With great honor and happiness, I present to you this new chapter in Linnea Lund's life.

Indeed, I have been very fortunate because throughout my life, I have met the most inspiring and beautiful people.

Today, through Linnea Lund, I have decided to share these brilliant minds with you. Stay tuned because approximately every month, a new guest will share their perspective on the world and how Linnea Lund makes them feel warmer.

The first chapter features a very special person, Sonia Bendhaou.

Sonia is a rising actress whom I met on Instagram two years ago.

She's the kind of person you immediately fall in love with, and for a funny joke, she literally came knocking on my door.

I am very happy and honored to start this new chapter with her.

As an introduction, Sonia is 30 years old, a rising actress dedicating her life to her career, investing all her time, refusing TV shows that could tarnish her image. A year ago, she was approached to star in the new Netflix blockbuster "Messiah."

This initial match by Linnea Lund is a beautiful example of women's empowerment. With her beautiful smile, Sonia teaches us to be patient, to not follow any rules, and to have faith!

ENJOY!

Charlotte Linnea Björklund

Sonia, can you tell us more about your childhood?

I grew up in France in a very loving and simple environment; both my parents are hardworking individuals who are not interested in anything flashy.

They taught me important values, especially to always stay true to myself.

Today, I realize how much this makes me a very different person, especially in the evolving world of cinema.

Did you always know you wanted to be an actress?

My family always believed I would become an actress, which seemed so distant to me as I was terribly shy.

However, I must say the idea of being an actress intrigued me because I could then be multiple persons in one. One can play all these roles with all these different jobs. Fascinating.

But in a way, it was as if destiny knocked on my door. It all started when I was 5 years old and was contacted to do voice dubbing. I found it very amusing. But I didn't take it seriously.

Time passed, and I became very curious and intrigued by movies.

Especially "Le garçon de Chaaba"; I was fascinated by this tough little boy!

Even today, it's one of my best cinematic experiences.

Time passed, and did you start taking acting classes?!

Oh not at all, time passed but I got a degree in marketing. I loved the theater and all this world but it seemed so far from me.

Until the day when, at 24, signing my first long-term contract, I just exploded and decided to follow the path for which I was made, that of acting.

I then enrolled in Juliette Moltes' acting classes, where she directly told me I had something special but that I needed to be much more dedicated to this world. She was very demanding with me, of course for my own good.

I guess the lesson here is that if you want something, dedicate your life to it!

From that day on, I decided to dedicate my life to acting.

You have dedicated your life to acting, but I feel like it's on your own terms?

Yes, indeed. I decided to give everything to become an actress, but I didn't want to be a victim of this world or of social media where today you constantly have to promote yourself. Exhausting! That's where family values knocked on my door. I knew what I wanted but I also knew what I didn't want!

I decided to take a job as a waitress to avoid financial pressure and I decided to sign a contract with my best friend as an agent, because I knew I didn't want to be in this drama-filled agency world where you have to fight with your agent to get them to sell you.

What does this mean in your daily life?

In my daily life, it means that I haven't accepted any small roles that wouldn't give me the visibility I aim for; I haven't had the pressure from my agent to sign anything because she understands better than anyone else that this isn't me. And I know my agent won't let me down because I don't bring in enough money.

Yes, I end up saying no to a lot of roles. However, I think this is my way of staying true to myself.

Don't get me wrong, I don't judge others. It's just not me.

And I mean, how lucky am I to be able to work with my best friend. In my case, it's very rewarding because she's my business manager, my communication director, and my best friend!

Honestly, that's where our world is sometimes very difficult, because we have to rely on so many people. Competition is very tough and the pressure of perfection is intense.

I am fortunate to be surrounded by love, joy, and support.

Now, tell us about Messiah?

Oh my God, it was amazing! Like they literally came knocking on my door. (Again the door!)

What's even more amazing is that since I was a child, I dreamed of being a boy. I don't know, I suppose male actors can be so tough and rough that it impressed me. So for me, when I was younger, I had to be a boy to become an actor.

When Michael Petroni's team called me for the audition, I was of course extremely excited, but the incredible detail was that I was playing a male role. So I was the only woman in the cast surrounded by men.

The day they called me to say I had been selected and that the script written with a male role had been changed to a female one, I was over the moon. I had managed to convince them!

You are such a positive and gentle person, what's your secret?

My secret is to have faith, to never lose faith!

Never listen to what anyone might say, because in the end we never know.

Stay true to yourself and you will see that life will remain true to you.

On a lighter note, what's the first thing you do when you get home?

I turn on my record player!!!

I have developed a huge love for this audio system that inspires so much love, power, and can literally make me travel. What's also very nice is that on each of my trips, I bring back a vinyl record and when I'm home and play it, it reminds me of that trip.

For example, on my last trip to London, I came across Abba's greatest hits. Funny coincidence, isn't it?

Your favorite Linnea Lund product?

Oh I love the Maya collar in Mocha.

It keeps me warm, it's light and soft at the same time. Everything I love.

Now quickly,

Sonia, if you were a color, what color would you be?

Red is one of my favorite colors, perhaps because I always saw my mother wearing it.

If you were a piece of clothing?

A pair of Levi's 501s!

I've been wearing jeans since I was a child; I find them very practical and very sexy at the same time.

That's all I love!

Perhaps once again, the influence of my parents. They are both, especially my father, such big fans of jeans that he even got married in jeans!

A lucky charm?

I don't have a lucky charm, I have faith in life!

If you were a song?

"La Foule" by Édith Piaf.

If you were a movie?

"Alabama Monroe",

A beautiful film about love, friendship, and romantic disappointment.

If you were a city?

Paris forever!

A favorite expression?

"There are no coincidences in life, only encounters" - Paul Éluard

Any final words?

Freedom.

For more information about this beautiful Sonia, follow her on @soniab_b.d.