We chat to actress, singer and entrepreneur Daniella Monet best known for her role as Trina Vega in the Nickelodeon series Victorious on her passion for veganism and living cruelty free.
Tell us a bit about the journey that lead to singing and acting? Did you have role models and/or inspiring people in your life that lead you to becoming an artist?
I remember always being an outgoing kid. I loved making people laugh. Having grown up in Los Angeles, acting and singing were just natural hobbies of mine so I turned them into my career and passion when I joined the Nickelodeon network.
When you were younger, did you envisage this as your future? What did you want to be when you were a child?
I knew I felt a natural pull towards a career that would let me use my personality and people skills. In between acting jobs, I often took other jobs on the side to experience different roles and atmospheres. I didn’t always know exactly what I would be, but acting as a child led to a very adventurous and fulfilling career that I’ve worked very hard to manifest.
What is one thing that you would like people to know about you, that they might not already?
People may not know that I spent many years training in Tae Kwon Do. I was starting to train for my black belt when I booked the movie Nancy Drew and because of scheduling intensity, I had to take a break from training. It was a huge passion of mine and I loved the foundation of the art being based on five tenets; courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit. Practicing Tae Kwon Do taught me so much about discipline and focus. To this day, these are skills that assist me in my everyday life.
You are a great advocate for the vegan lifestyle and against animal cruelty, was there anything in particular that made you become vegan, how long ago did you adopt that lifestyle?
I became vegetarian at the age of 5, after having seen a rodeo whilst on a family trip to a dude ranch here in the US. Honestly, I was completely traumatized by what I saw. It made me immediately change my lifestyle to remove all meat. It was about 6-7 years after that when I transitioned to a fully vegan lifestyle. I have a special connection with animals and knew that a vegan lifestyle was the only way I wanted to live my life, in honor in that connection.
What were some of the key challenges you’ve come across in your career and what was key in overcoming them?
Rejection is never easy. I can happily say that it has gotten easier as I have matured, but as a kid I would often get so attached to the idea of a particular project or job that in the event that it didn’t work out, I would be wrecked emotionally and completely heartbroken over it. Learning to take those experiences and make them into opportunities to grow and be more attuned to your own emotions has been a big part of being able to evaluate and accept situations as they really are. I’ve learned so many lessons from being a young actor, growing up in a prominently adult business and I’m a much stronger today woman because of it.
Aside from being Vegan, do you think natural products/makeup are important?
I do. I really appreciate it when a company takes pride in curating genuinely natural products. It’s important for us to be mindful of what we use on our body, no differently than when it comes to considering what we consume. I can’t say I ALWAYS make perfect decisions, but I know with companies becoming more aware of avoiding toxins and impurities, we’ll all have a much easier time making better choices that take the best care of our skin.
What is your favourite INIKA Organic Product/s (if any!) and why?
A day doesn’t go by without me applying the INIKA Organic Certified Organic Lip Balm!
Tell us one thing you do for yourself every day, to be a little happier and healthier?
I take a bath every single night. It’s a form of meditation for me and I find it helps me slow down and process the events of the day.