La La Anthony Shares The Life Lessons She Wishes She Knew At 21
“Real ambition comes from yourself, not from the acceptance of other people.”
La La Anthony knows a thing or two about adapting. Since she was 15 years old, she’s touched all ends of the entertainment industry, starting in radio before delving into acting, writing, and producing.
“When I was coming up in the game, everyone was kind of like, ‘If you're a radio personality, that's all you can do. If you're a TV host, that's all you can do.’ But it's really about doing what you love and using your platforms to give back to your community,” Anthony tells Elite Daily. “It's OK to have more than one thing that you're passionate about and more than one career lane.”
Nowadays, you can catch Anthony on your TV screen as Markaisha from BMF (Starz) and Dom on The Chi (Showtime), who are both women reclaiming their independence and focusing on their needs. “They’re finally taking control of their lives and careers and saying ‘I'm putting myself first.’ It's really nice to see the transition from how it was to them being so strong and independent,” Anthony says of her characters, who are exploring their identities outside of marriage and motherhood.
As for her next role, she’ll be starring in a new Hulu series, Group Chat, which she’s executive producing with her bestie, Kim Kardashian. Inspired by her IRL text convos, Anthony says the comedy will explore “all the things that girls talk about in their group chat and how that translates into real life, whether it's being married, getting a divorce, dating, or having kids.”
Looking back at her jam-packed, 28-year-and-counting career, Anthony shares 21 lessons she wishes she knew when she was first adjusting to life in the spotlight. — Emily Sorkin, Editorial Intern
- “Everybody's not going to like you and that's OK.”
- “Don't spend money on frivolous things to try to impress others.”
- “Always find a balance. At 21, and even after that, I dived so head-first into work that I never really made time for myself. It wasn't until later in life that I realized how important it is to have a work-life balance.”
- “Your voice is powerful. You don't need a huge platform to advocate for change.”
- “Real ambition comes from yourself, not from the acceptance of other people, or wanting everyone else to believe in you so that you can believe in yourself.”
- “Acting is not easy. It's definitely a craft that has to be studied and spent a lot of time at. It's not something that you just wake up and go on a set and have figured out. But it's well worth what comes out of it when you put the right work in.”
- “Fame comes with a lot. You can't take the good and not take the bad.”
- “Believe in your creativity.”
- “Reality TV is crazy. It's great to unplug your brain from the craziness of life and watch everybody else spiral out of control on TV.”
- “Money is important. It’s easy to let other people manage it and not be on top of it. Save it, invest in the right things, and really pay attention to it.”
- “Beauty really is from the inside out. It’s not the makeup or the cleanser you use, it’s about the work that you have to do internally with yourself.”
- “Be confident in whatever you're wearing, whatever you feel. Own it.”
- “Trends come and go but they always come back around. Save everything, obviously don't be a hoarder, but save your cool pieces.”
- “Internet culture is very cruel. Don't get caught up in all the negativity that's out there.”
- “It's OK to be critiqued and criticized. Try not to take it personally and let it roll off your back. If you feel good about whatever it is you're doing, then it doesn't matter what anybody else says.”
- “Love is very complicated. There's always going to be another book or podcast about love, but I don't think it's something that will ever be truly figured out.”
- “Your friend group matters. Those are the people that you're going to lean on and they’ll be there for you. Value your friends, whether you have one or 10.”
- “Family is so important. Even in your darkest moments, they’ll always be there for you.”
- “Confidence comes and goes. You're not going to feel your most confident and that's OK, but you start figuring out how to tap into that confidence even when you don't always feel it. But don't knock yourself if it's a bad day.”
- “Success can be measured in other ways. At this point in my life, I measure success by my happiness and less about career accolades or how much money I have. It's more about happiness.”
- “You have to be strong. This is a cold world and it's definitely not for the weak. You have to get through those ups and downs that life is going to throw your way.”
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
