“Wrecked” with Ally Maki

With a comedy acting career that spans some of our TV favorites like ‘2 Broke girls’, ‘Big Bang Theory’, ‘New Girl’ and most recently ‘Wrecked’, we are thrilled to chat work, play and beauty with Ally Maki for this week’s online cover of Lapalme Magazine.

Lapalme Magazine: You have an extensive resume! What’s the craziest place you’ve ever filmed?

Ally Maki: We film “Wrecked” in Puerto Rico, which is definitely the most beautiful yet challenging place I have ever worked. We film on the beach or in the jungle every day, so we are constantly dealing with the elements and everything that comes with that. Random tropical downpours, extreme heat, and bugs (just to name a few)! The mosquitos are the worst. I got bit hundreds of times, constantly every day to the point where I got really sick. It is definitely one of the most challenging experiences of my life, but I feel it brought us as a cast so much closer. We truly bonded.

 

LM: If you weren’t acting, you’d be ______.

AM: Probably writing in some way. As a kid, I was always writing short stories or scripts and in high school I interned as an online journalist for US Weekly.

 

LM: You recently gave a great tight-lining trick in Allure magazine among other beauty advice, what’s your must-have beauty product of the moment?

 

AM: Charlotte Tilbury’s Filmstar Bronze and Glow Palette. It is seriously fantastic. On “Wrecked” we wear very minimal makeup so I am constantly on the hunt for products that give that natural effervescent glow. This one takes the cake.

LM: Given the general lack of diversity in casting what does it mean to be an Asian American actress in Hollywood for you? How do you deal with obstacles and upsets?

 

AM: Since growing up there was such an extreme lack of representation of Asian actors and even more specifically Asian American women in comedy. I feel such an immense responsibility to keep pushing forward and kicking down doors in the industry to play roles that would have never even existed for me five years ago. It makes me genuinely happy when I get a message from a young girl somewhere who tells me that seeing me pursue my dreams makes her believe its possible for her too. That is everything to me. It is so important for young girls to have that representation and sense of community. To feel they truly matter and can be the center of their stories, not just the background. I think in the past, because there was only a handful of decent roles for us, there was this sense of desperation amongst AA actors creating a feeling of competition amongst us. Now more than ever, Asian Americans are speaking up and coming to the realization that if we come together fully supporting one another, our voices can be heard too much greater lengths. At the end of the day, the industry is tough no matter what and I always tell people if you do not 100% love and have passion for what you do, then go find that thing. It is such a unique lifestyle.

 

LM: On your TV Show “Wrecked” millennials are stuck on an island without their “necessities” what “necessity” could you not live without?

AM: My iPhone and Starbucks coffee.

TEAM CREDITS:
Photos: Ryan West @ryanwestphotos
Styling: @brando.fshnstylist @arthunter.stylist
Glam: @jey_ventura