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 American actress and author who was born in Albania. She became 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 and Ian Ziering in the SyFy TV movie Sharknado: The 4th Awakens.

Masiela Lusha started acting in 2001 in a film called Summoning. That same year, she appeared on the Disney Channel show Lizzie McGuire. She was also a main voice actor in Clifford's Puppy Days for PBS. Lusha has acted in many other TV shows like Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Anger Management. She has also been in various movies, including Cherry Bomb (2004), Time of the Comet (2008), and Kill Katie Malone (2010).

In 2010, Lusha became an ambassador for Prince Harry's charity, Sentebale. In 2014, she was named a goodwill ambassador for the World Assembly of Youth. Lusha also supports UN Women, which works for gender equality.

Masiela Lusha is also a talented writer. She has written five poetry books, a novel called The Besa, and two children's books. She has even translated poems and prayers by Mother Teresa into Albanian.

Early Life and Education

Masiela Lusha was born in Tirana, Albania. Her parents are Max and Daniela Lusha. Her mother worked as a magazine publisher. In 1990, when Masiela was young, her family left Albania as refugees. They moved to Budapest, Hungary, and then to Vienna, Austria. Lusha has said that her early experiences as a refugee inspired her to help others.

Growing Up in America

When she was seven, Lusha moved to Michigan, USA. There, she reunited with her great-uncle, Dr. Joseph H. Alli. English was her fourth language, after Albanian, Hungarian, and German.

At age twelve, Lusha started modeling in Michigan. She also acted in local theater plays. A Hollywood talent agent discovered her at an open audition in Detroit. The next year, while acting in Los Angeles, Lusha published her first poetry book, Inner Thoughts.

Literary Career

Lusha signing copies of her book, in October 2010.

Masiela Lusha is known for her writing as well as her acting.

Early Writing Success (1997–2004)

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

New Books and Inspiration (2005–Present)

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 a children's book called Boopity Boop Writes Her First Poem. She chose poetry for her children's book because her mother read poetry to her as lullabies. She feels a strong connection between her feelings and words arranged beautifully on a page. In 2016, Lusha released her fourth poetry book, The Living Air.

Lusha also wrote a novel called The Besa. She believes that artists have a duty to bring "color, compassion, and movement" into society through their work. She feels that art needs to impact the world to stay important and alive.

Acting Career

Masiela Lusha has had a long and successful acting career in both TV and movies.

Starting Out (1997–1999)

Lusha began her career as a model and theater actress in Michigan. Her first theater role was a small background part in a school play. Later, she played Cinderella in The Last Dress Rehearsal and Belle in Beauty and the Beast. She also played an Oompa Loompa in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. After moving to California, Lusha became a main model for a J. C. Penney TV ad campaign. She also appeared in the Alanis Morissette music video "Hands Clean".

Hollywood Breakthrough: George Lopez (2000–2007)

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 film role was in the 2000 movie A Father's Love.

In 2001, she was chosen to play Carmen Lopez on the new ABC sitcom George Lopez. Famous actress Sandra Bullock was one of the show's executive producers. The show became very popular and was shown all over the world. By the time she was 20, Lusha was a well-known TV actress. The George Lopez show won an Emmy Award and became one of the longest-running sitcoms with a Hispanic lead actor. In 2007, Lusha's character, Carmen, was written off the show due to "creative differences."

Lusha won two Young Artist Awards for Best Leading Actress for her role as Carmen. While working on George Lopez, Lusha also voiced the character Nina for four years on the PBS series Clifford's Puppy Days. This role in children's entertainment inspired her to write a children's book.

International Film Roles (2008–Present)

Lusha photographed at Warner Brothers Studios.

In December 2009, Lusha reunited with the cast of George Lopez on the show Lopez Tonight. She said that 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 also acted in the Spanish language 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 played Saint Agnes in the Albanian film Time of the Comet (2008). This movie was based on a novel by Ismail Kadare. In the film, Lusha spoke in a specific Albanian dialect. She played a Catholic nun who falls in love with a Muslim rebel.

Lusha also played Sharon, a sword-wielding vampire, in the Sony Pictures remake of Blood: The Last Vampire. She starred alongside Jun Ji-hyun. The film was released internationally by Sony Pictures in 2009.

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

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

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

Lusha was cast as a main character, Gemini, in SyFy's Sharknado: The 4th Awakens and Sharknado 5: Global Swarming. Gemini is the cousin of Ian Ziering's character and niece of David Hasselhoff's character.

In 2017, Lusha starred in the Lifetime film Forgotten Evil. She played Renee, a woman who has lost her memory. The director, Anthony C. Ferrante, reportedly wrote the role specifically for Lusha.

Humanitarian Work and Public Service

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

Masiela Lusha has said that her childhood memories as a refugee inspired her to help others. She remembers fleeing Albania on a bus with her mother. Volunteers from an international organization helped them travel safely. Lusha believes that these experiences made humanitarianism a core part of who she is.

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

Lusha was also a spokesperson for Scholastic's Read for Life program. She has appeared in public service announcements and read to children in schools. She always promotes "the value of appreciating the written word." As the national spokesperson for the Great American Bake Sale, Lusha supports food drives to help fight childhood hunger. She encourages people to raise money to help their local communities.

Lusha founded the Children of the World Foundation, a non-profit organization. It provides food, shelter, and education to families in need. She donated 10 acres (40,000 m²) of land for a community center to help families.

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

The World Assembly of Youth appointed Lusha as their first Goodwill Ambassador. This organization works with the UN on many issues. As an ambassador, Lusha promotes causes important to young people worldwide. These include improving gender equality, encouraging democratic participation, 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 and earned an AA degree. At 18, she transferred to UCLA and studied Creative Writing. Lusha also has a degree from FIDM, which helps her design her own clothes for red carpet events.

In 2012, Lusha started dating financier Ramzi Habibi. They announced their engagement in July 2013. On December 28, 2013, they got married in New Zealand. The couple has two children: a son born in February 2018 and a daughter born in October 2020.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards

See also

In Spanish: Masiela Lusha para niños