Meet Karla Maatouk

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karla Maatouk.

Karla, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
​I was born in sunny Florida to two lovely parents of Lebanese descent. When I was young, I moved to the Middle East, where my love of acting started. I have​ actually always been fascinated by different viewpoints. I would sit on a park bench and notice complete strangers – “the angry father” rushing over to grab the arm of his “happy-go-lucky son” who casually drifted a little too far away from the playground. I was curious. What makes them tick? Why do they act that way? I noticed that one must be great at understanding others’ viewpoints in order to communicate with them. And once I understood them, I couldn’t wait to play them—act them out in a role. I knew I had to one day move to Los Angeles for my career, and when I was a teenager, that day came.

​What were some struggles along the way?
​Well ​it’s normally easy to disregard problems that don’t directly affect us. Someone else will deal with them, right? In my case, wrong. I learned early on that with great understanding comes great responsibility​! Understanding the different viewpoints of people from all cultures, religions, and backgrounds, I started to see the problems that each person faces and how they are actually my problems too. I saw the holes in our education system, the abuses in the field of mental health, and the issues that plague the world as a whole. I felt that I shared a responsibility to make changes for the better. I am happy to say that when I am not acting, I spend most of my time volunteering in my local community. Through different humanitarian outreach programs, I have so far completed 7,000+ hours of humanitarian work. And I will keep going

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
As an actress, I specialize in film, TV, and voiceover. My most recent credits include L.A.’s Finest, Navy SEALs, and 5+ Netflix projects. Because I speak English, Arabic, and some French, I frequently employ my knowledge of languages in my art. Most recently, on L.A.’s Finest, I not only had the amazing opportunity to act alongside Jessica Alba but be her Arabic dialect coach as well! (Her accent was naturally incredible even though she doesn’t speak any other languages!! How!?) Overall, whether it be a soldier on the run because of human rights abuses, a teenager collapsing from a drug overdose, or a woman wrongly persecuted for her religion (see below photos), I like to play dynamic characters that make people think.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most​? 
“A culture is only as great as its dreams, and its dreams are dreamed by artists” – L. Ron Hubbard

What I love about LA is its embodiment of this quote. I have traveled the world and I truly haven’t seen a place so full of artists and dreams. Whether it is through film, music, or anything in between, our community is hard at work making their dreams a reality. And I am lucky to be a part of it 🙂

Image Credit:
Elaine Reed

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