Lory
“Don’t allow the cruelties of this world to discourage you. What is meant to be yours will always find its way to you.”
Lory listens in and trusts her gut - she doesn’t focus her attention on the whispers of others. She is driven and determined. Her artistry and strong work ethic drive her ambitions. Meet Lory. This is her story.
P: Please introduce yourself!
L: My name is Lory Mpiana. I am an Actor and Writer currently living in Toronto, Canada. I was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and immigrated to Canada in July of 2002.
P: Please describe or define yourself in your own words.
L: Charming, dreamer, loving, friendly, passionate and ambitious.
P: What is your favourite thing about yourself?
L: My intuition. It is both a blessing and a curse because it has guided me to make the right choices, but it has also guided me to make the choices I did not want to make and that is always heartbreaking.
P: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that has defined you or made you stronger?
L: The day I stopped caring about people's opinions of me. I realized early on in life that sometimes people project their insecurities onto others. It doesn't mean that they're bad people, it could mean that somewhere in their lives they were hurt and made to feel that their dreams weren't attainable or don't matter so now they carry that with them and project it onto others.
But here's the beautiful thing about choices - you can choose to accept or reject what is being given to you. There's a saying "What people think of you is none of your business.” Long story short I am an Actor.
P: What is one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
L: Don't allow the cruelties of this world to discourage you. What is meant to be yours will always find its way to you.
P: What does being a woman mean to you?
L: I've never thought of that before. But I guess for me being a woman means overcoming the circumstances society has placed on us. Let's face it women have been dealt an awful hand for centuries and we are now breaking this curse by finding our own voices and becoming leaders around the world.
All humans must be treated equally regardless of what they identify as. Only then will there be true equality among the sexes. Once we realize that we're all just people living on a planet that was here long before we arrived and that will be there long after we depart; it is that level of humility that will heal the world.
P: Who is one woman that inspires you? What would you say to her if she were here now?
L: Alicia Keys. Well first of all I'd tell her that I love her and I would thank her for her music because it has helped me through tough times. It touches my soul and inspires me every day. Especially her songs 'Piano & I, A Woman's Worth, Troubles & Underdog'. It is also very refreshing seeing someone of her stature living a genuine life in Hollywood.
With that being said, so many women inspire me - like my agent, Teri Ritter. She started her business from the ground up. It is not easy running a successful agency but she's doing it. I admire it, it is inspirational and I'm glad we're a team. Therefore, when I surround myself with strong, bold, and intelligent women like Teri it adds fuel to my hustle. #BOSS
Also, my mother because she gave birth to six babies. My mother says that giving birth was her biggest achievement in life and I think that is beautiful. So thank you, Maman. I'm not saying I'll have six children in the future but I'll definitely have a family!
