Not Responsible For Loss Or Damage

I got to catch up with my favorite girlboss Kosha who plays Kaavi on @girlbossnetflix, Jenée on @MaryJaneMTV & Parker on @BravoGG2D

I’ve been stalking Kosha from a distance since her career first started. From her hilarious comedy videos to her appearances on shows like Rules of Engagement and Young & Hungry she’s won over many hearts. We bonded over our love for the industry as we ate our bagel sandwiches for lunch. The industry is incredible, but it also comes with some intense competition. Being an artist can be tough at times, and it’s definitely hard balancing it all. Needless to say, Hollywood is not responsible for loss or damage. 
Catch the interview below!

How did you get into acting?

I took an acting class in high school and I had an amazing teacher named Ms. (Colleen) Finnegan. I think she could sense that I really loved it and she recommended that I apply to conservatories across the country.  She believed in me so much that she even helped me come up with audition monologues and audition tapes for the schools I couldn’t travel to.  I’m so grateful to her, and I have been trying to Internet-stalk her so I can thank her for the impact she’s made on my life and my career, but I cannot find her anywhere!  Like not even on Facebook!

I really love being able to play characters who would behave in a way that I, myself, was not allowed to.  Acting was freedom for me, it still is.

How has your body image shaped you into the person you are?

I have had such a love/hate relationship with my body, and I blame that on magazines and representation.  I’m so thankful for people like Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez because they made my big butt cool.  Before they came around, I felt so ashamed and different and I just wanted a new body.  I wanted to be a shapeless stick.  And that is SO heartbreaking.  After years of exercising and cooking and traveling and experimenting, I’ve fallen madly in love with my body.  Sometimes I eat donuts and pizza and really unhealthy Indian food, and sometimes I stuff it with eggs and vegetables and green juice and healthy crap (I have a weakness for sushi and tacos as well).  Sometimes I go on walks, sometimes I go to extreme boot-camp classes.  I take Pole Dancing lessons, I go swimming, and sometimes...I just lie in bed and binge-watch TV on my laptop.  I don’t feel out of control anymore because I’ve gotten to know my body and myself.  And I’m just so grateful for the strength, power, and freedom that my body gives me every day, imperfections and all.

What message do you want to put out there?

I just want every woman who feels unsure or insecure about her body in any way to know that she’s not alone, and that she’s beautiful just as she is.  And also, if there is something she wants to change about herself, with dedication and commitment and maybe a good buddy or a role model, she can accomplish anything her heart desires. 

Any advice for the 16 yr old you?

Nope!  I would just give her a High Five and say “Girl, it gets awesome later just FYI! Our life turns out to be pretty sweet.”

The hardest thing about what you do?

There’s a lot to say here … The entertainment industry is tough!  It’s competitive.  It’s lonely.  I feel underappreciated and undervalued a lot.  Sometimes people are straight up racist.  And sexist.  People get REAL weird.  But I’ve learned that that may not be JUST an entertainment industry thing, it might be a life thing.  So in order to move through that, I do my best to surround myself with people who empower me and lift me up.  And I read a lot.  Autobiographies are a great place to find strength and inspiration.  The most recent one I’ve picked up is On The Road by Gloria Steinem. 

Any particular people you look up to in the industry?

Everyone!  There are so many people I can learn from in Los Angeles.  I always try and put myself in other people’s shoes, see things through their perspective, so I can figure out how this industry machine works.  I look up to Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson because they are hilarious and created one of my favorite shows of all time, same goes for Lena Dunham!  I look up to Renee Zellweger because she stars in my favorite movie of all time, Empire Records!  I just worked with Britt Robertson and Ellie Reed on a new show called Girlboss and they were so professional, talented, and just warm and welcoming - they were the perfect example of actors I want to be like - the whole team behind that show (Kay Cannon & everyone at Denver and Delilah productions have given me a roadmap as to what kind of woman I want to be).  I look up to my agents and manager because they’ve encouraged me to think outside of the box when it comes to my career.  I saw an interview with Denzel Washington that made me rethink how I view the media and the responsibility of journalists.  Hollywood is full of unique and inspiring people, and you can find inspiration in any one of them if you choose to.

Are you a bathroom singer?

No... BUT I am a hardcore bathroom dancer!  Some of my best moves have been wasted on a shower curtain.

Marvel or DC?

MARVEL!  MARVEL!  MARVEL!

What books are on your bookshelf?

A lot of terrible books about method acting from college!  A lot of books that my friends have written, which is pretty fuckin cool!  And my favorite books which include Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood, Persuasion by Jane Austen, and the Twilight series... yup... all 4 of those suckers.

What’s your most embarrassing moment?

You mean from today?  Once again, there are too many to name here.  I once went on a trip to the beach with all my schoolmates and after sitting in the sand and letting the waves wash up under me, I got up and everyone behind me started laughing.  Apparently, there was a ton of sand dragging my bathing suit down and it looked like I had pooped in my pants.  I’m from Colorado. I’m a mountain girl.

How often do you actually do your laundry?

I do it when I run out of underwear, Shhhh don’t tell my mom.

What detergent are you using at the moment?

Tide.  Why, is there something better I should be using?

Last google search:

“What did people use before Java and C++” but don’t let that throw you.  Before that I was taking a “Build a Pizza and We’ll Tell You What Will Happen to You in March” quiz on Buzzfeed.

What upcoming projects are you most excited about?

GIRLBOSS!!!!  It’s gonna be on Netflix and it comes out April 21st!!!

#GIRLBOSS Follow Kosha on Instagram