In this delightful chat, we delve into the multifaceted world of Djouliet Amara, a rising star whose unique aesthetics and distinctive artistic path have captivated audiences. Known for her roles in “Fitting In” and “The Big Door Prize”, Djouliet shares insights into her career, the fluidity between different art practices, and the cultural experiences that have shaped her perspectives on life. From a spontaneous approach towards creativity to reflections on empathy and personal growth, Amara opens up about her evolving creative processes and the life-changing habits she has been incorporating in her routine.
Your aesthetics are so carefully crafted it is almost impossible to dissociate your persona from them. When did the construction of a personal style become a conscious journey for you?
It never really became too conscious. I just know what I like. I wake up every day and I am just very true to myself in how I express my aesthetics, style, and fashion. And it can really shift depending on the day. But then there’s probably a through line, which is how you might see some consistency. And that’s, I guess, just me.
You’re not afraid to change your appearance, from adopting avant-garde hairstyles to progressing to even bolder fashion choices. How do these futuristic and courageous decisions represent your personality?
I think I’m just very playful. Especially once you get to know me, I’m just kind of a weirdo. You know, a strange, weird egg. Maybe it’s just that weirdness that probably shines through in different ways. But I can’t help to feel, at the same time, like I am incredibly boring, even though I’m not. I don’t know, it’s so funny to even hear, um, this question. Yeah.
You are an accomplished dancer. How does the artistry you acquired throughout this path influence your work as an actress?
I really, really feel like dancing taught me how to act in a big way because we’re on stage giving these performances and telling stories to the people in the back row of the audience. And so I may have even said this before in different interviews, but acting is an experience of giving a voice to that, just in a different language.
Do you have a daily routine to cultivate your physical and creative discipline?
No. I probably should. But right now I’ve been bad at having a routine. I mean, I’m a very creative person, but recently I’ve been terrible at cultivating routine in my life. I’m very spontaneous and, honestly, One thing is that I always make sure that I get a daily walk around listening to music and I get genuinely inspired that way.
In the series Fitting In, your character Vivian is always there to offer love and solidarity to her best friend Lindy, a young lady with an MRKH diagnosis. What do you think is the role of empathy in the world we are experiencing right now?
I’ve always had the traits that Vivian has within me. When we filmed that movie, it was important to the director, Molly McGlynn, to create a process of building her personal story with authenticity. Also, she’s a friend of mine, and her journey means a lot to me. So getting to play her best friend on screen with Maddie, who played her, was enormously important and healing to me and healing to her and healing to all involved. The world surely needs more empathy in general right now. A lot is going on, and we need more love and thoughtfulness. As friends, we should be there for each other. And, in a broader sense, we need to be there for everyone, for the universe.
Also, you landed a role in Fitting In almost simultaneously with your work at The Big Door Prize. How was transitioning from the character Trina to Fitting In Vivian?
I mean, that was an interesting transition because they’re two very different characters. I met Molly on the set of The Big Door Prize. She was directing two episodes. That’s how she kind of found me and then asked me to be in her film. It was an easy transition, in a way, because both of those girls are such a big part of me, there’s a little bit of me in them and a little bit of them in me. Trina, she’s like a grieving teenager. She’s going through a lot. And I feel like in my life, I’ve been through a lot, too. And it’s almost healing to play her because it’s giving me a chance to heal in that way while playing a child that I’m like, doing now for myself in adulthood. It’s beautiful. And with Vivian… With Vivian. It was really cool to play a character who was there for someone healing and learning about a serious diagnosis. It is a rare opportunity.
You have lived in 3 different countries since you were born. Can you name your favorite traits of Russian, Canadian, and American culture?
About Russia, I don’t remember the place because I left when I was so, so young. But I grew up with a lot of Russian food around which I love! My mom makes some of the best food ever. My favorite thing about Canada is everyone is so kind. Well, not everyone, but there’s an overwhelming kindness. There’s an earnestness and wholesomeness you can feel and tell when you’re there; A sense of, you know, people don’t take stuff too seriously. And in the US, I love being here for the level of art that can be created and made. I love New York City. I love living in New York. It’s my favorite place on earth, I think… It surely is right now. I just love the hustle and bustle. I love how everything seems to exist there. I can wake up in the morning and think about anything I want to do and everything is possible within 30 minutes. That’s really what. Yeah. Mhm.
What are the joys and struggles of experiencing changes in your cultural environment from an early age?
Where do I start with that? There were a lot of struggles that I went through from an early age, and art was a big-time healer and teacher for me; Dancing was a big healer and teacher for me. It’s hard to move as an immigrant to a new country. My parents were kids when they had me and when we moved and I was a kid, we were all learning what felt like growing up together and learning about a new country with different ways of processing that. People have different ways of existing. So it was difficult for me to grow up as a kid who wasn’t Canadian despite its very multicultural nature. There’s a big difference between my dad growing up in Sierra Leone, my mom growing up in Russia, really harsh countries, and me growing up in Canada where it isn’t that harsh. We all learned and grew a lot through that. But there was a lot of joy in it, too. And, I’m sure for them too, like, a lot of joy and discovering this new place where there’s so many more opportunities for things to do in your life. And, I mean, I don’t know if I’d be where I am today if we didn’t move to Canada where there were just so many opportunities for me as well. Even, you know, as a kid, not having much at all to create something for myself. It all came through the hard work I learned from my parents.
Besides dancing and acting (which you are tremendously talented at), do other creative practices take place as part of your life?
I was studying piano as an adult, starting a few months back. I met my piano teacher on a dating app, and then I was studying piano three times a week. I wanted to give myself to do that. It was something I never got the opportunity to do, really, as a child. Yes. Just taking part in a lot of activities and hobbies that I wasn’t allowed to do when I was little or didn’t have time to do or, you know, didn’t have the money to do. It’s like reraising I don’t want to say reraising myself in a way, but kind of like, making little Juliet happy by letting her have all the time in the day to do anything she wants. I also want to start doing pole dance. I think that that could be a great way to move my body again and get some upper-body strength. Another endeavor that makes me happy at the moment is diving into making music again. It isn’t something I’ve come out about, but I’ve been feeling really creative lately.
Can you name some decisions from the present you think can benefit Djouliet ten years ahead?
Oh, yeah. Therapy. But also going through the experiences of being in the industry during difficult times, like really coming up in the industry through a pandemic and a strike, having that experience taught me a lot and also allowed me to feel grateful for the fact that I had opportunities during those times and was working. All of this makes me sure I can push through any challenges and be more successful in the future. I know in the future I’ll still be doing this at a higher level too. I just know.
Djouliet Amara @djouliet
Photography + Creative Direction Isabela Costa @isa.chromatic
Photo and Creative Assitant Anna Dória @_______elcosmosyanna
Styling Alexia Salgado @alexiavibes
MakeUp Joanna Faivre
Hair Taka Jackson @chatwakaj_
Interview Anna Dória @_______elcosmosyanna
Production + Location Isabela Costa @bellomediagroup x @maisonpriveepr_la
