldn't have been any better because that's the night that the audience comes. I was wondering what they were going to do because they celebrate everybody's birthdays. So the day went by and I didn't hear a word and I though maybe they forgot and I didn't want to say anything but I was like 'oh my god they don't remember.' And then when the camera guys came in and the crew came in to set up to shoot the scene with blocking, one of them said 'oh hey it's your birthday today' and then they started singing happy birthday. Then the day went on and I kind of forgot about it. Finally a the very end of the show when George was saying goodbye to the audience he said "we have a very special surprise..." and he went on and on. And he just blew me away and here comes Daisy, this little puppy Maltese and then I started screaming so loud I didn't even know that could come out of me. George's wife and daughter came out with this pink carryon and they had these little gifts inside, this pink squeeze heart and everything and the entire audience sang Happy Birthday and it was the best experience of my life.

TeenHollywood: Which outfit have you worn on the show that you wish you could keep and what's too dorky to keep?

Masiela: For Carmen's Quincenera, the dress she wore. Not a lot of dresses fit my body that good. It was white and tailored so well and I don't have any dresses like that so I really liked it. For dorky, I would say the (school) uniform.

TeenHollywood: What message would you want to give to the fans?

Masiela: Thank you for looking up to me and thank you for seeing me on t.v. and respecting me as that person but believe in yourself more. I didn't wake up with the ability to all of a sudden write and draw and to act. I worked my butt off to get there. So don't get intimidated if you see me up there and think 'she's good but I'm not.' You can be good too.

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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.