interview by JANA LETONJA

Australian born actor, singer and dancer Belle Procida is best known for starring in the Australian Nickelodeon series ‘Rock Island Mysteries’, as well as starring in a few Broadway shows in Australia where she sang and danced her way to stardom.In addition to her acting career, at the young age of 16 Belle created a swimwear line called ‘IsolaSwim’. 

Belle, you grew up on a farm in Queensland, Australia, where you spent your time learning how to horseback ride. You took this talent to a professional level. What do you love the most about horseback riding? Why did you stop riding?
I loved riding, I grew up around horses and my mum competed. I personally never competed on a professional level, but I did compete at local shows. It was a fun experience and I still ride here and there as my family lives on a farm, but as I got busier with acting and social media, I started to prioritize those things instead.

Besides horseback riding, you’ve also ran thriatlons. What values did running thriatlons teach you for life?
My dad competes and trains people for triathlons, which are swim, bike and run. I enjoyed being in the routine of it, but I didn’t do it for very long because I have never really been drawn to sport. I enjoyed playing soccer at school, but that’s about it. I guess I could say triathlons were my first introduction to show me how important and beneficial working out is for your overall health and for that I’m grateful. It was nice to share something with my dad, that he is so good at and passionate about. 

How did you develop passion for entertainment and acting, from these completely different passions?
Entertainment and acting were the first things ever I felt passionate about. I have no idea when the love for it started, but I think I’ve always felt this way. Not ever in my life have I wanted to do something else other than acting. I’m in love with every aspect of the art and I could sit and study and watch documentaries about it for hours on end.

You have wanted to take your career internationally and moved to Los Angeles to attend the prestigious Stella Adler acting academy. What excites you the most about acting and portraying different characters?
I have always wanted to pack up and head to the States. And before I even went there, I was so excited to do that, so it will definitely be happening in the future. Everything about acting is interesting to me. The process, the filming, the lifestyle, I love it all. And storytelling through a character and even in my everyday life is one of my favourite things to do ever.

Due to the pandemic, the industry got shot down and your American dream got paused. How hard was it to go back to Australia and wait to pick it up again?
I know everything is about timing, so it didn’t stop me from being productive and chasing what I want for myself. And if that didn’t happen, I wouldn’t have started TikTok and had a whole career from social media. I’m grateful it happened, even though it was hard at the time. 

What can you tell us about your upcoming projects, that we’ll soon be able to see you in?
I’m not allowed to say too much at this point, but I’ll be filming my first feature film next month, which I’m so excited about. I also have a few upcoming projects that are in the works and will be announced soon. 

In addition to growing your acting career, you utilized your passion for fashion and created your swimwear line ‘IsolaSwim’. What inspired you to design a swimwear line in particular? Can you take us through the process of designing it, choosing the patterns and fabrics, and then launching it?
I was 17 when I started that and I found school really hard. I was thinking about businesses I could make or acting roles I want to play, so I actually started drawing up designs in school classes and had a lot of fun just creating that. I did that for about 2 years until I started taking social media more seriously.  

How important was fashion to you while growing up and what role does it play today?
I love clothing. That’s another thing I did in school, put outfits together. I constantly study trends and watch what trending people are wearing. Still to this day and even more so now, I love putting clothes together and feeling good and looking put together.  

Belle, what are your ultimate career goals?
Anything to do with acting. I want to be constantly working in the entertainment industry. 

photography KATE ROSENBERG