IN A SOCIETY WHERE BEAUTY HAS ITS PARTICULAR STANDARDS — it can be hard to feel beautiful and confident. But in a sea of individuals who strive to meet those standards, there are always those who thrive in redefining what beauty means to them, showing how important it is to be yourself to unlock that confidence. What makes you stand out even more amongst the sea of status quo is the beauty that comes from within. Our personality, quirks, and how we interact with others plays a major role in beauty. We all have something in us that makes us unique and lights up a room. The more individuals who challenge the standards of beauty in all aspects, the more space it creates for diversity and inclusivity that can make us all feel represented and, most importantly, beautiful. Amanda Egbu’s beauty, along with the enjoyment of making those around her laugh, is sure to make a room filled with warmth and laughter and refine what it means to be “modelelsque.”
Egbu is an actress and model based in Atlanta, GA, whose love for acting began when she took theater in high school and discovered that she had the natural ability to light up a room with her humor. Although she discovered her talent in acting and comedy, modeling came about after college, where she began to lean into her physical appearance more. Often receiving comments about her being “lanky and awkward,” Egbu stopped listening to negative comments and learned that being “modelesque” comes from the confidence you find by being yourself.
Having a background in theater and earning her bachelor's in television arts, Egbu definitely has an understanding of what it’s like to be in front of and behind the camera, having an appreciation for both.
Read more down below to get to know Egbu's career and her journey into defining what beauty means to her.
LUNA: Hey, Amanda! Tell us about yourself and what you do.
EGBU: Hi, Lilah, I am an actor and model raised in Southern California and currently based in Atlanta, GA. Outside of my career goals I am a huge extrovert and love getting to know people. I also work as an art instructor at a paint and sip studio, where I teach people how to paint but furthermore connect and bond with groups of people [while] they create their own forms of art.
LUNA: Wow, that’s so awesome! You're a multidisciplinary artist. What got you into modeling and acting?
EGBU: I’ve always been a bit of a class clown, respectfully (laughs), and in my senior year of high school I took theater and came alive. I realized that people [thought] “my funny” was actually funny and that people understood it and it made them feel warm. I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since. Modeling came a little differently. I’ve always been lean and quite tall, but it wasn’t until my mid twenties that it was actually celebrated. I got more “lanky and awkward” than “modelesque” comments. After college I just leaned into my physical appearance and stopped listening to negative comments and discovered “modelesque” comes from the confidence to be yourself.
LUNA: Are there any challenges you faced as a model?
EGBU: Oh, yes. While there is the concern of finding the best management or being in a good location, I’ve found the most important challenge I’ve had is internal. I’ve learned how to protect my view of my body image fiercely. I began my fitness journey, like most, during the pandemic, and I started liking the results, but one drawback from working out is not ever being satisfied. While I use my body for my work and I’d like for it to be in a specific condition, it is also the home for my soul, and I’ve learned it’s imperative that I am happy with that “home” over anyone else’s opinions of it, especially the mean voices in my head.
LUNA: What is one professional goal you have for yourself in both areas?
EGBU: I’d love to be a great supporting actress. I could have a great story to tell as a lead, but one quality I’ve always admired in supporting actors is the role of being a good friend. The status of being a friend has really been devalued over time with phrases, like “no new friends” or the “friendzone.” To be a friend is to extend one’s chosen family — it’s an honor. I love shows like New Girl [and] The Office, which show an ensemble … cast and how they connect with one another. I believe that’s why shows like that are so successful, because that’s what everyone really wants: a true friend. I would love to see a lanky, awkward, quirky, dark skin, Black girl see herself in me on a runway or in a magazine. To “be the change we want to see in the world” is so that future generations don’t have to struggle as hard to find their way. It took me a long time to find and love myself. If I can expedite that process for someone else by shamelessly being my fun and silly yet fierce and confident, then my purpose is fulfilled.
LUNA: Are there any models and/or actresses that you are inspired by?
EGBU: I am incredibly inspired by Michalea Coel, a British actor and writer of the BAFTA award-winning show Chewing Gum. This show is cringy and honest and hilarious in all the right ways. The way Coel is not afraid of appearing “ugly” when she acts, especially as a Black woman with bold African features, speaks to her audacity as an actor and challenges me to give my all in a performance.
I’ve been a huge fan of Coco Rocha since seeing her make a guest appearance on America's Next Top Model as a kid. Posing is a lot like improv for acting. You’re creating and telling a story with your body and its shapes all while working in tune with a photographer to capture the perfect shot instantaneously. I believe Rocha has mastered that art and flawlessly performs on command.
LUNA: What is your favorite part about modeling/acting?
EGBU: I live for the moment when I connect with my creative counterparts. Whether it’s the director and I truly understanding what the character’s feeling and how to portray it, or when the photographer and I get so synchronized that we read each other’s minds about where to take the next shot. Collaborative creativity is so unique because it can never be replicated the same by any other set of people — it’s like a sunset: always special and never the same.
LUNA: Any hobbies outside of modeling and acting?
EGBU: You know, I’ve recently been really into sociology and relational psychology. I really like learning how the mind works and how that affects our day to day. For example, I recently learned that humans [have] a literal cap on how much we can focus on at one time. That's why people have to turn down the music when they arrive at a new destination to focus. It’s not because we’re not smart — we just aren’t built to focus on a thousand things at once. Learning facts like this makes me feel like I’m learning a cheat code to life and also gives me a bit of grace when I’m not exactly “perfect.”
LUNA: What word of advice would you give to anyone who aspires to be a model or an actress?
EGBU: It will not be easy, so you have to love it. There’s not really a clear path to creative success like there is for other career paths, so that’ll give others a reason to discourage dreamers. However, the thing about dreams is that they don’t really go away, now do they? Secondly, ponder upon yourself what you can give to the world, how your art can make the world better than how you found it. If you can find that answer within yourself, that’ll keep you going when the nights seem longer than the days.
LUNA: Any plans for 2023?
EGBU: I plan to impress the hell out of myself. I’ve changed for the better so much within the last couple of years and I know wherever God takes me, I’m going to be a force to be reckoned with.
LUNA: Question for fun: What are four items that you can't live without in daily life?
EGBU: My journal — self-reflection is a major key in my life. My water bottle: stay hydrated, kids. My air fryer — it’s like a modern easy-bake oven (laughs). Is FaceTime an item? I’m nothing without my community, and they’re often too far to touch.
