Today we’d like to introduce you to Anais Barajas.
Hi Anais, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a proud Chicana who was born in Pasadena, CA and grew up here in Los Angeles, so I am a rare native in this city of transplants. I began my “industry” career back in 2008 when I started interning at a clothing brand located in Downtown LA. While I was there I dabbled in the PR realm, but also contributed to the company’s blog where I would fuse the latest fashion drops in with the music I was listening to at the moment. I really found my voice in that and so began contributing my words to music based blogs in Los Angeles and New York, (partially for the joy of writing, but ultimately for the opportunity to be paid in free concert tickets). In 2010 I moved to New York, where I essentially finessed my way into a music career. I don’t want to give away too much on how I went about that, as you never know who may be reading and if there’s anything I learned about being in this industry it’s that you don’t bite the hand that feeds you, and you don’t burn bridges. However, I worked for some amazing women at the time who taught me more about the public relations world, and through my own networking abilities met, befriended, and learned about other aspects of the community as well. I eventually returned to Los Angeles where I continued to work and evolve my career at different labels and corporations expanding into marketing, A&R, and management. I even had a small stint working with comedians, and an even smaller run of performing stand up around Hollywood for a time prior to the pandemic. In 2019, my favorite person in the world, my father Jess, passed away from cancer. Prior to his passing, we had had a conversation about my life and career. There were so many other things that I had been interested in growing up. Im a painter, a poet, a writer, an actress, and from what I’ve been told, a goober, (a title which I wear VERY proudly I might add). My dad had made it a point to make me aware that I was no longer working on those things that were mine; those special things that made me happy. Instead he said that somewhere along the line I had got lost in the sauce and had made my world about helping others fulfill their dreams while simultaneously neglecting my own. He made me promise that I would do what makes me incandescently happy in life because at that point I had never given him a reason to worry about me, and he didn’t want me to give him a reason to start the moment he would no longer be around to do something about it. After he passed away, I immediately reached out to an acting coach and began to take classes again.
Currently, like so many of my counterparts, I am living day by day, chasing the dream, auditioning, and working hard to develop my craft even more. I recently shot my first fashion editorial for RUNWAY magazine’s June issue, and as for acting I have mainly done background work in shows and movies, but I’ve also starred in a short film and am in the process of shooting another. I’ve done music videos in my time as well but the most exciting was one I shot in November 2024. I have always been a fan of the Eagles, as I associate their music with some of my fondest memories including how their tracks would blare from my dad’s garage on a bright sunny day or a warm summer night. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would be the lead in their music video for ‘Life In The Fast Lane’, nor did I ever think it would accompany their live performance on the biggest screen in the world during their residency this past Fall/Winter at The Sphere in Las Vegas. Im very proud of the work, and not just because of who it was for, but because it makes me feel that much closer to reaching my goals. I love acting, but up until I began to do it again I looked at my life as a jigsaw puzzle. It’s been challenging, which has been both fun yet formidable, and though I was able to interlock most of life’s pieces and get an idea of the outcome, I always felt like I was missing those that would complete the big picture. Acting, for me, feels like those missing pieces and completes who I am and have always felt like I was meant to be. When it comes to acting, not only do I desire to work hard for the roles I want but ultimately, and I believe most importantly, it will help me to achieve the platform I desire in order to help those and to speak for those, who cant help or speak for themselves. Furthermore, I want to represent dark skinned Mexicana’s in this industry. Growing up there weren’t many actresses that looked like me and I remember looking to Disney’s animation of Pocahontas to fill that role. I’d like to change that.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Nothing about this life, past, present, or future has lacked or will lack challenges. I have joyously danced until my feet bled, and I have also experienced the realization that rock bottom does indeed have a basement. However, life is full of ebbs and flows, and despite the difficulties, I do my best to remind myself (and often my friends) that every cloud has a silver lining, no matter how hard you have to squint at times to see it.
I often feel like my career in music, working with and maneuvering about the industry and the type of people they portray in films as agents, etc., has given me an advantage in a way. As an artist, I can be sensitive at times to the demands that those who pursue a career in this field are privy to experiencing, yet once I recognize those thoughts or feelings are attempting to creep in, Im able to put my agency hat on and adjust.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I feel like I have a very loaded response to this question. I am my brand, I am my work. I am what Im throwing down and am hoping the public, the studios, and this industry will be picking up. I am an actress first and foremost, however, I am so many other things as well. Im a poet and I know it. I’m a daughter, a sister, a friend, a nurturer, a therapist to many, a COO of a clothing brand, a terrible dancer but a surprisingly good cook, a painter, a business woman, and a purveyor of puns. Im a fast learner, which has allowed me to build and create this life Im currently living. I am extremely hard working and have no qualms about doing whatever is needed to understand or perfect anything pertaining to the craft of acting including taking any and all risks when needed as I refuse to live a life of “what if?” or allow fear to control any aspect of my existence. For example, I am terrified of heights so therefore took up sky diving in order to conquer that fear, ( I’ve now been fourteen times). With that said, I am most proud of my authenticity. In no way has life been easy, nor has it been abhorrent, and I definitely celebrate my wins and share those moments with those around me. However, in today’s climate, I also believe it’s incredibly important to be transparent and share the struggles of what it takes these days on the road to achieving ones goals. In no way will I ever attempt to pass off a cookie-cutter lifestyle in order to make myself easier to swallow. In doing so, I have met and been able to help some amazing people who have become comfortable enough to share their hardships and feel seen and heard by me because I choose to remain true to who I am and what I experience. I think all the aforementioned in and of itself is pretty special and sets me apart, not from all, but from most.
What’s next?
I truly believe manifesting, along with hard work, will get you where you not only want to be, but need to be. I am currently in my second year of the Meisner acting technique, so planning to graduate so that I can add it to my resume. Im looking forward to any and all (legal) opportunities that will allow me the chance to obtain the roles I desire and work with the incredible individuals that I revere. Upon achieving that, I look forward to being able to help my community in a more expansive way. Finally, (as I believe in being incredibly truthful), I look forward to, if he so chooses to bless me in that way, wearing a design by the Mexican American clothing designer Willy Chavarria on my first red carpet. His message is just as bold and beautiful as his designs, and wearing them would be a great honor.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/huckleberry_femme
Image Credits
Bobby Reyes
Ursula Vari
The Sphere Las Vegas
