Charity Begins

A week before Christmas, the office of Much & House Public Relations was decorated to the nines with holiday cheer.

Fresh off the Boat star Luna Blaise walked in with a huge smile on her face, toting gifts for members of the Much & House staff.

Giving is a big part of what makes Luna Blaise so unique. In addition to said Christmas gifts, she is also involved with many charitable organizations that deal with issues such as breast cancer awareness and water conservation.

Her charity work is all the more meaningful given her status as an up-and-coming star. The 14 year old actress may be young, but her talent, maturity and optimism far exceed her age. These characteristics as well as her background in the industry will help Luna Blaise to go far.

Blaise currently plays Nicole on ABC’s Fresh off the Boat. The show follows the Huangs, a Taiwanese family who makes the move from Washington, DC, to Orlando, Fla., to run an Old West style restaurant in the 1990s. Nicole is the young neighbor who develops a friendship with the eldest Huang son, Eddie.

Blaise explains that Nicole is a feisty, confident girl who really sticks up for herself. Of all the roles she’s played, Blaise feels closest to Nicole, stating, “I see more of myself in her… I definitely have my little feisty moments.”

At the age of 5, Luna Blaise started modelling. She became the face of many large brands, including Target, Juicy Couture, KFC, McDonalds and the GAP. Blaise grew up in the limelight as well as on sets with her father, director Paul Boyd.

The decision to transition from modelling to acting was not hard for her, explained Blaise. She knew acting was what she wanted to do. She watched actors and actresses do their jobs for years saying, “That’s actually a really cool thing to do, being in front of the camera. So I thought maybe I’d like to try that out and I’m really lucky that I did because I’m having a good time.”

Luna Blaise first came into the on-screen spotlight when she was cast as Nina in the film Memoria. Based on Palo Alto: Stories by James Franco, the film follows Ivan, a teenage boy who is dissatisfied with his life and attempts to find his place in the world. Memoria premiered on November 1, 2015, at the Austin Film Festival and was immediately picked up by Montery Media.

Blaise said, “It was one of the best things I ever did because I learned so much while filming it.” Memoria will be released in 2016.

The most rewarding thing about acting, Blaise says, is “every time I’m on set, I’m learning.” She stated that she’s the most appreciative of the life lessons and the good experiences that she has on set, especially when she learns about all the different things that go into making a TV show or movie.

“Watching everyone do what they do is incredible,” Blaise said.

She also explained that she feels lucky to be working with a female showrunner and many great female writers. She said that she found it inspiring to be working with so many amazing women that she can look up to.

This kind of inspiration is a big part of acting for Blaise. She explained that one such source of inspiration is her role model Drew Barrymore. “She started out as a child actress and I started out as a child actress. I still am a child actress,” Blaise said. She hopes to have a career as successful as Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Lopez, another of Blaise’s role models.

Hoping to inspire the nation’s youth, Luna Blaise uses her up-and-coming status for good. She is currently involved in several charities and has plans to continue her charity work in the future.

She works with all of the breast cancer awareness organizations she can find. Blaise is so passionate about this issue because, “My aunt passed away from breast cancer, so I’m definitely huge on doing whatever I can.” She is particularly passionate about promoting breast cancer awareness to teens.

Blaise is also ardent about raising awareness of climate change and the California drought.  She is heavily involved in the Waterkeeper Alliance campaign and has worked with both Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Rachel Harris to reduce water use and help with the current drought.

She said of her work with the campaign, “I had no idea that all of this was happening. I was really blown away because I knew that we were in a drought right now, but I did not know it was that severe.” 

She clarified, “Basically, a ‘waterkeeper’ is someone who goes to all the water reservoirs and makes sure that all the water is clean so it flows.” According to the organization’s website, the campaign also ensures that communities around the world have access to clean, unpolluted water.

When asked if she had any advice for aspiring actors, Blaise replied, “Follow your dreams. I know it’s so cliché, but definitely follow your dreams because that’s what I did and I’m very, very happy that I did it.”

She went on to say, “Also go with what your instinct is telling you and don’t listen to anyone who says you’re not good enough, not pretty enough or that you can’t do it. You can always do it. You’re able to do anything.”

Talented, charitable and optimistic, the young actress has big aspirations for her future. Not only does she intend to continue acting and possibly move into other industry roles, but she also plans to continue her charity work and use her status to make the world a better place. Luna Blaise is living her dream.

“I’m having a lot of fun, so I think this is my main goal right now,” Blaise said.