Page 32 - Demo

32 || FITNESS MAGAZINE || JANUARY 2016 has carved out a career portraying memorable characters on such shows as: Girlfriends, Heartland, Lost, CSI, Parenthood, Days of Our Lives, Touch and House of Lies. Always looking for something interesting and never afraid of a challenge, she has also appeared in films, Big Hero 6 and Indian Cowboy and can next been seen in the upcoming thriller, Magnum Opus.MFM: You are 100% Jamaican-What does it mean to you to be Jamaican and does your culture play a big part of your daily life? SO: I am fiercely proud of my culture and heritage and always have been. That little island in the Caribbean just 145 miles wide just has an indescribable magic of its own. I would say my culture does play a big part in my daily life because the values I grew up with, my upbringing, I feel has served me incredibly well to become the woman I am today. Plus, if you ask my kids, they would say I am very much a Jamaican mother with them! MFM: Do you visit there often or have family there? SO: I do have loads of family there and definitely try to go back as often as possible, although it never feels like often enough. MFM: You are fluent in multiple languages-French, Spanish, ASL,-What made you want to learn each of them and do you have opportunities for speaking them all regularly? SO: Well I certainly hesitate to use the word %u2018fluent%u2019 because I am still a work in progress on those fronts! From as far back as I can remember, I have had a love of languages. It was one of my little girl fantasies to speak any and every language imaginable! Luckily, within my neighborhood and personal circle of friends, I do get to speak French and Spanish; I make it a point to force myself to not only speak but to watch programs in the languages. ASL was something that was introduced to me in high school, and I fell in love with it. I even became certified and teach ASL words and phrases to children and their families. It is such a joy! MFM: Will your sons grow up speaking multiple languages as well? SO: They are in an international/bilingual school; so, yes, they will definitely grow up with that as part of their lives.