Masiela Lusha facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Masiela Lusha
Lusha in 2014
Born	(1985-10-23) October 23, 1985 (age 39) Tirana, PSR Albania
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Glendale Community College (AA) University of California, Los Angeles (BA)
Occupation	Actress poet
Years active	1998–present
Notable work	Drinking the Moon The Besa Inner Thoughts
Spouse(s)	Ramzi Habibi ​ (m. 2013)​
Children	2
Awards	2 Young Artist Awards for Leading Young Actress in a Comedy and Drama
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Masiela Lusha (born October 23, 1985) is an actress and writer from Albania who now lives in America. She is well-known for playing Carmen Lopez on the TV show George Lopez. This role helped her win two Young Artist Awards.

After her TV success, Masiela Lusha also starred in movies. She was in Blood: The Last Vampire from Sony Pictures. She also appeared with David Hasselhoff in the SyFy movie Sharknado: The 4th Awakens.

Masiela Lusha started acting in 2001. She made her TV debut on the Disney Channel show Lizzie McGuire. She also voiced Nina in Clifford's Puppy Days for PBS. Lusha has appeared in other TV shows like Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Anger Management.

Besides acting, Lusha is also a talented author. She has written five poetry books, a novel called The Besa, and two children's books. She has even translated poems by Mother Teresa. Masiela Lusha is also involved in charity work. She was named an ambassador for Prince Harry's charity, Sentebale, in 2010. In 2014, she became a goodwill ambassador for the World Assembly of Youth.

About Masiela Lusha

Masiela Lusha was born in Tirana, Albania. She is the only child of Max and Daniela Lusha. Her mother worked as a magazine publisher. In 1990, when Masiela was young, her family had to leave Albania as refugees. They moved to Budapest, Hungary, and then to Vienna, Austria. Lusha has said that her early experiences as a refugee made her want to help others.

Childhood in America

When Masiela was seven, she moved to Michigan in the United States. There, she reunited with her great uncle, Dr. Joseph H. Alli. He was a colonel in the army during World War 2. English was her fourth language, after Albanian, Hungarian, and German.

At age twelve, Masiela Lusha started modeling in Michigan. After a few months, a Hollywood talent agent discovered her. This agent held an open casting call in Detroit, Michigan. The next year, while acting in Los Angeles, Lusha published her first book of poetry, Inner Thoughts.

Her Literary Journey

Lusha signing copies of her book in October 2010.

Early Writing Success

As a poet, Masiela Lusha was named one of the Top Ten Talented Poets of North America. Former President Bill Clinton also recognized her work. By the time she finished high school, Lusha had already published two poetry books. As of 2010, she has written seven books in total.

More Books and Inspiration

From 2005 to 2010, Lusha wrote four more poetry books. While she was filming George Lopez, she published her second book, Drinking the Moon. In 2010, Lusha wrote her first children's book, Boopity Boop Writes Her First Poem. She chose poetry for her children's book because her mother read her poems as lullabies. She feels a strong connection between feelings and words in poetry. In 2016, Lusha released her fourth poetry book, The Living Air.

Lusha once shared that she wrote her novel, The Besa, very quickly. She believes that art should bring "color, compassion, and movement" into society. She feels art needs to make an impact to stay important.

Her Acting Career

Starting Out in Acting

Masiela Lusha began her career as a model and theater actress in Michigan. Her first role was a background character in a school play. Later, she played Cinderella in The Last Dress Rehearsal. She also played Belle in Beauty and the Beast.

After moving to California, Lusha became a main fashion model for a J. C. Penney TV campaign. This campaign aired in America and South America. She also appeared in the Alanis Morissette music video "Hands Clean".

Becoming a TV Star: George Lopez

In 2000, Lusha made her TV debut on the Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire. She played Olivia in the episode "Last Year's Model". Her first movie role was in the 2000 film A Father's Love.

In 2001, she was chosen to play Carmen Lopez on the new ABC sitcom George Lopez. The show was produced by Sandra Bullock. After 120 episodes, the show became very popular worldwide. By age 20, Lusha was a well-known TV actress. The George Lopez show won an Emmy Award. It became the second-longest-running sitcom with a Hispanic lead. Lusha's character, Carmen, left the show in 2007.

Lusha won two Young Artist Awards for Best Leading Actress for her role as Carmen. While working on George Lopez, she also voiced Nina for four years on the PBS series Clifford's Puppy Days. Playing Nina helped inspire her to write children's books.

Movies and Global Recognition

Lusha photographed at Warner Brothers Studios.

In 2009, Masiela Lusha reunited with the cast of George Lopez on Lopez Tonight. She said the show "keeps giving" and brought them all together for a lifetime.

Lusha has also appeared as Mira on an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. She was in the Spanish film Muertas (2008), playing the main character, Aracelli.

Lusha with poet laureate Ismail Kadare during a press conference for the film Time of the Comet

Lusha also starred as Saint Agnes in the Albanian movie Time of the Comet (2008). This film was based on a novel by Ismail Kadare. Lusha spoke in a special Albanian dialect for the movie. She played a Catholic nun who falls in love with a Muslim rebel.

Lusha played Sharon, a vampire, in the Sony Pictures movie Blood: The Last Vampire. This film was released internationally by Sony Pictures.

In 2011, Lusha starred in Katie Malone and The Architect. In Katie Malone, she played Ginger, a college student haunted by a ghost. She acted alongside Stephen Colletti and Dean Cain. In The Architect, she worked with Stacy Keach. In 2012, Lusha was in Of Silence with Muse Watson.

In 2012, Lusha played Princess Aleya in the movie Orc Wars. Princess Aleya was the last elven warrior.

Lusha worked again with George Lopez creator Bruce Helford on the FX series Anger Management. She played Molly, a love interest.

Lusha was also cast in SyFy's Sharknado: The 4th Awakens and Sharknado 5: Global Swarming. She played Gemini, who was the cousin of Ian Ziering's character.

In 2017, Lusha starred in the Lifetime movie Forgotten Evil. She played Renee, a woman with amnesia. The role was written especially for her by the Sharknado director.

Helping Others

Goodwill Ambassador Masiela Lusha and WAY president, Idris Haron, attending a WAY event in 2014.

Masiela Lusha has said that her childhood as a refugee made her want to help people. She remembers fleeing Albania with her mother on a bus. Volunteers helped them safely enter Hungary. These experiences made helping others a very important part of her life.

In 2010, Lusha became an Ambassador for Prince Harry's charity, Sentebale. This charity helps vulnerable children in Lesotho, Africa. It was started by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso to honor their mothers.

Lusha was also a spokesperson for Scholastic's Read for Life program. She has promoted the importance of reading. She is also the national spokesperson for the Great American Bake Sale. This program helps fight childhood hunger. Lusha visits towns to support food drives and raise money for local communities.

Lusha started the Children of the World Foundation. This non-profit organization provides food, shelter, and education to families in need. She donated land for a community center to help these families.

In 2013, Athgo International named Lusha their Ambassador for Youth. In this role, Lusha helps young entrepreneurs connect with organizations like the World Bank Group and the United Nations.

The World Assembly of Youth appointed Lusha as their first Goodwill Ambassador. She works with the UN to promote causes for young people worldwide. These causes include improving gender equality and increasing respect between different cultures.

Personal Life

While filming George Lopez, Masiela Lusha was privately schooled on set. She graduated from Burbank High School at age 15. She then attended Glendale College. She earned an AA degree and transferred to UCLA at age 18. At UCLA, she studied Creative Writing. She also has a degree from FIDM. She uses her education to design and sew her own clothes for red carpet events.

In 2012, Lusha started dating Ramzi Habibi. They got engaged in July 2013. On December 28, 2013, they got married in Queenstown, New Zealand. The couple has two children, a son born in 2018 and a daughter born in 2020.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards