Please introduce yourself. What do you do? Why? What do you want people to know about you?
I’m Bruna Lisa (she/her) and I’m a Portuguese actress living in New York City.
I was only 17 years old when I decided to apply to a London University to take a BA in Theatre Arts. After months of hard work and perseverance I got in and I packed everything (literally everything) to go onboard in this adventure. It was my first time away from home!
It was a year filled with challenges that made me discover new layers of myself and that made me really proud!
After my first year, I won a scholarship in result of excellent academic work, and I did my second year of college in New York. It was a completely different experience; it was real which made me grow even more professionally but also personally.
I graduated in 2021 with First class honours and now with 22 years old, I’m back to the city that never sleeps to pursue my dream.
What qualities make you different and unique from everyone else in the industry?
I would say that being brave and resilient over the past four years are the qualities that describe me the best.
My journey has been proving that even though I’m still very young, I’ve been fighting for my dream.
A lot of people ask me how I can do it, to cross the Atlantic all by myself and take that risk. The truth is, it’s scary, but highly rewarding. It’s uncomfortable to step out of our comfort zone, to move to a different country, with a different language, culture and with people that you don’t know. But it’s only when you do that, you start building the life that you always dreamed of. That’s what happened to me when I moved to London and to New York. Every time I went back to my country, with all the highs and lows, I always carried a bag filled with obstacles that turned into victories, because you can find happiness (and a lot of laughs) in the whirlwind of your trip.
At the end, every step counts. Giving up, for me, was never an option.
Describe THAT moment when you realized you’re doing what you were born to do.
I started having ballet classes when I was only four years old. With twelve, I discovered theatre, so performing arts was always part of my life.
However, I feel like the turning point was in September 2018. I just moved to London to study Theatre Arts and I was looking at the Tower Bridge. I had to pinch myself because I couldn’t believe that I was there. I remember taking a picture and posting it on Instagram: “I can’t believe I’m going to stay here forever.” Little did I know that in the next year I would surprise myself and I would go to New York. That moment was the spark that ignited the beginning of my journey.
What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve had to go through and how did you grow through it?
Moving abroad from Portugal to London and to New York was and still is a challenge.
Living on the other side of the world in search of a dream has a cost and I’m not talking about money, it’s a lot more than that. It’s the cost of missing the people I love and had to left behind. It’s the cost of leaving my comfort zone and my financial, social and mental stability. And the worst part is all of this won’t give me back the moments I lost with my family. That’s the price you must pay when you want to pursue your dream.
That’s the biggest challenge!
Who are the TOP 3 people you’d want to meet that could elevate your career or business? Why these specific individuals?
There are a lot of people that elevate me in so much levels, but I would say this is my top 3.
Selena Gomez is definitely my number one inspiration since I can remember. I grew up watching her thriving in the entertainment industry. She inspires me every day to grow not only as an artist but also as a human being.
Anne Hathaway is a fantastic actress that I admire so much. She can tell the story of every character she plays in a way like no one does it. Her acting techniques move me and make me love my career even more.
Idina Menzel made me fall in love with musical theatre because of her extraordinary voice and performance. Since then, I have been seeing shows on West End and on Broadway.
Drop your social media links.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brunalisasampaio/