ANNAMARIA DEMARA, ONE ‘BOMB’ GIRL
These days to make it in Hollywood, you have to stand out from the masses. Enter quadruple threat AnnaMaria DeMara. This actress, dancer, model and activist is certainly a force to be reckoned with! This powerhouse has a lot to be excited about these days, including her recent role on the Reelz TV series Bomb Girls. PPLA chatted with AnnaMaria about everything from her upcoming webseries to her recent trip to Dubai and can’t wait to see what’s to come from this ingénue!
Q: How did you get your start in the business?
A: I was six when my mom put me into dance. I was super, super shy, so my mom put me into dance so I could open up. I didn’t, but I continued to dance. I ended up dancing for the National Ballet of Canada for years. Then I started doing hip hop and I started incorporating break dancing into it. Then I did this one little short film in Toronto with a boyfriend of mine at the time. When I saw it edited together I thought, I want to do this! It was an eight minute movie that ended up winning a lot of awards. Despite that, I never thought I would be doing this professionally.
Q: Now that you have had a lot of success as an actress, do you still dance?
A: Yes, I just signed up for ballroom dancing classes. That is always going to be my side thing. I have been so focused on my acting this year, but I still crave dancing. It is my outlet, it makes me happy!
Q: Tell me about your role in the ReelzTV series Bomb Girls?
A: It is an amazing show, set in the 1940’s with an amazing cast shot in Toronto. What was really unique about me getting involved was that I saw some billboards around Los Angeles and I kept wondering what Bomb Girls was about. I did some research and really wanted to be a part of it. Cut to my agents telling me they got an audition for me to be a guest star. The show really reminds me of my grandmother. My grandmother was a very put together woman. So it brought me back to that time where I would put on her hat, jewelry, or her clothes. The 40’s are one my favorite eras. That time was very classy and sophisticated.
Q: You have a super strong online presence. Have you always been really tech savvy?
A: I went to school to study multimedia and design. I took things like Photoshop and Illustrator, so I know how to create. I even know how to code websites. So not cool, I know, but I like challenges!
Q: Do you have any advice for up and comers about what’s worked for you in regards to marketing yourself?
A: I think Twitter is a great way for people to get in touch with you as well as for you to inspire others. It is a great tool for anybody in the industry as well as having a Facebook fan page. About.me has also been really great. That is what I did my website on. It is super simple to use. It gives you statistics about how many people have seen your website today and the age range of people viewing it. This way you know what you are putting out there and who is looking at it. It is very unique and simple.
Q: What can you tell me about Dubai and why you went?
A: I am a part of this company called 4D Retail Technology. It is a company where I am a virtual spokesmodel. It is interactive and one of a kind. We went to Dubai, because there was an interest there and we presented at a technology conference. I also took on another role with the company as a producer, which has been really fun and challenging.
Q: What are your goals professionally in the next year?
A: My goal is to book an indie film, like a Sundance festival film or something along those lines. I would like it to be really comical or really dark. I would also love to do a comedy studio film. I also just wrote my first short film. I am not the best writer, but I have always been super creative and unique. I guess that is where the whole “Anna Banana” thing comes from.
Q: How did the whole “Anna Banana” thing come about?
A: When I lived in Canada, I went out for the Miss Canada pageant in 2004. Miss Universe Canada really liked me and took me on and asked me to represent Canada in Equador. Different cities in South America celebrate their queens with the things their country exports. Equador just happens to be the largest exporter of bananas. So I won the pageant and became The Queen of Bananas. It corresponds with my silly side.
Q: What else can you tell me about your short film?
A: It is about a girl who goes on a lot of really fun, unique dates. She goes on dates because she can’t afford to eat and there is a little twist at the end.
