I love my Job. I really do. I have also shared how much my chosen profession has hurt me over the years. I take pride in the fact that I never let the body-shaming or the racism or the harassment stop me from accomplishing my goals. I’m proud that I‘ve landed in a place where being an Actor gives more than it takes. But there is one area where the cruelty of my business has broken me. I hate being photographed. I don’t like it. It makes me incredibly uncomfortable. In photo shoots, on red carpets, at events, when cameras are out, the echos of all of those voices for so many years become overwhelming to me. “Too fat.” “To dark.” “To ethnic.” “Too big”. With therapy and self reflection I have come a long way to understanding that those people were wrong and that their memories don’t deserve my energy, but when someone takes my picture they come back. But it is a part of my job to be photographed. And it’s a part of my growth as a person and an artist not to let those memories stop me from putting myself out there. So once every six years or so I go back to Ian Brown. The one photographer who makes me feel completely safe. And I face my fear. Ian did my first headshots when I was 18 years old and, in the 23 years I’ve been working with him, his Artistry and Compassion and Beautiful Spirit drown out the noise of my negative experiences with self-image and harassment and allow me to be me. For other people to see. He is a genius and a gift. So here are some new pictures of me. 42 years old. “Browner”, “bigger” and Happier then I’ve ever been.❤️ ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️Makeup and hair by @jenfishermakeup @ianbrownphotography @residentalien #measureyourpowernotyourdresssize 🎉🌞❤️ #mentalhealth #womensmentalhealth #womenshealth #bodypositivity #bodypositive #bodypositivemovement #womenempoweringwomen #fitness #fitnessmotivation #womenwholift #womensupportingwomen #womensstrength #powerfulwomen #mentalhealth #womensmentalhealth @i_weigh @jameelajamil @cbcq @shadowhunterstv #shadowhunters @cbctoronto @nbc @appletvplus @cravecanada @primevideo @actradiversityto @actratoronto @actranational #actra #actradiversity #actor #womeninfilmandtv #womeninfilm #mom
What a Homecoming!❤️🎉 My first Fan Convention ever was in #milan 🇮🇹 in 2018. I had no idea what to expect. And I could never, NEVER have IMAGINED what awaited me. A thousand Beautiful, Shining, Loving faces cheering in celebration of the show we Loved doing so much! It was an indescribable feeling. And the thing is, it was just as Beautiful today as it was 5 years ago. Maybe more so because we waited 3 years and a pandemic to get back to each other, here, in the very same room where my journey with the Fans and Convention Life all started for me. Thank you from the bottom of my Heart for giving me this gift. As an Actor it truly is something beyond my wildest Dreams. I Love you all!❤️❤️❤️ #notourlasthunt #lightwoods #paris #fandom @kinetic_vibe #fanconvention @jadehassoune @jackyangactor #itainstituteandmore
There are no Words❤️❤️🎉🇫🇷 @dreamitcon #ETSW @lukebaines @harryshumjr @albertorosende @kat.mcnamara @matthewdaddario @domsherwood @jadehassoune @willtudor1 @shadowhunterstv #shadowhunters #notourlasthunt #lightwoods #paris #fandom #paris
THANK YOU PARIS! @dreamitcon gave us a weekend of Love and Laughs that we will never forget. Thank you to the organizers, the staff and, of course, THE FANS! You make our lives Brighter and we are forever Grateful. MERCI! ❤️🎉🇫🇷 @dreamitcon #ETSW @lukebaines @harryshumjr @albertorosende @kat.mcnamara @matthewdaddario @domsherwood @jadehassoune @willtudor1 @shadowhunterstv #shadowhunters #notourlasthunt #lightwoods #paris #fandom
HELLOOOOOO PARIS!!!❤️🎉🇫🇷❤️🎉🇫🇷 How did I get so lucky as to have these Amazing Fans, these INCREDIBLE Humans, share their Love, Lives and Energy with me. I am forever Grateful. THANK YOU!!!❤️🎉🇫🇷 @dreamitcon #ETSW @lukebaines @harryshumjr @albertorosende @kat.mcnamara @matthewdaddario @domsherwood @jadehassoune @willtudor1 @shadowhunterstv #shadowhunters #notourlasthunt #lightwoods #paris #fandom
I Love everything about Fan Conventions. I really do. The energy, the connections, the events. But my absolute favourite part is getting to gather and talk about things that I am so passionate about with people that I know share my interests and drive for change in the World. From Family dynamics and Body-Image to BIPOC and LGBTQ2S rights, every question from the fans and every conversation with them gives me Hope for the Future. If we’re here, there must be many more like us out there and Love of Community will Win! Thank you for sharing and thank you for listening! (Especially those of you who sat through my hour long talk on Self-Esteem on Saturday!🤣) MERCI! ❤️🎉🇫🇷 Thank you @laura_pestel for the Lovely Photo Collage!@dreamitcon #ETSW @lukebaines @harryshumjr @albertorosende @kat.mcnamara @matthewdaddario @domsherwood @jadehassoune @willtudor1 @shadowhunterstv #shadowhunters #notourlasthunt #lightwoods #paris #fandom @kinetic_vibe #itainstituteandmore
Tomorrow is my Birthday.❤️🎉I like to spend some time in the days and weeks before my Birthday to think about the year that has passed and take stock of what it has meant to me. 41 was a really interesting year. It was a year where I had great Accomplishments and found great Strength and Pride in myself that I hadn’t felt before. It was also a year where I struggled with some deep lows and difficult questions and needed a lot of Love and Support. The lesson of my 41st year is that both these things can be true at once. Being Strong doesn’t mean that we don’t need help. Being successful doesn’t mean that we don’t sometimes fail. We can be Great and still need lots of Support. I chose this Video taken by the Amazing @zalie.tshuma to illustrate this year of my journey because I’m not disappointed that I need the help on the chin-up bar, I’m Proud that I’ve gained the strength to get up there and crush it the way I can right now. And the way I can is perfect.❤️ Thank you 41! See you tomorrow 42!❤️🎉 @shadowhunterstv #shadowhunters #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness @theboystv #healing @shadowhunterstv #womenwholift #strength #measureyourpowernotyourdresssize @residentalien #momlife #community #fitness #birthday #momlife #support #proud #pride #strongwomen #strong
#measureyourpowernotyourdresssize 💪🏽First off, let me say this: YOU DO NOT NEED TO WORKOUT ON YOUR VACATION. Vacations are supposed to be about Rest, Relaxation and Experience. There should be no pressure to spend a minute of that time on things we don’t need or want to do. But if you’re like Carlos and I and exercise and fresh air are key to your mental, physical and emotional health, whether at work or play, then finding places to workout while travelling can be a really great opportunity. When we’re somewhere new we like to walk around the neighbourhoods and find nice spots like parks, beaches and wooded areas to take out our portable exercise equipment and do a workout together. If you enjoy it, then it’s fun, beneficial and an opportunity to explore new areas and places you may not otherwise have seen. As we slowly making our way from #etsw in Paris to #itainstituteandmore in Milan we feel so fortunate and are enjoying every minute of this Beautiful experience. Thank you to @dreamitcon and @kinetic_vibe for making it happen!❤️🇫🇷🇮🇹❤️ @lukebaines @harryshumjr @emeraude @kat.mcnamara @matthewdaddario @domsherwood @jadehassoune @willtudor1 @shadowhunterstv #shadowhunters #notourlasthunt #lightwoods #paris #fandom #paris #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness @theboystv #healing @shadowhunterstv #womenwholift #strength @mariliasogna @residentalien #fitness #birthday #momlife #strongwomen #strong #italy
#MeasureYourPowerNotYourDressSize 💪🏽 You all know that I Love my community and routine at my Gym. But I also LOVE being outside and getting me some Sun and Green time. As I’ve talked about in the past, Gyms are not for everyone. They can have a lot of complicated associations and triggers for some Women and they can be prohibitively expensive. Especially since a lot of people, especially working parents, don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to fitness practices. So sometimes getting outside to exercise is the perfect, beautiful and economically viable solution. Here’s some thoughts from me in the Video above! And thank you to my Fitness Mentor @zalie.tshuma for setting me up with some great routines to do on the road. LOVE!!!❤️ Now get outside if you can Friends! @shadowhunterstv #shadowhunters #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness @theboystv #healing @shadowhunterstv #womenwholift #strength #measureyourpowernotyourdresssize @residentalien #momlife #community #fitness #birthday #momlife #support #proud #pride #strongwomen #strong #getoutside #travelfitness #outdoorfitness
The Joy is Real. Words can’t explain what it feels like to look out at room full of Beautiful faces who have come from all over the world to share their Love and Support of you and of the work you created with Artists that you Love so much. People ask sometimes if I ever dreamed of having this kind of opportunity and the answer is: I never in a million years could have imagined it. Honestly, I didn’t even know it was something to be dreamt of until I lucked into the great gift that is @Shadowhunters. My deepest, most sincere Love and Gratitude to every single one of you who came out to celebrate the #Shadowfam with us. Please know how much I appreciate it. Thank you!❤️❤️❤️ Photo Collage by: @yveke14 ❤️🎉🇫🇷 @dreamitcon #ETSW @lukebaines @harryshumjr @albertorosende @kat.mcnamara @matthewdaddario @domsherwood @jadehassoune @willtudor1 @shadowhunterstv #shadowhunters #notourlasthunt #lightwoods #paris #fandom
MILANO I ❤️ YOU!🇮🇹 #italy #milan @kinetic_vibe #itainstituteandmore #fan #fanconvention
🎶“On the Road Again”🎵Thank you to all the INCREDIBLE Humans who made my time in #Paris and #Milan so Wonderful! Especially my Italian Fans and Colleugues who were so understanding of the changes once the SAG Strike started. I know it was disappointing but your Solidarity and Support meant the World. I Love these cities and their people so much. I could not be more Grateful for all of you!❤️❤️❤️ 🇫🇷🇮🇹
Happy 42nd Birthday to Me!!!❤️🎉❤️🎉Thanks to all of you for making it so special with your INCREDIBLE messages, photos, edits and words of Love and Celebration. I am so Lucky!❤️Special shout of to @zalie.tshuma and @lpsepstein for starting my 42nd year with such strength, community and ENERGY! So much Love and Gratitude today and always!❤️❤️❤️ @shadowhunterstv #shadowhunters #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness @theboystv #healing @shadowhunterstv #womenwholift #strength #measureyourpowernotyourdresssize @residentalien #momlife #community #fitness #birthday #momlife #support #proud #pride #strongwomen #strong (photo by and of: @zalie.tshuma )
SEASON 2 of PILLOW TALK dropped today on @cravecanada 🎉❤️🎉❤️ So excited to share this new Season with you! As you can see from the first photo, I make some of my best faces on this show…🤣 @paolo_santalucia #gregoryprest @adamdimarco @sydneyscotia @snapshotrobinson @kwasi_thomas #andrewwheeler @sharoncrandall @vanessa_fox_official @TheCdnAcademy #pillowtalk #CdnScreenAwards @actranational @actratoronto @actradiversityto
SEASON 2 of PILLOW TALK dropped today on @cravecanada 🎉❤️🎉❤️ So excited to share this new Season with you! As you can see from the first photo, I make some of my best faces on this show…🤣 @paolo_santalucia #gregoryprest @adamdimarco @sydneyscotia @snapshotrobinson @kwasi_thomas #andrewwheeler @sharoncrandall @vanessa_fox_official @TheCdnAcademy #pillowtalk #CdnScreenAwards @actranational @actratoronto @actradiversityto
#measureyourpowernotyourdresssize 💪🏽Some Truth Talk. A few years ago I would never have even CONSIDERED posting the Video I did on Saturday. The messy hair, the unshaven armpits, the visible tummy roll, the WATERFALL of sweat. I would have worried that the internet would judge me. That people would be cruel. That not looking as “thin” and “pretty” as possible on social media would affect my ability to get work and be seen by my industry as a viable on-camera Actor. But Loved ones, I am exhausted of feeling like I’m not enough. I am exhausted of not Loving what I see in the mirror and I’m exhausted of being ashamed that I don’t look like I was always told I was supposed to if I wanted to succeed. Maybe if Women like me stop hiding then a new generation of Girls will grow up knowing that there are many, many types of Bodies and Faces and Races and Cultures and Spirits and all of them are “normal”, all of them are Valuable and all of them, without exception, are Beautiful.❤️ @ianbrownphotography Makeup and hair by @jenfishermakeup #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #healing #womenwholift #strength #eatingdisorserrecovery #france #travel #travelfitness #travelworkout #fitnessbands #measureyourpowernotyourdresssize #momlife #community #fitness #birthday #momlife #support #proud #pride #strongwomen #strong
Happy Saturday from my current Happy Place to yours!❤️🎉💪🏽 @shadowhunterstv #shadowhunters #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness @theboystv #healing @shadowhunterstv #womenwholift #strength #measureyourpowernotyourdresssize @residentalien #momlife #community #fitness #dancing @zalie.tshuma
I can honestly say I never imagined being part of the STAR WARS UNIVERSE! I can’t even say that it’s a dream come true because I never would have thought to even Dream of it. But here we are! This has been so much fun to be a part of! That’s all I can say for now but stay tuned for more info in the near Future! YAY!❤️🎉🎉Watch the first gameplay walkthrough from Star Wars Outlaws https://youtu.be/c7K2TA0bBpY #StarWarsOutlaws @ubisoft @starwars @starwarsoutlaws @humberly
NOT ME! This is a FAKE Account spamming my followers. PLEASE REPORT! Thank you! @instagram @instagramforbusiness #instagram #spam
NOT ME! This is a FAKE Account spamming my followers. PLEASE REPORT! Thank you! @instagram @instagramforbusiness #instagram #spam
