Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joanna Younes. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Joanna, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I love answering this question because it makes me smile whenever I look back at that moment. Growing up, I always knew I had a passion for entertaining others. I loved making people laugh, smile, or even just surprising them. I started acting when I was six, so I grew up doing a lot of musical theater. I was cast in some pretty big productions back home in Kuwait, where I got to perform in front of large audiences and re-tell the same stories that I grew up watching and loving. Some of those included Aladdin, The Lion King, Annie, Bugsy Malone, to name a few. It always felt like such a tight-knit community or family with every production, and they were always the hardest goodbyes when we did our final shows. I knew I always wanted to act, but I had never considered pursuing a full on film career, it had just never occurred to me. One evening when I was training with my coach at the time, the late Mr. Mike Hewlett, he proposed the idea to me and sort of planted the seed. We were going over my monologue for hours, and for a moment he just looked at me and asked “have you every considered doing this full time?” or something along those lines. He kept encouraging me to apply to drama schools, and he reiterated that I have what it takes to go into film & tv. I would laugh at first because I had no idea how the film industry worked at the time. I was only sixteen, and I had done theater all my life at that point. But I remember going back home that night, and watching a couple of YouTube videos on how to break into the business. I was so curious and eager to learn more about film acting, and ever since that night, I came back home from school every day and would spend hours researching, learning, and writing down all the things I needed to do to pursue a film career. I truly owe it all to him – sometimes I feel as though he’s a guardian angel, watching over me sometimes still. I don’t think I would’ve truly considered it, or perhaps I wouldn’t have considered it as soon as I had if it weren’t for him. Unfortunately, the year he passed was the year I moved to the United States. I had a dream one night that I was leaving the theater department of the college that I was in, and he was waiting outside for me. Once I noticed him, he told me that he was proud of me and that I was on the right path. I carry that with me to this day, and although others may say it was my subconscious reminiscing, I do believe he is proud still.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a performer, originally from Lebanon but raised in Kuwait, and made my move to the United States at 18 for college. Ever since I was little, I’ve been acting in musical theater productions while honing my craft, and have landed some ads, commercials, and modeling gigs along the way. I got into the industry really young, and it was because my mom put me in acting and dance classes. She wanted me to feel more confident in front of crowds and to really excel at doing what I love. Ever since, I’ve been cast in some major productions with lead roles, which I’m incredibly thankful for. I also started getting into film when I moved to the U.S. I managed to collaborate with other artists while playing the lead in multiple short films, one of which our film was selected to screen at Campus Movie Fest. I also won the Best Actress category for that same film, which I was so grateful for considering there were so many films being considered. That was probably one of my highlights so far – it felt so surreal to be awarded for a project my friends and I worked on, and I feel so thankful for that experience! As I garnered more experience and put my portfolio together, I have several meetings for talent representation, and I ended up signing with my favorite management. They’ve been a rock and have truly allowed me to elevate, grow, and have pushed me as a talent. Finally, another project I feel personally proud of was playing one of the leads in our feature film Night Hunter, in collaboration with other friends in the industry. We worked on our film for just over a year, and were so dedicated to capturing the vision as accurately as possible. I played the role of Sylvia Steel, and personally, that was probably my favorite role that I’ve played so far. I felt so challenged, and the emotional rollercoasters that my character has been on allowed me to get real creative with how I got to portray her. I got to improv a lot, which I love doing, and a lot of her scenes were really emotional and dramatic. I felt like I was getting to know a new friend that I was trying to understand, as her struggles ran deep. I feel proud of that project, because I got to play a more vulnerable character, where I got to show my “ugly side” and how dark someone can become when pushed to the edge. We ended up selling out on all three of our premiere nights, which was something exciting for us all as a team.

I got into modeling and influencer work when I was around 16 – I signed a modeling contract back home with Twentyeight, a prominent modeling agency in Kuwait. While I was still in high school, I was booking really incredible opportunities, and I had so much fun on set every time! My favorite shoot would probably be when I was on set with Eden Spa & Salon – they took really great care of the models, the food was so incredible, and it was such a positive atmosphere as a whole. I got my very first spray tan, which was pretty fun for a 16 year old girl, and I felt so good modeling! That experience made me want to continue seeking modeling opportunities with my agency, and later on I started booking more gigs, where I’ve worked with Hype Gym, and a clothing boutique called Nalbes. Each experience was so unique, and I learned so much on every set. As I continued acting and modeling, I started to become more interested in creating my own content, and that was how influencer work came along. I started reaching out for brand collabs, and have created content with some of the most incredible brands that I would have only dreamed of collaborating with! I had so much fun creating content for Lulu’s, Bumble, CeraVe, Batiste, Grubhub, to name a few. I’ve been a part of so many campaigns, which I felt honored to do, and creating content for each particular campaign was always so exciting. I got to experiment with how creative I could get, and tried to tailor my content to match each campaign’s goals and values. They were such eye-opening experiences, and I learned so much about what it truly takes to create content for different brands, and how challenging it can be to secure those collaborations.

: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Absolutely. A huge goal of mine is to give back to my community as well as other communities that I want to support in a more tangible way. I truly believe that I’d be nowhere without the people that support me, my family, close friends, and the community that I come from. A long term goal of mine is to contribute to fighting for better representation of Middle Eastern actors in the film industry. I believe that we don’t get represented fairly, and a lot of the stereotypes are still present in modern film & television. I want to give back in more ways than one, but that’s where I would start.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I think seeing it all finally come together, the finished product. I feel so proud of everyone involved behind each project – it truly is a group effort and every role plays its part on set. It’s so bittersweet, especially on days where we’re almost finished wrapping up. Everything we had been working towards boils down to those final days, but when those days arrive we’re almost not ready to let go of filming yet. It’s so fulfilling to me, and makes me feel like I have a purpose beyond just the “regular” days in life. What’s even more rewarding than the finished product is seeing how the finished product is impacting those watching. I’ve had people come up to me and tell me that they’re inspired by something I’ve done, or the way I went about doing something. Some people have been there throughout the journey and feel inspired to do the same, while still paving their own unique path. Little things like that truly keep me going as a creative, and I always feel so touched by people’s support and words of encouragement. They go such a long way, and it makes me happy to know that my work helps uplift people’s spirits. That’s what it’s all about really.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @joannayounessss
• Other: TikTok: @ayooitsjoo

Image Credits
Raul Adrian Urreola (Bullet Catch Films) Hamad Kh. AlAbdulghani Pamela Lopez