Meet our first Match #SoniaBendhaou

By Linnea Lund
February 07, 2020

#My Linnea Lund

It is with great honor and happiness that I introduce you to this new chapter in Linnea Lund’s life,

Indeed I have been very lucky as during my life I have encountered the most inspiring and beautiful persons.

Today, I have decided that through Linnea Lund I wanted to share those beautiful minds with you. Stay tuned as each month or so, a new guest will share his/her insight of the world and how thanks to Linnea Lund they feel warmer.

The first chapter is with a very special person, Sonia Bendhaou.

Sonia is an upcoming actress that I met on instagram 2 years ago.

She is the kind of person that you directly fall in love with and for the funny joke she came knocking at my door.

I am very happy and flattered to start this new Chapter with her.

For the introduction, Sonia is 30 years old, she is an upcoming actress and is devoting her life to her career, investing all her time in it, saying no to TV shows that might tint her image. A year ago, she was requested to play in THE new Netflix blockbuster “Messiah”.

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

ENJOY!

Charlotte Linnea Björklund

Sonia, please tell us a little bit more about your childhood

I grew up in France in a very loving and simple spirit, my parents are both very hardworking persons and aren’t very interested by anything that sparkles.

They taught me important values and mostly to always stay true to myself.

I realize today how this makes me a very different persons especially in the world of acting in which I am evolving.

Did you know you always wanted to be an actress ?

My family always believed that I would become an actress which seemed so far from me as I was terribly shy.

However I do have to say that the idea that I could be an actress did intrigue me as I could then be many persons in one. You can play all this roles with all these different jobs. Fascinating.

However in a way it’s like destiny came and knocked on my door. It all started when I was 5 and I got contacted to do some voice dubbing. Which I thought was very fun. But I didn’t take it seriously.

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

Especially one “ The kid from Chaaba” ; I was fascinated by this little guy that was so tough!

Still today it remains one of my best movies experience.

Time went by and you started acting classes?!

Oh not at all, time went by but I took a marketing degree. I mean I loved Theater and all this world but it just seemed so far away from me.

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

I then registered for Juliette Moltes acting classes, where she directly told me that i had something special but that i needed to be much more devoted to this world. She was very tough with me, of course for my own good.

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

From that day I decided, that I would devote my life to acting.

You devoted your life to acting, however I feel that it’s under your own terms?!

Yes, indeed. I decided I wanted to give everything I could to become an actress however I didn’t want to be a victim of this world nor of the social media where today you have to make a constant promotion of yourself. Exhausting! That’s where my family values came knocking at 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 the financial pressure and I decided to sign an agent contract with my best friend as I Knew that I didn’t want to be in this agency drama world where you have to fight with your agent for him or her to sell you.

What does that mean in your daily life?
In my daily life it means that I haven’t accepted any small roles that won’t give me the visibility that I am aiming for, I do not have the pressure from my agent to sign for anything as she understands better than anyone how it’s not me. And I know that my agent won’t drop me because I am not making her enough money.

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

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t judge the 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 fulfilling as she is my business manager, my communication manager and my best friend!

Honestly that’s where our world is very difficult sometimes is that we have to rely on so many people. The competition is very rough and the pressure of the perfection is intense.

I am lucky I am surrounded by love, joy and support.

Now, tell us about Messiah?!

Oh my god, it was quite amazing! As they literally came knocking at my door. (Again the door!)

What’s even more amazing is that since a little kid, I dreamt of being a boy. I don’t know, I guess men actors can be so tough and rough that it impressed me. So for me when I was younger, you had to be a boy to become an actor.

When the team of Michael Petroni called me in for the casting, I was of course extremely enthusiastic but the incredible detail was that I was playing a male role. So i was the only women that was at the casting surrounded by men.

The day, they called me to let me know that I was selected and that the written scenario featuring a male role was switched to a women I was over the moon. I had managed to convince them!

You are such a positive and sweet person, what is your secret?!

My secret is to have faith, never loose faith!

Never listen to what anybody might say, as at the end we never know.

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

On a more fun note, what is the first thing you do when you come home?

I turn on my record player!!!

I developed a huge love for this sound system that inhales so much love, power and can literally blow my mind. What is also very nice is that during each of my trip I bring back a vinyl record and when I am home and play it, it reminds me of that trip.

For example, during my last trip in London I fell on the greatest hits of Abba. Funny coincidence, right?!

Your Linnea Lund product?

Ohh I love the Maya collar in Moka.

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

Now quickly,

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

Red is one of my favorite colors maybe because I have always seen my mother wearing it.

If you were a garment?

A pair of Levi’s 501!

I wear jeans since I am a kid, I feel that they are very practical and very sexy at the same time.

It’s everything I love!

Maybe once more, the influence of my parents. They are both especially my father such a big fan of Jeans that he even got married in a pair of jeans!