NATACHA KARAM ON GENUINE CONNECTIONS, BRINGING JOY AND BEING HUMAN

BY IRVIN RIVERA

911: Lone Star badass NATACHA KARAM is all about establishing genuine connections, bringing joy and just being human. The talented actress plays the fearless firefighter Marjan in the highly successful action-drama TV series from FOX.

The first time I saw Natacha on the show’s premiere, I immediately thought to myself- I want to work with her. And years later, here we are.

In this exclusive interview, we spoke to Natacha about the strangeness of real life versus fiction and how it correlates to our everyday experiences, how life and death situations brings heightened levels of friendship to all the people involved- adding depth to the connection, making it more meaningful. We also took a deep dive on social media- its effects and influence on people, on its audience, and how it is a double-edged powerful tool in itself that can both be creative and destructive.

PHOTOGRPAHER: IRVIN RIVERA, FASHION STYLIST: DEVON NUSZER, MAKE-UP ARTIST: TRACE WATKINS, HAIR STYLIST: MATILDE CAMPOS @SIXKLA USING VIRTUE LABS, ORIBE AND HIDDEN CROWN HAIR, PHOTO PRODUCER: LOUISE BARRETTO, STYLING ASSISTANT: JANNELY GOMEZ
Dress: ALINA ANWAR COUTURE

In this interview, Karam also spoke about her experiences in the show so far, her dreams, life lessons learned and what book she would be if she is one.

Hi Natacha. How are you?

I'm great. I'm really good. Thank you for asking.

Have you been busy?

Yeah, I mean, we're coming up to the end of our third season of Lone Star so, the end has been really busy and really action-packed, lots of long days. But I think our finale episode is going to be really special. So, it's going to be worth all the hard work we've put in.

That's so exciting. I mean, there's always something going on with the show. That's really one of the cool things that I love about it is that it keeps you on your toes all the time.

You never know what’s next and if you try, you're wrong.

I had to find something that I do that I enjoy to put out on the world on social media. Otherwise, it gets tricky because what's public? What's private? What do you want to show? What's a facade? What's a snapshot? What's just a moment in a day, I don't want to be someone who adds to the damaging illusions that social media creates

Yes!

If I try to guess what's happening in the next script, I never get it right. It's so crazy and so left field and there's so much room for, you know, in the world of emergencies there's so much room for outlandish things to happen. Because they do, a lot of the incidents that we have in the show are based on real-life things that happen. I think our writer's rooms find these obscure stories and get inspired by them. And we end up having these...

I was going to say, the crazy thing is that it's real life. You know, it's based on real-life stories.

Yeah.

And it's so bizarre sometimes [I’m] like, are these things happening or like..., it's so strange.

I mean, life is weird, you know, we want life to be a lot more normal than it is or a lot more linear and I think our show reminds us that the world is full of surprises and oddities and weirdness. It's full of it and our show reflects that.

Yes, yes. And you guys are embracing it fully, which is amazing. Yes.

I don't think we could do it without embracing the fact that we're being a little wacky and a little weird, you have to lean into it, or it doesn't work.

Oh, for sure. For sure. Embracing it, and the audience can feel it too. Because it's like- this is it. Like what you're saying... Life is weird. It's stranger than

fiction.

Yes.

Let's roll with it. Come on.

Don't ever forget it. Don't ever forget how weird it is.

Now, let's dive into Marjan. How would you characterize your character evolution throughout the seasons of the show?

You know, one of the things that I think is so special is Marjan and Paul's friendship. And we've seen that evolve over three seasons and now they're like four to five best friends. And both of them were brand new to a city and a new life and a new firehouse. Because we all move there because Captain Strand wanted us to and incentivize us too, but you know, that friendship and that bond that they have- I mean, it's like life. The most important things to me are relationships and connection and love and friendship. And so, for me, that's something really, really important that happened in Marjan’s journey, is getting to spend more time with Paul- getting to show up for him, him getting to show up for her just solidifying that trust and fortifying that friendship for those two over three seasons. And a lot of people love that relationship. They love that they're just platonic best friends. And to see how deep those roots run is really nice.

Suit Dress: MISS CIRCLE, Bandana & Gloves: UNCUFFED LEATHER

You're right. I mean, it's really evident and the growth between your relationship, it's just so beautiful and it shows.

I think you have to have a lot of trust, the reason why there's so much camaraderie and friendship in the first place within the whole group, is that they constantly have their lives on the line. And they have to believe that their teammates have their back, you don't have any time to question like, do I trust this person, are they going to be there for me? You can put your life in the hands of all of those people and be sure that they're going to do the right thing and that creates, you know- it was the same when I was on the military show, there was such an intense camaraderie and friendship between all of the people in that unit. And that's for the same reason. It brings a new level of depth to friendship to be like, if my life is on the line, I pick you. I pick all of you to have my back. And I don't have time to question whether you do or not. So, I think that's really special. That's something that's singular in these high-risk jobs. It's one thing to be in a medical rescue but it's another thing to run into a burning building.

Or jump from a bridge.

Yes.

How do you guys embody that as a group, as a cast? Because it's a show with lots of moving parts, with a big cast member, and you just have this dynamic, all of you guys- it seems like a big family?

Yeah, we love each other. We're so lucky. We spend time on the weekends together, we choose to continue to hang out after 14,15-hour a day, five days a week, to choose stills and be like I want to see these people at the weekend is a testament to how much we actually enjoy each other's company. And I think that that reads on-screen too that we all actually really like each other. There's lots of improv like little one-liners of things when we do group scenes because it's kind of starting to become like life imitating art. We're all friends in real life now, we have three years of being in each other's lives, watching people get engaged, watching people meet their partners, watching people buy houses, like we're all part of each other's life. And I think we will be for quite a few years. I mean, even beyond the show, but this level of intensity, the show doesn't seem to be going anywhere touchwood. So, we'll be there for a lot of those big life moments.

That's amazing. And add to that the pandemic. And you all have that shared experience that you've shared with the rest of the world as well.

Now, on your character Marjan. Her story line sometimes touches on social media, and its effects on people's lives personally. Because you're also big on social media, you know, you post a lot, you share Cleo's life, fashion, everything- it's fun but personally, what is your take on it? I know it's a broad topic. We can go on and on about it but…

Yes basically, I have to... I spend so much time trying to be in the joy space of social media because I also know how terrifying it is. So, I spend the time you know, I found my thing recently which is matching outfits with Cleo and I love that. It feels joyous and it makes people smile. I walk around on the streets and people smile. I can reach more people through social media, make people giggle, make people laugh, have that aha moment, and that's great. And I love it. I love fashion. I love playing around. I love what it does for my creativity. But I had to find something that I do that I enjoy to put out on the world on social media. Otherwise, it gets tricky because what's public? What's private? What do you want to show? What's a facade? What's a snapshot? What's just a moment in a day, I don't want to be someone who adds to the damaging illusions that social media creates.

I'm so aware and scared for young women and young boys and everyone in between right now because social media can be terrifying. The pressure, the access to so many more people and their judgments on you, and filters and body dysmorphia, and I would be terrified to be a teenager now. I had a hard enough time being a teenager in a world where Facebook was just kind of beginning to be a thing and Myspace was on its way out. There was this kind of like, oh, I need to make my vacation look super fun. I need to make myself available to people. And my hope is that there starts to be more of an awareness and more conversation around the fickleness of social media, and just how much of it is the highlight reel and how much of it is contorted? But you can't even blame the people who are doing that. I don't even know that you can blame the people who are contorting images of themselves and taking photos against backdrops and pretending that they're on vacation because it serves them. They're playing the same game, it's giving them work, it's giving them value and I really hope that people can find other ways to value themselves and that it's not the only thing and that it doesn't mean that it stops being such a source of affirmation for people. Because if it's not that, it's just a fun place to be creative. And you can put your pictures out and you can connect with people. It is so useful as a resource for certain communities.

Hat: ALABAMA BLONDE, Bodysuit: THE KATE BUMPSUIT

For real. I mean at its core, that's really what it is. I remember when Instagram started, it's like, oh, I can post photos here. This could be my portfolio or, you know, for business people. For solo entrepreneurs, it's like I can get some work out of social media. That happens.

All the time. It's great for connecting. It's not great for human connection. And I think people misconstrue that kind of online connection. And oh, wow, people who do the same thing as me and have the same hobbies as me. And, you know, I can find people who do amazing hairstyles and hire them to do my hair. And people who do cool nail work. But it's not; connecting in that way is not the same as soulful, human connection. And if you replace one with the other, you end up in trouble.

You hit the nail on the head. I mean, that's what it is. You just have to be able to segment it in a way and be able to find the balance between the two.

**LEFT:** Cape: RITA VINIERIS @RitaVinieris, Boots: FLOR DE MARIA, **RIGHT**: Hat: ALABAMA BLONDE, Bodysuit: THE KATE BUMPSUIT

I think I'm doing pretty good right now; I've definitely had harder times on social media where I don't want to put up that really nice moment from my afternoon because I cried all morning. And I don't want everyone to think that it's just that afternoon moment. And then just too much time in my head overthinking and overthinking. So, I tried to be -- say the things that I want to say and not say the things that I don't want to say. And just be like, does this look like me? When I look at my grid, I'm like, is that who I am in the world? Sure, it's definitely who I am. It's definitely a part of me. No one is going to meet me in real life and be like, damn, she's so much different to what she is on social media. I mean, you had the experience of meeting me in real life. I hope that me on social media and me in real life align, that's something that I want, you know, and the more I hear that affirmed by people, I'm like cool, I'm on my path. I'm doing the right thing...

**LEFT:** Cape: RITA VINIERIS @RitaVinieris, Boots: FLOR DE MARIA,

Yes, I mean, that's the stuff that people don't get to see. I love... I thrive on that. I love to think like- how can I make people's days better, whether it's one person or a group of people, I try to reserve as much energy as I can for giving and I love it. And this sounds... I feel uncomfortable even talking about it. But I love putting energy behind getting certain gifts for people- when it's people's birthdays, I'm always that person who goes above and beyond. But then once you start identifying as that person, there starts to be a pressure where it's like, oh, I can't forget birthdays, because I'm the birthday person or you know, like, ah, no, it's supposed to be joyous and the moment it becomes stressful, let it go. Don't do it anymore. Because it brings me so much joy, to be able to look at a person and be like, I see you. And for them to go, you see me in whatever way that is. I want to show up to a photo shoot and see you, all you different human beings working on the weekend, I see what you're giving me, I see what we're giving each other, I see what we're creating. Thank you! Because I think once you remove the human beings from the equation, and it just becomes an industry, it's a less joyful place to be. And like I said, I'm trying to be just- joy, I'm trying to be a magnet for joy, I want as much joy as I can have in this life. There is no short supply of it.

If you were a book, what book would you be and why? This is an open question, it could be a made-up book, it could be an existing book, it could be a genre, it could be anything.

My brain is too linear for choosing an existing book.

You could be anything you want, it's no holds barred

First of all, I'd definitely be a picture book, so lots of pictures and then some words. I'd be a picture book sitting next to a Brené Brown book on a shelf. So, it would be like a picture book with inspiration and motivation and vulnerability and just a reminder that it's okay to be human. Maybe the book would be called "Human". A picture book called human.

I love that.

Yes, I think so. Placed neatly on a shelf next to Brené Brown as the brown and people who talk about relationships and vulnerability and I don't understand the point in life without connection. I never will, so that my objective all the time is to connect. To connect to people, I do know to connect to people, I don't know to connect in -- really, it's like at the shop checking out like I want to have a connection with the person who I'm checking out my groceries with. I want to be like, your hair looks nice, have a lovely day and be like oh, we're both humans. Yes, I think the world can be so lonely and if you don't choose a life of connection, you're almost destined to have crippling loneliness whether you choose it intentionally or not. So, "Human".

Human, I love that. Also, a good reminder to just be human.

Yes.